The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-08-24
GOSSIP FROM
THECAPITAL.
New Deputy Auditor Now to
Keep Us Informed About
The States Finances
BY o. ]. COFFIN
Special Raleigh Correspondent for
THE INDEPENDENT

RALEIGH, Aug. 22-Cadll-
lacking down from Ashville
and Charlotte for the week.
end Cameron Morrison found
former State Superintendent
Brooks and present Secretary
i of State Everett about to make
a statement in regard to what
! they believe to be the true
status of the States finances.
! They haven't made the statement
not because they don't believe they
know what the auditors meant: but
more likely because they don't want
the job Of convincing the Governor
as we'll as 4. ]. Maxwell and the rest
of North Carolina.
No. Tn not going to straighten it
ont for you: but merely to point ont
that whether the deficit is five mil
lion dollars or fifty cents. there has
been placed in charge of the States
accounting by the Council of State
acting through Auditor Baxter Dur
ham a man qualified to hercaftrr keep
all interested folks Informed as to.
what North Carolina owes and has
owing.
A Check on Business.
q. +. Goddard has been made de-
putty auditor and will be given free
hand at the rcorganizations of the az
counts in the auditors office so that
they will serve as Il constant and ac-
curatc check on the States business
operations There seems TO be no
doubt as to his capacity TO do this.
for he is an experienced auditor.
knows and cares nothing about North
Carolina politics. has Stakcd his own
reputation and means to start the job
in the Auditors department itself.
Other departments are committed
to giving him the Information called
: for. The Council of State believes
him fitted for the job and 50 even
does Commissioner Maxwell. Young
enough to still put pride in his job
foremost. he has worked in over half
the States in the Union. halls last
from New York and is native of
Texas and Arkansas.
Mli. Joe Bernard of Raleigh is
helping the Trcasurcr'S office with
statement of the States condition on
June 80. the close of the fiscal year.
This is the cash account and is no
part of the argument over deficit.
To Borrow S5,OOO,0OO
Governor Morrison has gone with
Treasurer Lacy TO New York to bor-
row five million dollars for the con-
struction which is under way at the
State educational and charitable in
Siitutions. This money is TO be bor-
rowcd on sh0rt-tcrm notes in lieu of
the bonds authorized by the last scS-
sion of the General Assembly but
which it is not deemed advantageous
TO sell at this time. The bankers who
bought five millions of these notes
two or three months ago had an Op-
ton on the present offering of five
millions. They did not exercise the
option and this is felt to forecast a
rise in the interest rate. by some
this is held to be a result of the de-
ficit controversy, which it is alleged
will cost the State some three or four
millions of dollars during the lifetime
of the bonds which were voted for
imprbvene hts by the last lcgisla-
ture.
Well. maybe so. The fact remains
that it is mighty hard for the State
of North Carolina to tell what
money is going to cost when it has
to go to Wall Street after it.
Does Treasurer Lacy enjoy taking
Governor Morrison along with him.
That's something else and different.
The Governor was of little assistance
at first he has probably learned bet
ter than to declare his intention of
paying for bonds with other bonds;
but unless his whole nature chagcs
when he gets out of North Carolina
he is given to making stump speech
eS on the glOrics of the common
wealth. That may get him something
on Wall Strcct-Or it may not. One
mans guess is as good as anothcr's
| but Mr.. Lacy probably would pre-
fer to go by himself.
The Governor Gets Pinched
/ On his way back to Ashevillc from
which point he was to join Mr.. Lacy
at New York, the Governor and his
chauffeur stepped on the gas at
Hillsboro and speed cop, deputy
sheriff, constable or something pinch
ed His Excellency. The Governor
is said to have observed that Some
of these officers are getting mighty
smart" and to have been told in turn
by the cop that Some of these Gov
ernors are mighty smart, too
At first Cam is declared to have
affirmed that he intended to fight