The Glacier reporter., 1960-07-07

the State Auditor on one fiscal
lg's School District No. 9.
mo concrete evidence to sup
port legal prosecution" was the
reason given by Welch to a news
source last week, after receiving
report from the law firm of
Hatfield and Hatfield of Great
Falls, whom Welch had hired to
investigate the alleged irregular
tiles with the permission of Gla-
cier County Commissioners, who
appropriated $1,000 for the ad-
ditional expense.
The auditors report outlining
the irregularities stated that the
books of the school district could
not be audited.
In spite of the various rea-
sons the former superintendent
gave to the investigating Hat
field law firm-dropping of rec
ordS in mud during transfer from
one office to another and a break
in wherein vandalS purportedly
dumped ink, paint, and paste
on checks and records - the
principal reason why the finances
could not be audited was the
fact that huge sums were taken
from school funds by means of
school warrants and deposited
with the local bank and diSburSe-
ments from accounts thus set up
were not taken into the official
records of the school district!
Such an illegal procedure al
lowed the acquisition of large
purchases without benefit of
public advertising, again contrary
to law, such as the buying of six
brand new pianos for the Brown
ing school system.
Not only that, but any expen-
diture, even for personal use,
could be made from the illegal
procedure without accounting to
any one, since it need not be
taken into the official records
of the school district, as the
school districts responsibility
ended with the original bank de-
posits by means of school war
rants. Understandably, such a
system in the wrong hands would
be tantamount to having a fox
guard the chicenhouse.
Hatfield'S report to Welch on
the result of his investigation in
to the reputed irregularities tend
to lead the uninitiated to assume
that Cloke is blameless and not
guilty of any of the fiscal dis
crepancies noted in the auditors
report. Hatfield's investigation
necessarily was one of a cursory
nature, as he was in Browning
only about three days.
Welch's decision not to prose
cute Cloke in no way exoner-
ates Cloke from the alleged ir-
regularities pointed out in the
attempted audit, as that is pos
sible only through a court of
law upon charges that have been
preferred, and the tcome
of the brief investigation was
predicted in nearly all corners.
This investigation is a waste
of time and money" was the
general opinion. at should be
handled by a Grand Jury"
The fact that so many irreg-
ularities were not even mention
ed in the investigators report
leaves the case under a more
suspicious cloud than ever, and
it appears to have followed the
pattern previous excuses offered
by Cloke when he was first con-
fronted with questioning.
AS for the statement made by
Cloke that "only a few are out
to get me, and a poll of the
reservation would prove il, I'VE
find the situation to be quite
in reverse. No one is out to get"
anyone the public only
wants the records righted with
proof, and a reasonable explana-
ton for the many unexplained
and mysterious expenditures.
There is a general feeling of
uns"tisfaction among the public
and the taxpayers and the express
sion political whiteWash."