The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1921-04-26
HOUSE MEMBERS
FLAY BILL FOR
AUDIT OFFICER
Rocky Road for Measure In
dicated by Hearing in
Committe of Whole

| With almost no routine business
ing. that body shortly after conven-
| ing resolved into a committee OF the
whole, for the consideration of
House Bill No. SO, relative to the
creation of a Territorial Auditing of
flee and Territorial Auditor and be-
unlimited powers. The Attorney
General was present and defended
and explained the measure which
he stated was drawn by him. Wal
stein G. Smith, Territorial Treasurer
was invited to appear and the cour.
him.
AS the bill was taken up by sec
tions Mr.. Smith explained the over
tapping of authority bestowed upon
the Auditor upon the powers and
duties of the other officials of the
the bill if enacted in it's present
form would create an elaborate office
for the performance of work which
could easily be handled by one man.
Its enactment into law, he further
stated, would hamper every other
official in the proper performance of
his duty and the law would be so
far reaching in its effect that 1t is !
impossible to say just what it would |
do. The Attorney General said that
the bill would have to be supplement-
ed by another, turning over much
Secretary of the Territory to the
Auditor.
Many Questions Asked.
Many OF the members directed /
questions at both Mr.. Smith and the
Attorney General regarding specific
provisions of the bill and the gen
eral tendency was apparently to re-
gard the measure in an unfavorable |
light on the ground that it was put.
ting too much power into the hands |
of a single individual Mr.. Trip
asked why it was found necessary
to make the employment of assist
ants in the Auditors office contin-
gent upon the approval of the At
torney General. Mr.. Smith contend
ed that the bill placed no limits up
on the use or misuse of the power
bestowed and declared that in the
final analysis, such use or misuse
would depend entirely upon the man
in the proposed office, to which Mr.. |
Cochran responded that the Legisla-
ture has very good man in mind.
Other members had not heard of
such a person.
1t was suggested that an add
tional clause be added giving the
Auditor the power of veto, as he ap-
parently had every other power pos
sible. Mr.. Hunter asked the sponsors
of the measure why a provision
was not included in the bill making
the Auditor General Pooh Bah of
the Territory" Mr. Cole declared
that he believed the measure too
elaborate and that a shorter bill pro-
viding for an auditor for auditing
purposes only would be sufficient
for the needs of the Territory
At noon after having considered
but few sections of the measure, |
the House recessed until p m. at
which time the Holt Fish Memorial
is set for special hearing, to be fol
lowed by the proposed fur tax sched-
ule bill. A committee substitute was
adopted for the original bill provid-
ing for such "a schedule which made
no material changes.
Protest Received.
In the House this morning tele
graphic protest was read relative
to the Britt Fisheries measure, be
ing sent from Wrangeli and stating
that petition was being mailed on
the City of Seattle regarding the
| bill
1890