The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-14

selling the stamps purchased by the state sales were made from stamps printed on the outside and the proceeds of these sales converted to the personal use of the man ager of this department and. as conse- quence, the defalcation of Homer Billings ley stands as another link in the chain o1 fraud and corruption that has been re- gently forged in Alabama. The defalca- ton of Billingsley did not cease even alter he went out of office. AS an evil dence of this we present herewith copies of two checks made payable to the com missioner of agriculture and industries which purport to have been ndorsed by MT. Billingsley after his retirement. War rants have been issued for Mir. Billings ley. but at the present time he has not been apprehended. The evidence leads us to believe that the defa lcation in this de- partment is much larger than the exam iner has been able to ascertain. The man her in which the books were kept pre- eludes full discovery
 Our investigation discloses other irregu- iarities and shortages in the department of agriculture and industries. A con tingent fund of $500 month has been created by law to be used by the com missioner of agriculture and industries in defraying the expenses of the depart ment, this fund to include the salary of the chief clerk and assistant and the travelling expenses. of the employees of the department. We find that this con tingent fund is withdrawn from the treas ury of the state in lump sum on the first day of each month, and deposited in a local bank to the credit of this de- partment. Checks are drawn against such deposit and there is returned to the treas urer at the expiration of the month that portion of the fund unexpended. Such a method as this would not be tolerated by
 ,f.t- k.fr t- t.,trf faf ffNf1 h1 contingent fund to be used in ways not authorized by law. It should be paid , on vouchers regularly drawn from time to time as used against the treasury.
 The only safeguard or supervision of any kind thrown around the payment of
 moneys out of this contingent fund is a requirement. that a monthly itemized statement of accounts should be submit ted to and approved by the governor We quote one of many instances to show that this supervision is not sufficient. An sc- count was made out in the name of one John c. Cheeseborough for S4, approved and paid. Captain Cheney, chief clerk of the department, who handled this ac- counts, testified that Cheeseborough was a negro lecturer who had been doing farm institute work at s4 per day that he came into his office and on the state
 ment of the negro that he had lectured to negro farmers for 21 days the account was made out, although Captain Cheney admitted that he had never seen the ne gro before the account was approved or since. The account purported to have been signed and sworn to by John C. Cheeseborough before a notary. This
 notary, being called as witness, testi- fled that the acknowledgement was made | by Captain Cheney. his name was sub 1 scrbed to the affidavit and that the ne | gro Cheeseborough never appeared be- | fore the notary. The stub in Captain Cheneys bank book shows that check | was issued to John c. Cheeseborough GOV ering this account. Captain Cheney ha: refunded this money to the state
 I The files in the department disclose tha fertilizer inspectors devoted far more ot
 their time in campaigning for vote: i than they did in inspecting fertilizers | We find that they were used as a politica
 bureau for the purpose of furthering thu political aims and aspirations, not only
 of those in this particular departmen
 who sought political preferment, bu
 branching out in the aid of other candi
 dates whose friendship was desired bN
 this department. These fertilizer inspec
 tors instead of making reports on th'
 condition of fertilizer devoted much O
 their daily reports to a summary of thei
 work al political agents for certain candi