Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-15
DEADLOCK IS APPARENT
OVER State APPOINTMENT
Auditing Committee Recommends w.
L. Smyth-Governor Takes
No Action.
sMYTH HOLDS ON TO THE JOB
Must Remain in Office Until Sue
ccssor Is Appointed and Present
Indications Do Not Point to Any
New Nomination.

Perhaps the prettiest political situa
ton in the history OF Virginia Is the
apparent deadlock between Governor
Wcstmoreland Davis OF the new
regime and the State Legislative Audit
ing Committee. probably of the odd
which has recommended the rcappoiu.
ment OF state Accountant w. l.. Smvtn.
whose term expired on July l. and who
has since been holding over by virtaa
of the law and the unique situation.
which is this:
Inc law provides that the Auditing
committee shall recommend the STAG
Accountant and that the Governor shall
| appoint the man so recommended. NJ
provision is made. it seems. for any
| alternative; there being no time SCI
within which the Governor must make
the appointment. and his refusal to do
so not AFFECTING the recommendation OF
within any set time requiring any othc'
name from the committee
The committee. composed OF Senator $
James r.. Cannon, =. H. Drewry OF
Petersburg. and Delegates James a.
| Price, IL. c. Buck, of Washing ton
county, and Q. &. Davis Of South Nor
lolk. adopted a resolution respecting
the satisfactory work OF Accountan,
SmEth. who has been in the prcsen,
position tor number of years. spre Il
II on the minutes of the meeting and
then submitted it to tho Governor with
the recommendation for the reappoir.-
inent OF Accountant Snyth. 1t is un-
dcrStood that the committee in nam
ing only the one man had no thought
OF the political deadlock that has re-
suited. provided that pressure of cir
cumStances is not the reason for th..
absence of executive action in the mat -.
| ter of the appointment.
Anyhow, the term of the present az.
countant expired on July /. The only
result is that Accountant Smyth is still.
on the job. holding over till his suc.
| cessor is appOinted--which appear;
! legally to be sort of impossibility.
unless the committee decides to ride in
inherent machine and name in Dlac.
OF Accountant Smyth another man. or
unless the Governor can have NJ
H"'Sth removed for cause. that bein:;
me only manner of getting Virginia
stumbling block out of the way.
Taking FOR granted that there is M
cause Tor the removal OF the present
accountant. this situation remains: tn.
committee has legally named the man
Tor the place; the Governor has NJ,
made the appointment AS recommended
by the committee; the COMMITTEES .nn
sil tisht, without naming Il substitutes
the Governor does not have TO ra,itv
tnc appoint as recommended B,,t
II ne can max another appointment
ana won't make this one Accoun,,n,
Hha!lh WILL not removed for cause, re-
main inc State Accountant during the
entire administration OF Governor
VINO refused to appoint him 70 the posi- :.
ton.
Accountant Smyth has just returned
from Il trip from Lynchburg. Radford
ana other points farther in the south
western part of the state. He stated
ihat the crops in that section OF the
state appeared to be exceedingly prom
Using, especially the corn
lie stated that the government was
scnulnS men all over that part of the
state TO pick out the walnut trees for
the manufacture of Eunstocks He said
that most all of them from the thick
ness OF eighteen inches up were being
selected by the government