Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-14
GHAMBERI0PAY f0RSlJREEY
OF TERRITORYS FINANCES

II
ury there seemed to be nothing more
than bag where all Of the dollars
that we're paid into the county were
placed and when they wanted q dollar
for this, that or the other purpose, all
they did was to put their hand in and
take out what was needed without any
accounting. The necessity for sys-
tenn of accounting which will begin as
has been suggested by taking stock of
what the territory has and from that
time on to carry things on right is of
the first Importance, and until some
thing OF the kind Is done, until the
accounting OF the territory's affairs is
properly conducted there always will
be this unrest and this fear regarding
the honesty of the territory's officials.
It is not very nice thing for any
territorial official to be under sus.
picion, but as long as accounts are
not Strengthened out properly you are
bound to be suspected. IL you have
proper accounting kept and you can
make clear statement of receipts
and expenditures, there will be no
question of honesty at all. On the
other hand, II you are not able to
explain where all money went, naturaI-
ly you win be suspected.
System 10 Poor.
Il must say that the system Is very
poor. The system of today Is the sys-
tenn OF 10 years ago and until you
have proper system of territorial
and county accounting it is always
going to be this dissatisfaction which
exists today with the way things are
run In this territory don't know
whether there is better man than
Mr.. Gooding Field to handle this mat
ter. As Mr.. Field is in the territory
and as his work has done SO much
good, l think it would be most ex.
cellent thing, from my standpoint of
view. to employ Mr. Gooding Field to
continue his research work So far
as the compensation is concerned. or
course, We do not expect Mr.. Field to
work for this chamber for nothing. lfI
this chamber cannot afford to pay for
this work, i am sorry for It. ] can
not understand why 1t is the govern
ment cannot pay for It. If the money
cannot be found there, then It has got
to be found by private persons. i am
perfectly willing to contribute my
share towards his remuneration. II
feel very strong upon this subject and
feel that all Of you do too. If II
would ask any one Of you where your
money goes, none OF you could answer.
don't know where to lay my hand
upon any document or statement
which viii show how much money
there was coming in and how much
went out of this country. Every man
that pays taxes In this territory is q
stakeholder and Is entitled to know
what his money is expended for. What
we want to know is in what specific
direction expenditures have been
made and until that time comes we
viii always be in this dissatisfied con-
dition. ] think 1t is safe to say that
governmental system Of accounting in
this territory il very bad. It ought
to have its place taken by something
up-to-date and Understandable. The
auditor does his work in strict con.
formity with the regulations, but we
want to have something else besides. |
We want to have regulations which
win oblige him to be controller in. |
stead Of checker of accounts, andtit is
needed II we are going to stop graft.
I sincerely trust that Hawaii was an
exception and that there isn't an,
such work going on in any Of the ISL
ands, but as long as you have the lack
Of system as you have now, there
is no way In which dishonesty can be |
discovered.
The Auditors Position.
Mr.. Gooding Field in his report |
made on his Investigation in Hawaii
says that Mr.. Chas. X. Mcguire told |
him that when the auditor went to-
make his periodical examination of the |
auditor Of Hawaii's accounts, that Ma
guire, as auditor. never felt the slight
est fear the auditor would be able to
ind anything the matter with his ac-I
counts, and he never did. i
II an auditor checks accounts.
cannot understand why he should
not find out the mistakes that
are made by the accountants of the
territory, but first of all let us hayef
! system up-to-date, not d system of
10 or 20 years ago and / don't know1
Of any better man that Mr.. H. Good.
Esiol<1 i