The sun., 1916-08-25
C%OURTQRDERS AUDIT
OF EXPOSITION TRIP
Writ Of Mandamus COmpels
Comptroller to Check Up
Expenses.
COMMISSIONERS LAVISH
estate Not Left Remediless,
Even Though Moneys Have
Been Expended"

Justice Hasbrouck. sitting at King
ston. yesterday granted a peremptory
writ Of mandamus to compel Eugene
Travis. State Comptroller. to audit the
accounts Of the New York State Panama
Pacific Exposition Commission.
This is a victory for Frederick w.
Heinrich Of the Young Mer's Republican
Club Of Brooklyn. which has been fight
inG for several months to compel a pub
lie auditing of the expenditures Of the
Panama fair commissioners On their trip
TO the Pacific. coast and for the New
York building at the fair. including the
expenditures Of Governor whitman. The
amount involved aggregates $4,000
The members Of the Young Mems Re-
publican Club OF Brooklyn believe the
audit. when published, will show gross
extravaganza and illegal expenditures.
II such a showing In made the avowed
programme is to force the Comptroller
to institute suits to recover considerable
I'M from various members Of the COM
mission. The amount alleged to have
been expended illegally and which 1t Is
sOu&ul w " cANgCuS VsV
The Comptroller. through the Attorney
General. advanced the plea that the AT
d!ting powers conferred upon the commits
sion by the statute creating II super
vened the general law which gives the
Comptroller power to audit.
Rests with Comptroller.
Justice Hasbrouck heard the appl!ca-
ton August 5. His ruling yesterday
held this contention to be opposed to the
Constitution itself. the State finance law
and Il decision Of the Court Of Appeals.
Determination OF the propriety and
reasonableness OF the expenditures OF
the commission rests with the Comp
%troller. the court holds. as the State has
reposed In his office the duty Of care
fully guarding Its moneys against dissi-
patton by persons lacking interest In Its
welfare or wanting in a deep sense Of
patriotic responsibility"
THE fact that the moneys were adj
vanced and ave been expended does not
leave the State remediless." the opinion
continues. Because the money has been
spent II IL not beyond audit. II was
advanced to facilitate the carrying on Of
an exhibition. and requiring "A report
subsequently was to assure preservation
Of the record on which the Comptroller
may act
Legality Not a. lssss.
Justice Hasbrouck held. however, that
the question whether the commissions ex-
p%enditures were legal was not before the
court. thus referring to the petitioners
charges that the commissioners exceeded
their authority by fitting up the State
building with sleeping rooms and living
accommodations. using 1t to live In
themselves and In entertaining on a Law
ish scale. paying travelling expenses OF
State officials and private citizens and
visiting other places than the exhibition.
The Comptroller. Justice Hasbrouck
finds. was advised enormously and
failed to understand the duty imposed
upon him by law.
The plain requirements OF the law
he says In this connection. ARE that
these expenditures SHOULD be audited by
the Comptroller and that the provisions
OF the State finance law should be COM
piled with"
ALBANY, Aug. 24.-Gov. Whitman wal
in Rochester to-day and zone OF the ex-
ecut!ve force would on tho de-
ciSion OF Justice Hasbrouck.