Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-20
STATE AUDITOR IS
URGED BY MANSON

Financial irregularities in depart
ments in the state capitol have ag-
gregated 100000 in the past five
years, asserts State Senator Frank
G. Manson in a letter to members
of the legislature urging them to
pass at the next session his bill Gre
ating the Office of state auditor to
make an annual audit Of all depart
ments, in the capitol and elsewhere.
Senator Manson does not specify
by name or by department the ir-
Irregularities alleged in his letter. He
states that five years ago there was
an irregularity Of $4,000 and one
of $1.400; four years ago there was
one Of $4,000; two years ago there
was one Of $4,000, and one year ago
there was one Of $4,000 and one of
$4,000.
The Manson bill creating state
auditor, with a staff of assistants, If
needed, and providing for an annual
audit, passed the senate without a
dissenting vote at the 1921 session,
but was held up by congestion in the
house.
Senator Manson urges the immedi-
ate passage of the bill by the house
when the forthcoming session con-
fetal does not object to an audit, he
says in his letter; while the sooner
a dishonest or inefficient official is
discovered by an audit, the better it
will be for the state.
He calls attention to the fact that
Georgia is spending $12,000,000 a
year, not including the highway de-
partment expenditures, and he does
not believe any business on earth of
that magnitude would survive with
out at least annual audits.
Text of Letter
His letter to legislators follows:
During the past five years finan-
cial irregularities in the various de-
partments at the state capitol have
appropriated 100000, as follows:
Give years ago, one department,
$4,000.
Give years ago, one department,
$1,400.
. -Four years ago, one department
$4,000. actual loss, $4,000
"TTwo years ago, one department,
$4,000.
"one year ago, one department,
100000. actual loss $14,6O0)
Zone year ago, one department,
$4,000.
cat the last session Of the legisla-
ture introduced senate bill No. 46.
creating department of state auditor.
I also introduced general investi-
cation resolution, asking for an in
vestigatjon of every department OF
the state government.
THE state auditor bill passed the
senate without a dissenting vote, but
the house failed to take any action.
as the rules committee did not report
the bill out until the last night of
the session, when it was placed on
the calendar.
II regard the state Of Georgia as
q corporation, with the governor as
it's chief executive or president, and
the members of the general assem-
bly, as it's board of directors. The
state spends in round numbers ap.
p"oximately $12,000,000 year, not
Including the money spent by the
state highway department.
Business ADULTS
~ know of no successful corpora
tim or business anywhere in this
country which does not have its
books audited at least annually. No
efficient and honest official can OBJ
ject to having his department audit
ed once a year. An inefficient and
dishonest official should have his
books audited periodically.
1.-The audit bill, No. 4S, is on the
house calendar and can be acted
on early in the session. am writing
to ask you to support this measure
as it now stands.
"F'rom the figures I have given
you in the above statement it is
clearly demonstrated that during
the five past years Georgia has lost
vastly greater sums through flnan-
cial irregularities than an auditor
would have cost the state.
1.-THE proposed auditor will not
only disclose irregularities before
they aggregate largs sums, but the
existence of the proposed depart
ment will undoubtedly discourage
experiments with the public funds"