Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-04-23
Legislative Investigating Committee Reports Fees
 Not Paid State.
STATES AFFAIRS
 IN BAD CONDITION
Belief Expressed That Officials Fear Light of Publicity, and So Aided in Stopping lnuuiry-Mr. Cook Ey-
 plains Discrepancies.

Little Rock, April 22-senator Garrett and Representatives smith and Gentry. of the general auditing committee, which has been enjoined by the courts, tonight made public their report on the department of education. In their report, made to the governor, they express regret that the decision of the supreme court makes it necessary to discon tinue the work, temporarily at least" They add that i've believe that some few of the state officials and some of the state institutions court investigation, and we further believe that the people generally who pay the taxes and would have to bear the expenses of this committee worx. are demanding that they be advised specifically as to the manner in which the state officiale are connac.- ing their offices and the state insti- tutiens e.;ponding the money appro- pr ated for their use"
 The cc,lihttee, however, ques- tions the sincerity of the motives be- hind the suit instituted "by the gentleman from the state at large'' They say, '!t ls d matter of common knowledge that our investigations curing the s''rlnl of the recent legis- lature has not altogether shown, i'll our bumble judgment. that the money. paid by the already over-burdened taxpayers has been expended judici- ously or with view to strict economy, to say the least of it, and we dare say that some of the state officials, and possibly some of the state institutions, lent assistance to the discontinuance of our investiga- sense"
 Continuing. the committee says: We believe that the Democratic government which has guided the old ship of state So long in Arkansas has reached political crisis. and when so guided by officials who fear il- vestigation and refuse to lend their neral support to the same, that 1t is high time the voters be advised and have an opportunity to say whether or not they will continue to honor such mer witli such exalted posi- tiOns.
 We have no desire or inclination to criticise the judicial department of our state government for rendering the opinion that has discontinued the work of this committee, but We are forced to the conclusion that the de- cision has defeated the will Of a great majority of the people of the state.
 Fear the Light.
 "We further regret that we are not able financially to continue the work at our expense, and If we were, from cur previous observation we rather think we would be enjoined from interfering with the books of the diff ferent state departments. as we could no longer act officially. We do not believe the parties desiring these in- vestigations discontinued care for the expense we incur. but rather they ob- feet to the information we gather being made public.
 "We base this conclusion upon the fact that the expenditure of the states money in the offices we have already investigated is cinsOnsistent with the fact that they are interested so very much in saving the state. blii seem to be more interested in their 1 political future and personal gain" Discussing the department of edu- I cation the committee finds that "there is shortage of $1,O50 that haf not been paid into the state treas l ury" on account of the issuance 0l
 teachers license: and that "thert l are many state and professions licenses issued over the state thal the records of the superintendent office do not show"
 Superintendent Cook explains these
 discrepancies by showing that many stubs in the blank book were marked
 nCoNrINrInn ON pAcm TwM