The Prescott daily news., 1915-04-23
DEMOCRATIC GOV- ERNMENT REACHES
 POLITICAL CRISIS
Committee Says Time Voters be Ad- vised and Have Opportunity to Say Whether or Not Present
 Officials Will be Honored

Little Rock, April 23.-Senator Gar rett and Representative Smith and Gentry, of the general auditing con- lnlttee, which has been enjoined by the courts, last night 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- tlnue 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 investi- gation, and we further believe that the people generally who pay the taxes and would have to bear the expense of this committee work, are demand ing that they be advised specifically as to the manner in which the state officials are conducting their offices and the state institutions expending the money appropriated for their use."
 The committee, however, questions the sincerity of the motives behind the suit instituted "by the gentlemen from the state at large" They say, Tt IS matter of common knowledge that our investigations during the sitting of the recent legislature has not altogether shown, in our humble Judgement, that the money paid by the 'already over-burdened tax payers has been expended judicially 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 as- sistance to the discontinuance of our investigations, if not financially, in moral sense."
 Continuing the committee says. "We believe that the Democratic gov ernment which has guided the old ship of state so long in Arkansas has reached a political crisis, and when so guided by officials who fear inves- tigation and refuse to lend their moral support to the same, that it is high time the voters be advised and have an opportunity to say whether or not they will continue to honor such men with such exalted positions.
 ..'We have no desire or inclination to criticize 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 great majority of the people of the state.
 We further regret that we are not able financially to continue the work at our expense, and if We were, from our previous observation we rather think we would be enjoined from in- terfering with the books of the differ ent state departments, as We could no longer act officially. We do not be- lieve the parties desiring these inves legations discontinued care for the eX- pense We incur, but rather they ob feet to the information We gather be- ing made public.
 "We base this conclusion upon the fact that the expenditure of the states money in the offices we have already investigated is inconsistent with the fact that they are interested so very much in saving the state, but seem to be more interested in their political future and personal gain"
 Discussing the Department of Edu- cation the Committee finds that "there is a shortage of S1,050, that has not been paid into he Saate Treasury" on account of the issuance of teachers license; and that "there are MANY state and professional licenses issued over the state that the records of the Superintendent office do not show" (Supt Cook explains these discre- pancies by showing that many stubs in the blank book were marked "void' and that fees were returned to appll- cants whose certificate were not IS sued. I
 The Committee cites as an example that there is no record of the issuance of State License to Senator John l.. Carter of Eudora, for $10, as well as |"MANY, MANY others as shown by correspondence in the hands of the Committed" adding "SUCH ACTS BY A STATE OFFICIAL NEEDS NO |nrfNfENrT