The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-05-24
HEATED DISCUSSION AT MEETING
OF SCHOOL BOARD OVER SERVICES
OF STATE AND PRIVATE AUDITOR
State Auditor Arrives in the
City to Find Out His Ser
vices are Not Wanted

The meeting OF the board Of public
instructIon was featured yesterday
morning by heate ddiscussion as to
whether the services Of w G. Murrow.
state auditor, should be accepted, now
! that Mr.. Murrow has been sent TO
PENSACOLA to fSAdit the books OF the
school board or whether the audit
shall be made by a private auditor, F.
b. Hagerman, at a cost to the county
OF SIS per day for a period OF six
weeks.
0. ]. semmes. who was the origina-
tor Of the plan to have Mr. Murrow
come to Pensacola to audit the books
led the fight against having these
books audited by him.. and some hot
words passed around the table, the
differences being of triangular na-
ture, and confined to Messrs Semmes
Murrow and Edwards.
While the discussion was extremely
heated, II ended in an amicable invi-
tation extended by Mr.. Semmes to
Mr.. Murrow, asking him to be his
guest at the meeting of the Rotary
club at 1 o'clock.
Mr.. Semmes moved that the propo-
sition Of r. B. Hagerman, to-wit. that
he check all of the receipts and dis
bursements for three years back and
the time warrants and bonds from
1911 to date, to consume about six
weeks time. at a daily charge OF SIS
per day" be accepted
Too Many Auditors.
It was brought. out at the meeting
that some weeks ago, and on hts own
fFlf Ia
governor to send the state auditor to
Escambia county to audit the books of
the school board. The governor referred
the matter to the state comptroller
and it was not acted upon.
At recent meeting of the board
a resolution was introduced providing
that the board of public instruction
petition the comptroller to send an
expert accountant to thig county for
the purpose Of completing the records
and OF installing a sImplified though
complete set OF books to be used nv
this board from July ], 1922. That IN
the event that the comptroller would
not or could not comply with this pc
tition, the board would then proceed
at once to secure the services of an
expert accountant who would accom-
plish such work as indicated, and that
such services be paid by the board out
Of the general fund. The resolution was
passed by the board last Tuesday. but
no petition was sent TO the comptroIIer
and instead It was decided bv the
board that the services OF an auditor
would be called in.
It was brought out at the meeting
that Mr.. Hagerman went to the Of
flee OF the county superintendent and
conferred about the audit Following
this conference, It was stated at the
meeting, Mr.. Edwards wired the
comptroller for state auditor, and
Mr.. Murrow was Immediately dis
patched to PensacoIa.
Mr.. Murrow was at the meeting yes
terday morning and when asked as 10
his presence IN Pensacola stated that
ne was here in response to Instruc-
tions from Tallahassee He said that
he was engaged on some other work
and was notified from the office or
the comptroller to leave for Pensacola
''pronto"
Judge Beggs asked as TO the mean
ing OF "pronto" Mr.. Murrow said Il
mean right away" and that he had
judged that the summons was inpera
tive, though he had been given no fur
ther information than that ne was