The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-08-09
"OPENS ARTILLERY
!; AGAINST EXPERTS
Duncan Takes Shot at "Smeiling Com.
mittce. Letter to IIardwick.

mittce. Letter to IIardwick.
The State. III. ~x
Wannsboro. Aug. 3.-LThc report of
|Grlffenhagen C Associates, made to
the Joint legislative committee on econ
omy and consolidation at the last ses-
sion OF the general assembly, was the
subject Of harsh criticism here today
BY Walter T. Duncan, comptroller gem
eral. This was introduced early in
the campaign by Cole L. Blease, who
designated the group Of efficiency cx-
perts,awho made n survey Of the finan-
cial affairs OF the state, as the smell
ing' committee. 4. Hagood Gooding,
at the campaign meeting in Darling
ton, read n letter writton by Mr.. Dun
can to state officials in Georgia, where
the same group was making q survey,
IN which the experts were character
lied as "impostcrs," their recommen-
dations Ridiculous and their. meth
ods Contemplate" Mr.. Duncan .ex-
planned today that his opponent had
referred to that ,.art OF the report
which dealt with the office OF the
comptroller general and then read a
letter from one Of the Griffenhagen
representatives published in the At
lanta Journal last Saturday. He also
read a copy Of his own letter which
he wrote in reply to Governor Hard
wick OF Georgia this week.
The report Of the efficiency men is
OF peculiar interest, in view of the
fact that all candidates realize the
financial burdens under which the peo-
pie of tho state arc la5oring, and also
because this same group pointed out
to tho last general assembly how a
savirg o" half q million dollars might
be effected.
Experts Make Reply
Enpl. ing to Mr.. Duncan's first let
ter F:cI Tc!fcrd of Gr:ffcnhagcn &
hFSocia>cs had the following to rny
concerning Mr., Duncan:
IN the rcpC"% wn made 20 the 4
lcSislsi;Yc committee OF South c y
J IL
ccr'D.rollor general, VIC pointed c.t
tha, - artC mohilo had been purci' s.
ed cut Of the funds appropriated FDr
the ccuaty on!GHG. Aut was being /, Il
Tor personal uses by the chief Gle X
il tho Oa,cc, also ihat IN reporting .
expenditures 20 the legislature the
cOm2trCllHr general had covered up
the use Of the money. This automo''ie
was purchased before Mr.. Duncan / X
otfi &C, but the last payment Of sevC al
hundred dollars was made after lie
became comptroller general. When a
copy OF the report vas given to Cny-
ernor Cooper lie took the matter up
with the comptroller general, Water
Il. Duncan, who admitted tho fact rs
stc:ted in the rcpor. and offered to re-
sign. Later he changed his minf rs
to tho course CT action he should t. Ike
and did not resign"
S. II. Carter also wrote letter to
the officials Of Georgia belittling :he
work OF the group in South Carolina.
OF this Mr.. Telford said: 81 have
never known On what the opposition
OF the state treasurer was based. In
our study Of his Office we discovered
no signs Of graft or dishonesty, but
did find and ooint out that some Of
the records are cumbersome, that the
office is Overmanned and that a small
er staff could handle the work even as
the records are kept.
Show Disregard for Facts
Both Mr.. Carter and Mr.. Duncan
show a disregard Of facts which Is sur
plising on the part Of state officers
to be responsible for what
they say. Mr.. Duncan, OF course, rldst
be aware Of the fact that the state
appropriations were reduced f.om
about $G,50O, 900 in 1921 to about So
500 900 in 1922"
T,xcorots frcrl the letter Mr.. DuH2a
wrote to Governor iiaraw.ck Monday
follow: "The automobile to which
reference was made as having been
purchased by tho comptroller general
Of South Carolina, was purchased more
than six months before became comp
uoller general Of the state, and in
making the final payment on same af-
ter Il became comptroller general,
was sustained in so doing by an opin-
ion from the attorney general OF the
state. The people OF this state, I am
conndent, would vastly prefer the opin-
ion nf thnir own attorney general as