Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1917-01-11
the state, and put Arkansas on alcash

the state, and put Arkansas on a1cash
basis.
Of the Southern states Maryland has
total Indebtedness of $1,000, 5S4 OF
$14.72 per capita; Virginia $4,000
Al, or $11.62 per capita; West Vir-
ginia S1,151 ,9S7, or $50 per capita
North Carolina S9,035,80S or 1887
pc rcapita; South Carolina S6,554.3lG
or S4.l2 per capita; Georgia, $685.
lS5, OF $40 PEI capita; Florida, So
l52,6l7 Or S3.72 per capita; Alabama,
$l4,365 ,059, or $685. per capita; Mis-
sissippi $5,146,39O, OF $2.7t per cap
tia; Texas, $5,0l7,955 or $1.l9 per
capita; Oklahoma "A years younger
than Arkansas. S7,237,177 or $3.50 per
capita: Missouri, $7,57O,351 or $2.24
per CAPT a; while Arkansas has ct the
present time a funded and floating
debt Of only S2,043,343, or $1.21 per
capita. The major portion Of this in
detbedness OF Arkansas represents
school funds, held in trust for the
benefit of the school children of the
state. If the short time note issue
Of S750,000 which | have suggested,
should be approved and authorized by
the general assembly, Arkansas total
indebtedness would be much less than
the indebtedness Of our neighboring
Southern states.
! will take the whole personal and
OF unpopularity may attach to this
short time note issue, believing as
do that the protection of the honor
Of Arkansas is vital to her political
and economical we'll being. ] earnestly
urge the approval of this measure by
the general assembly, assuring the
members that | have personally in
vestigated this matter and have TAX
en- it up with reliable bankers and
bonding companies and that the loan
can be secured on the terms named.
Auditing Department.
No two departments ana no two in
situations of the state have the same
system of accounting. There is ab-
solute lack of any uniformity, with a
result that a comparison of revenue
receipts and governmental cost pay
ments, the per capita receipts from
specified classes of revenue, and the
per capita relation Of revnue receipt
OF governmental cost payments-nlat-
tiers of vital interest to the people Of
the state-are absolutely impossible.
Arkansas has no effective audit sys-
tenn for state departments state in
stituions, and the rs counties Of the
state. West Virginia has an efficiency
and auditing commission, which re-
Gently saved the state $4,000 on coal
bill alone, and North Carolina has q
similar commission. | believe that
each department and state institution
should be required by law to make q
quarterly report in triplicate, one copy
to be filed in its own office, one copy
with the state treasurer, and one copy
with the governor, and that the gov
ernor should be authorized and re-
quired through a state commission of
accounts to order an audit at least
once a year-and more frequently, If
he deems necessary-every state de-
partment and state institution, and
submit the result Of this audit to the
general assembly at its next session in
published form, Or earlier, avalilng
himself of the terms Of the publicity
act to give this information to the
people of the state. If such recon-
mendation appeals to the members OF
the general assembly, il will be neces-
sary to create the office Of state COM
missioner of accounts or tarvellng
state auditor, wh0 should be an expert
accountant and versed in commercial
law and the laws Of Arkansas, such Of
ficer to be paid salary of not exceed
ing $4,000 and necessary travelling eX
penses.
County Auditing System Farce.
Complaint is heard on every hand
that our county auditing system is a
mere farce, because the commissioners
of accounts anDOinted by our circuit
judges are not expert accountants and
often times are not versed even In the
primary principles of commercial law
and the laws of Arkansas. | recon-
mend to the general assembly your
serious consideration of q plan that
has been proposed to abolish the Of
fees of county commissioners OF ac-
counts, and substitute in lieu thereof
either district auditors, one for every
congressional district in the state Of
Arkansas, or assistant tarveling state
auditors to be selected by the travel
ing state auditor subject to the ap-
proval of the governor. The approval
of the governor would prevent too
MANY assistant auditors being select
ed, and thereby curtail the expense
attached to such system, because
every governor, feeling a responsible
ity for the success Of his administra-
ton and pride in record Of reason
able economy, would only approve the
employment of such clerical force by
the state travelling auditor, or COM
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