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1904.] OF THE SENATE. 39
Most state officials whose books and accounts are
examined by the State Auditor are apparently anxious
to adopt suggestions tending to insure the accuracy of
their accounts and an improvement on their methods.
The Auditor reports a decided improvement in the
offices of the Clerks of Courts, Registers of Wills,
State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, so far as the keeping
of accounts is concerned, and the disposition also to
make prompt and proper returns to the State. But
the condition of some offices is still far from ideal.
The books are often inadequate and unsystematic. A
crying evil is caused by the removal of account books
by incumbents of some offices at the expiration of their
terms. All such books should unquestionably belong
to the State, and it should be understood distinctly
that they are to remain in the appropriate offices as
part of the records.
It cannot be hoped that this reform can be effected
until such books are properly prepared after a uniform
system under the supervision of the Auditor and are
furnished by the State. The information such books
should contain is public property, as the people have
a perfect right to know what money is received by
public officers and how it is expended. This reform
no doubt will be acceptable to the officials themselves,
as the best protection they can possibly have is the
presence of such books of record containing accounts,
which will always be safely kept and easily accessible
to the public.
Not many books are necessary for the purpose, as a
license book and a cash book for clerks' office ; a cash
book and a State tax book for Registers of Wills'
offices ; a cash book for State's Attorneys' offices, and
the same for Sheriffs would probably cost about $65.00
for each county, and be sufficient to establish the
needed system.
There is good reason to believe that the State loses
a considerable amount of money annually because of
the laxity with which the law requiring trader's
licenses to be taken out on May first is enforced. A
premium is undesignedly put upon postponing the tak-
ing out of licenses as long as possible for the reason
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