The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-02-04
Audit of All Departments
ON. Government Urqed
Suggestion Made That It Would
Be Fair to Those Whose
Books Are @. K.

A complete audit Of all state de-
partments, as result Of information
uncovered by Investigations of affairs
of two former state officials, is being
considered by North Dakota state Of
ficers.
The arrest Of John Gammons, for
mer state industrial commission Sec
rotary, on charges of embezzlement,
and testimony offered before a leg
islative investigating committee that
G.. A. Fraser, former adjutant gen.
eral and capitol building commission
member, entered duplicate travel ex-
penSe vouchers against three state
funds, has caused state officials to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of auditing
all other departments.
Officials who are advocating the
sweeping audit said this would be
done with the thought that since ac-
counts of some state officers have
been questioned. an audit of the
books of other officers should be car
ried out in fairness to the officers
whose books are in proper shape.
Auditing Gammons' Now
GammOnS books are now being
audited, while Governor william Lam
ger is expected to authorize an audit
of the affairs of Fraser during his
term as adjutant general and capitol
commissioner. Fraser was replaced
as adjutant general a few weeks ago
and. resigned Thursday as a member
Of the capitol commission.
The legislative committee investi-
eating the capitol commission is con-
tinuing its taking of testimony relat-
ing to FraSer'S affairs. Testimony was
offered that Fraser entered travel ex-
pense accounts against the adjutant
generals office, capitol commission,
and Missouri river commission. The
committee is now making inquiry in
to purchase of a car used by Fraser
In trip to Louisiana.
GammonS has been bound over to
the Burleigh county district court. He
waived preliminary examination Fri
day when he was arraigned on a
charge Of failing to account for 5000
paid him from proceeds from q $685.
600 certificate of deposit in the Bank
of North Dakota, representing part Of
one of the funds under the direction
of the industrial commission.
For several weeks an investigation
had been under way of Gammons af-
fairs. He had been secretary Of the
industrial commission for nearly 10
years.
The transaction questioned by Of
ficials in the Gammons case concerns
funds set aside for compiling history
Of North Dakota soldier who served
in the World War. James Mulloy,
who succeeds Gammons as secretary
of the commission. called the indus
trial commissions attention to the
transactions.
Questions Salary Payment
On taking office, Mulloy placed be-
fore the commission. details Of q pay
ment Of $3.50 as salary at the rate OF
500 q year for the five and q half
years the soldiers history fund was
under 0ammons' direction. The pay
ment was made, Mulloy informed the
commission, on voucher approved BY
Fraser as adjutant general.
The soldiers history fund accumu-
lated through discounts in payments
Of the soldiers bonus fund. over
which the adjutant general had SUI
pervision.
In 1927 the legislature authorized
the adjutant general to use the
money accumulated through admins
tration Of the bonus fund for COM
piling q history Of the records Of citi-
zens OF the state who served in the
World War. The industrial commits
sion. under the law became custodian
Of the fund. which amounted to ap-
proximately $4,000.