The Prescott daily news., 1915-07-28
REPORTS OF INVESTIGATING
 COMMITTEES
By Clio Harper.

Only two more reports are expected from the Special Investigating Com mittee-on the Governors office and the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court. Nothing sensational is ex- pected from either of them. The gov ernor handles none of the states money, except an occasioal fee for notary or other commission. The Supreme Court handles fees for the filing of transcripts and other services provided by statute. providing a fund out of which he and his deputies are paid.
 Everyone that has been concerned in the probe thus far has been smutted more or less with the same stick. Even the members of the committee have been themselves sued by a for mer employe, I. F. Thomas, one of the expert accountants, for S25,O00 dam ages for alleged defamation of charac- ter. Every office examined thus far, with the single exception of State Treasurer Mcdaniel, has had it's share of criticism ranging from charges of carelessness to what is admitted should be given a rigid examination by the grand jury The career of the Investigators has been beset with controversy from the beginning. It has been a game of give and take since their official status was discre- dited by the Supreme Court, down to the present time when they and At torneygeneral Moose are challenging each other to go bfore the Grand Jury But the Grand Jury does not meet again until fall, and in the meantime the public can only await the next development. The Committee says that Attorney general, as the states law officer, should take the initiative but Judge Moose is silent as to his intentions.
 Within the next three or four weeks a report should be forthcoming from an audit of the books and accounts of the Secretary of State. Mr. Hod- ges has requested Col. George Thorn burgh and Hon Clay Sloan to select a third man to constitute a committee that shall select accountants and make a thorough audit of the office. Mr. Hodges will pay all the bills himself,
 Some good must come to the state out of all this hodge-pege of scandal, insinuation, charges, heart-aches, law suits, lawyers fees, petty politics, shattered political hopes, and cam paign thunder. None can deny there is something wrong. One thing that is unquestionably exposed is the tax business system that has been evolved in many departments of the state gov ernment through years of indifference. It is not for the unofficial observer to say that there has been criminality in the conduct of the states business in any department. But it is apparent to all that there has been gross neg ligence and an ineXcusable lack of business method in some quarters.
 These are the conditions that must be remedied by the next Legislature or it will itself be open to a just condemnation. (Which, it must be admitted would not be exactly a novel experience for the General Assem- bly)
 For the benefit of those who pay the taxes, for the protection of the ere ditors of the state, as well as for the sake of the officers and employees of the state, a system must be devised that will remove all temptation from those to whom is entrusted the states money. A start was made by the last Legislature but it did not go far enough. The conditions revealed by the reports of the Investigating Com mittee, considered without regard to the personal equation in any particu- lar,-must be taken as the basis for a re-adjustment of administrative methods There must be system of checks and balances just as a success full business concern demands, if the state is to get the best results. There must by periodical audit of all offices and departments. To adopt battle. cry of 1914, Turn on the Light" No honest man ever suffered from it and no dishonest man should be en- titled to consideration of the objects.
 There is a revulsion of feeling in