Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-24
POWELL TAKES
ALL RESPONSIBILITY
CONTINUED From First Pagel

cellaneous expense fund for the Gov
ernor and Executive Mansion, my
recollection is that about the middle
of May, 1915, about the time of the
first accounting requisition upon this
fund, l called to the attention of the
Governor by letter the fact that the
fund was to be expended at the dis
erection of the Governor and that it
was not necessary for it to be vouched
or audited by the fiscal officers of the
Commonwealth at all, but that if the
Governor desired that it be vouched
and audited as other accounts were
Nouched, l must insist that it include
vouchers for the items for which the
appropriation was made including the
miscellaneous expenses incurred in
the conduct and management of the
Executive Mansion and it is my recol-
lection that l specifically mentioned
the furnishing of meals, night lunches,
etc, for the more than nine servants
substantially quartered in the Man
sion, payment for which had, during
former administrations, been made
out of the general fund appropriated
to the. Board of Public Grounds and
Buildings, under paragraph in the
general appropriation bill authorizing
the superintendent of said Board to
pay all temporary help and for the
care, maintenance and preservation of
PUBLIC grounds and buildings, includ-
ing the Executive Mansion.
Auditor Generals Letter
IN that letter / said to him.
am assuming that you have
peen maintaining the table and some
0ther incidental expenses of the
household of the Mansion out of vour
private purse. L do not believe that
TINS was either within the intention of
t.le Legislature or is in keeping with
the dignity of the Commonwealth.
Inc Inc Leglslature specifically said that
tne appropriation in question should
De spent in your discretion and really
requires the filing of no vouchers on
your part, but since you have adonted
the system of vouching it the same
as all other appropriations 1 feel that
nave rlSht to make a suggestion
III Is the duty of the Auditor Cen
erai TO see that money is pronerI,.
spent, as we'll as that none sbonid he
spent improperly. L would, tt erefore
respectfully suggest that Won have a
right 10 include among your voucbers
those incurred for the necessary main
tenance of the table and other incl
uen'aI expenses OF the household of
the mansion, which is substantiaIIv
the guest house of tie Commonwealth
IN the occupancy of yourself as Chief
Executive. '''oA
If l have intruded or made anv
improper suggestion please be frank
70 say SO, but l felt it my duty for
4
Il see no reason to change NV nosi-
tlon taken at that time. 1t is not in
keeping with the dignity of the Com
monWealth and not conducive to good
| government to have a man act as its
Chlef Executive and load him with
mn airoe OF zen servants, some of whom
are only ordinary night watchmen
about the building and expect him to
| furnish their meals. / had SO stated
previously to John X. Tener, when he
was Governor, but because he had
begun on that line and for the reason
tnat the appropriation was differently
worded during his administration and
Tor the further reason that MANY of
| these expenses were taken care of nv
the superintendent of Public Grounds
and Buildings under the clause l have
above cited, Governor Tener did not
make the change.
Cheapening the State
/ In my opinion it cheapens the Re-
publican organization and the people
| OF the Commonwealth to raise obtec-
| tlon TO the necessary expenses of the
maintenance of its Executive Mansion
out of the Treasury of the Common
wealth, and not out of the private
| pocket of a man unable to bear that
expense.
Frankly. the chief difference is
that now they are accounted for ont
of this fund when heretofore tkey had
DSen iHclu0eu IN the bills passed hV
the Board of Public Grounds and
Buildings out of appropriations to the
Department of Public Grounds and
Buildings carried in the General Ap-
preparation bill. Any careful exami-
nation of the appropriation for 1915
to the Department of Public Grounds
and Buildings will show that a ma
1ority of these expenses could have
been paid out OF those appropriations
even In 1915. because in a majority
of the paragraphs tie Executive Man
sion Is specifically mentioned.
This State An Empire
The Commonwealth of PenusyI-
vanih last year had revenue of sac
63.03S.23. greater than that of ten
other States of the Union combinetI.
The people of the State ought to re-
member that I'm reality 1t is an empire
and not O cheap proposition, There
are many great, private corporations.
creatures of the Commonwealth, who
would not think of limiting the ex-
penses of their presidents as strictly
as would seem TO be desired for the
Governor,
~ cannot conclude this statement
without saying that in reply to the
letter above quoted the Governor said
as follewsi
~ wish all my expenditures to be