Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-27
POWELL REPORTS
NO DIFFICULTY
Says That the States Books Do
Balance and That There Is
No Trouble at All

Auditor General Powell last night
reported to the Senate, in answer to a
resolution of inquiry, that his books
did balance and invited inspection.
The report was sent to the Senate and
gave an exhaustive statement covering
many items with an affidavit by Chief
Bookkeeper Br.ndle.
The report says, in part:
There are no items in the accounts
of the Auditor Generals department
which fail to balance.
THE receipts from sums appro-
priated to the department exactly bal
ance the expenditures therefrom and
the cash in hand.
Assuming, however, that by the
accounts of the Auditor General is
meant the accounts of the Common
wealth. which the Auditor General is
required to keep, l answer that the
accounts of the Commonwealth from
the first Tuesday of May, 1913, to date
show no items which fail to balance;
providing the various departments,
officers, etc, have in their hands the
cash balance with which they are
charged on our books. And each and
all of them are bonded to more than
the balance charged.
THE State Treasurer is the officer
charged with the handling of the cash
of the Commonwealth.
THE receipts and disbursements of
the Commonwealth and the State
Treasurers affidavit of the cash on de-
post in the various State repositories
also balance exactly.
THE Auditor Generals office has
never, since the first Tuesday of May.
1918, been permitted to close, nor the
bookkeekepers to leave the cage, un-
less a balance was struck. The rule
is Balance or stay and when a ball
ance is struck in the Auditor Generals
office it is the duty of the State Treas
urer and all other departments, bu-
reauS and commissions of the State
government to balance Herewith
Because certain unknowing and,
at present, irresponsible, people have
not realized this was the condition of
the accounts of the Commonwealth,
the General Assembly, both by its gen.
eral and appropriation laws, provided
that the Auditor General might choose,
and the Auditor General has chosen,
and still chooses to prove that fact by
the audit and certificate of disinter-
ested, responsible and reputable firms
of certified public accountants.
The appropriation of SIS, 200 made
in the general appropriation act of
1915 for the payment of extra clerks,
etc, showed a balance uneXpended on
February %, 1917, of S4,O7S.14, and
the expenditures had been vouched in
detail, approved by the State Treas
urer and paid by him.
The deficiency appropriation,
$25,000, carried in the general de-
ficiency bill of 1917 was not approved
until March s, 1917, and no expendi-
lures have been made therefrom for
the compensation of expert account
ants to this date.
''As TO the other matters. have the
honor to assure the General Assembly
that the books of the department are
open and the vouchers are on file sub
Ject to examination by any responsible
citizen of the commonwealth and es-
pecially by any member of the Gem
eral Assembly, in accordance with my
tender laid upon the desk of each
member at the opening of this ses-
sion. They will remain open until the
first day of May, 1917, at IL o'clock
noon, at which time I shall turn them
over to my successor duly elected by
the people of the commonwealth. ac-
companied by the certificate of two
responsible audit companies as to their
condition.
If in any further way I may be
able to serve the General Assembly,
or any member thereof, as a repre-
sentative of the people of his district
1 shall be glad to do so. And 1 spe-
cltlcally reserve the right to present
the certificate of the said certified pub
lie accountants to the General Assem-
bly, and further answer the resolution"