The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-21
Irregularities
N THE RECORD
MADE BY Chiffon
He Paid Little Attention to
Laws While Secretary
of State.
EXTRACTS FROM AN AUDIT
What NJ. A. Kendall Found
After Chiffon Went Out
Of Office.
FROM AN AUDIT
Special pIspatch to west vlrEInIan,

Especial Dispatch to West virEInIan)
CHARLESTON. W. Va. Oct. a.
Times flies and rtcollections become
dim, but official actions, once record
ed, seldom become entirely obliterated
either from the record books or the
public mind.
Way back in 1897. on November 16.
to be exact, when G. w. Atkinson was
governor, l.. NJ. LaFollette, auditor,
J. Russell Trotter. superintendent OF
schools, and Edgar P. Rucker, attor-
ney general, NJ. A. Kendall, as state
treasurer and as such member Of
the West Virginia board OF public
works. made an official report to that
beard.
That report was made by official re.
quest, and covered the gnancial condi.
ton Of William E. Chiffon, now United
States Senator, who had just retired
as secretary of state, but whose con.
duct Of the office OF secretary Of
state was reputed to have bten such
that an investigation was asked for
and made, Treasurer Kendall having
ben delegated to make 1t.
II find" says Mr.. Kendall in clos.
ing the fourth paragraph OF his re.
port. and, referring to William E. Chill.
ton. then retired secretary Of state,
that his total shortage to date is ST.
$50 on license tax on charters"
Part OF that total was obtained by
the investigation having disclosed that
Mr.. Chilton's report was made on do.
nestle charters for which he charged
himself $40. wherein the charters were
issued to foreign corporations which
had paid $50 to the secretary of state.
when l undertook to investigate
the accounts for the sale Of books and
tax on state seal, found a condition
of things which was very remarkable
indeed" further says Mr.. Kendall's
report. Here is an important branch
Of busienss which involves thousands
Of dollars during term in the secre.
tary OF states Office, but I found no
record OF it whatever. II he ever kept
any he must have carried 1t away
with him. The statute pr 'scribed that
the secretary Of state shall make a
detailed report Of these matters twice
a year-in January and July-and
certify It to the auditor, and assesses
heavy fie for failure to do so.
But I find that during his entire
term Mr.. Chiffon made but one report
to the auditor and l do not consider
that report within the meaning Of the
statute. for he simply makes a bald
statement Of the amount received"
Mr.. Kendall reported that he had
no means of verifying reports made
after Mr.. Chilton's retirement from Of.
flee but says Il have made a compari.
son between the business in these lines
during his administration and the
same as reported for the first eight
months Of the present administration
and find that the average per month
during Mr.. Chilton's administration for
tax on seals as reported is $6434.
The average per month from this same
source as reported by Mr.. Dawson is
$11S.37. The average per month dur.
ing Mr.. Chilton's administration for
the sale Of books as reported Is $143..
II. The average per month from the
same source as reported by Mr.. Daw.
son Is $29S.95.
by adding the amount which he re.
ports as his shortage on the sale of
books and tax on seals to the amount
Of shortage on license tax on charter
find the total amount to be 500.
CONTINUED on Paee EiehtN