New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-01-26
TRAVELLING audi
TOR DOING LARGE
AMOUNT OF WORK
RECOMMENDS THAT TOWNS,
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND
ALL MINOR PUBLIC OFF,
GALS HAVE ACCOUNTS
CHECKED BY HIS OFFICE

The annual report of W. G. Sar-
gent, state auditor, just from the
press shows that the receipts of the
office during last year were $2,ol5,-
7:4.9e Warrants were drawn for
S2,255 64396. AS the year began
with a considerable balance there
is now on hand $l,247 1884.
A review of the work done by state
travelling Auditor A. G. Whittier is
in the report. 1t covers
a period from April |, 1915 to Nov
ember 80, 1916. The total expenses
Of this office for the twenty months
was $6,0l5.l0. Rail and stage fare is
next to hotels. the biggest item
to $l,ls023. 1t is esti-
mated that the travelling auditor
and his assistants travelled total
of 26.64O miles.
The total receipts and warrants.
etc. checked is 6l4,470. The state
ment shows that the office has since
April l, 1915, audited and examined
and made reports on all county Off
cials for sixteen counties, for coun-
~ clerk in one other county, for
one loan company, examined twice.
five state officials, five state insti-
tutions three building and loan asso-
Citations and two state boards.
On assuming the Office the policy
was inaugurated of making thor
ough audits, going back to the date
of the last official audit. and giving
preference to those counties and
officers and institutions. that had
not been examined since statehood.
The work necessary to complete the
audit of all county and state Off
cials will require but little time.
says the report, as compared with
the time in doing the work already
accomplished For illustration,
Grant county, one Of the largest in
the state, has not been checked
since July l, 1909, and the Silver City
Normal, organized in 1894, had not
been checked at all since its organi-
zation.
The following counties have not
been checked at all by the auditors
office, though all except Mora have
been checked since statehood. Cha
YES, Colfax, Curry (excepting the
county clerk). Eddy. Mckinley,
Roosevelt, San Miguel, Socorro and
Valencia.
The same remark is made as to
the following officials: Attorney
general governor, commissioner Of
public lands, engineer, librarian. ad-
jutant general, game warden, mine
inspector, clerk Of suprtme court,
and state superintendent. The re-
port states that the land office was
checked by the former auditor Mr..
Earnest but no report made. The
following state institutions have not
been checked by the present auditor,
according to his report: Military
Institute, deaf and dumb asylum,
museum of New Mexico, insane asy-
lum and state tax commission.
with the present clerical force
i, the Cftice of the state travelling
aud tor. il is believed that within the
next two years every state and
county Official, and state institution
can be audited and examined and
report made, and practically all the
counties and state institutions and
officials re-audited and the work
brought down to date, so that by
January |. 1919, the work of this OF
flee will be in such shape that aud
its will be made and reports thereof
made annually, as provided by law.
However, in the opinion of the OF
ficial making the report the office
could be made more useful to the
public. 1t would be desirable to have
additional accounting assistance a
present. so that in addition bringing
the work down to date, additiona
work could be taken on. This woult
include the auditing of school dis
tricts and municipalities. and under
taking special work for state board
such as the corporation commission
and the state tax commission.
The travelling auditor is required
bv law to check al building ant
loan associations Of the state, AM
the same are being checked in con
nection with the regular count,
work. These associations find it ex
tremely difficult, saws the report, t
make reports on November 50 o
anv year. owing to the nature o
their business, so reports as L
eleven months previous have bee
rendered. The auditor states tha
his next audit will bring the build
ing and loan companies down to DE
cember 81. 1916 and 1917.
An interesting comparison may b
made from statistics in the repor'
The State University had total in
come in the fourth fiscal year o
lSl77.S12.02. and paid out Sl0S,'75.E
The penitentiarv received Sl04,O82
y. and spent S8S,l4049.
Recomendations.
The following recommendation
are respectfully submitted for cor
sideration:
/ The laws relative to the dr
ties and powers of the State TraveI
ing Auditor should be revised an
codified and re-passed by the legs
lature. and all other laws and ACT
in conflict with the same should b
repealed.
2. II should be made the duty {
the office of State Trave ing Audi
or to audit and examine into the a
fairs of the incorporated towns an
villages of the state, all school dl'
tricts, independent and otherwise
justices of the peace and peace Oft
GERS, and all other public official
whether state, county, school di
trict. town. or otherwise who hand
. and disburse public moneys.