Evening star., 1947-01-08
GAO Studies Books
lin Senate as Audit
lin House Continues

sional funds spread to the Senat,
today. AS prominent House Re
publicanS and Democrats advocated
mandatory General Accounting OF,
flee check-ups of the banking sec
ton of the House sergeant at arm
Office, the newly elected Secretar,
of the Senate, Carl Loefier, dis
closed that a GAO audit of variou.
Senate funds is under way.
Senator Bridges, Republican, O.
New Hampshire, chairman of tn,
Appropriations Committee, de-
scribed this as lust good bust,
ness" He said there is no reason
to believe anything is wrong with
Senate funds. The Republicans
however, decided to request tn.
audit before assuming formal re-
sponsibility for handling the &C.
counts, he indicated.
The audit is being made in the
Senate disbursing~ Office and covers
not only the books Of that Office, but
of the financial clerks and the res.
taurant, Mr.. Loeffler explained. It is
expected to require only a few days
Romney Selection in Doubt.
While GAO auditors continued
their examination of accounts in the
House sergeant at arms Office behind
locked doors, several Democratic
members said they doubted then
party caucus would nominate former
Sergeant at Arms Kenneth Romney
as assistant to newly elected Ser
geant at Arms William F. Russell.
Action on that nomination was
delayed at caucus last Thursday
Minority Leader Rayburn, it was
learned, suggested that the matter
be postponed "for a few days" Al
the time, many Democratic men,
bers did not know an audit of the
office had been ordered.
The audit in the House Office may
be finished late tomorrow, Sergeant
at Arms Russell said. He added
however, that the report and any
recommendations to be submitted
directly to Speaker Martin probably
will not be ready Immediately there
after. -
Mr.. Russell said he hopes to open
the banking department of his Office
as soon as the auditors leave. The
Office has been closed since noon
Monday.
Comment Withheld.
Speaker Martin, Representative
Rayburn, Mr.. Russell and others
are withholding comment on the
nature and extent of the current
audit which began last Friday. DEM
ocrats plan no caucus for nomina-
ton of an assistant sergeant al
arms uptil completion of the audit
members said today. They reported
that one or two candidates already
are in the field. They added that
regardless of the outcome of the
audit they do not believe Mr.. Rom
ney will be chosen or will be an
active candidate.
Members of both parties, promi-
nent on committee or conference
organizations, said also today thai
some stricter rules on operation o1
the sergeant at arms banking de.
partment are in the offing, no mat
ter what the current audit discloses
One change is expected to relate tt
Representatives who overdraw theil
monthly salary balances.
Mr.. Russell has announced hi
will have the account audited every
three months. Representative AL.
len of Illinois, former ranking
member of the old Committee
on Accounts, declared today audits
should be required by law and thai
the GAO should make one at least
annually Immediately after Con.
gress adjourns. GAO audits Of this
kind now are made only on request
A Democratic House member
prominent in minority conference
affairs, said periodic independent
audits should be required not only
as good business practice, but a.
safeguard for the sergeant at arm!
himself and Congress.