The General and the Missing Military Money

OLYMPIA, March 6.—Special. Following the report of the Senate committee on appropriations on the military deficiency, the committee finds that the deficiency in the military department over the appropriation made in 1899 is about $10,000. This is in great part represented by claims against the state as yet unaudited. These claims are presumably just debts, held by individuals in all parts of the state, and upon being passed by the military auditing board—which consists of the governor, state auditor and adjutant general—should be paid from the military fund. However much we may question the expediency, advisability or necessity of making this outlay, the fact remains that the parties holding these claims have dealt with the state in good faith, expecting to be paid, and we therefore recommend that the above appropriation be made, to be used in taking up such claims only as are approved by the above-mentioned military auditing board.

In an examination into the financial management of the military department the appropriation committee has been overwhelmed by an appalling exhibition of recklessness, extravagance and incapacity on the part of the adjutant general. He is practically the business head of the military organization; he is a member of the military board, which makes the expenditures, and also a member of the military auditing board, which passes upon these expenditures, so that he can justly be considered the responsible head in the management of our military finances. An examination of the records for the past four years has shown to the committee an utter lack of the ordinary sense, sagacity and common prudence of today, and the unrestrained prodigality and profuseness of expenditure on the part of the head of the military department warrant the belief that a few more years of the present management will put the department so far in arrears that a decade will be required to place it again on an even footing.

The committee finds that owing to disorders occurring in territorial days the legislature has seen fit to establish a one-fifth of a mill tax on the assessed valuation of property in the state to go into what is termed the military fund. The entire receipts from this tax were formerly expended without restrictions, but upon obtaining statehood it became necessary, because of constitutional provisions, to make a specific appropriation from this fund for the maintenance of the military organization. The limits set by previous legislatures as to the amount of money to be spent seemed to have been utterly ignored, and the past two legislatures have found it necessary to meet deficiencies caused by the failure of the adjutant general to keep within the bounds set by them. The last legislature appropriated $150,000 for the maintenance of the militia for two years, $75,000 for each fiscal year. This was believed to be sufficient to keep the National Guard at a high standard of excellence, provided ordinary care, frugality and common business prudence were exercised by the chief military staff in whose hands the affairs of the militia are practically intrusted. We find, however, an absolute lack and absence of economy, and no inclination whatever to keep the expenses within the appropriation. The adjutant general seems to have labored under the delusion that the entire receipts from the military tax were at his disposal, notwithstanding the fact that the legislature has determined that only a part of the receipts from the tax should be expended. The amount appropriated by the last legislature for the fiscal year from April 1, 1899, to April 1, 1900, was more than exhausted during that year. Nevertheless, we understand that through assurances of the adjutant general that there would be an abundance of money in fund, an encampment was ordered in 1899, which, through the waste and improvident methods prevailing in the adjutant general's office, entailed upon the state an enormously large expense. We doubt not the large expenditure for this encampment was occasioned in some degree by the fact that the encampment was more largely attended than was expected and because of the delays and difficulties of transportation owing to the railroad strike then occurring. Nevertheless, the committee is of opinion that the extraordinary outlay was in measure due to the loose and unbusinesslike practices of the present adjutant general.

We notice that there has been an absolute lack of business ideas in the important matter of purchasing. In spite of the fact that prices for some years have been falling, uniforms are now being bought under contracts made five years ago. Such a thing as advertising for bids for furnishing supplies does not seem to have occurred to those by whom the supplies were purchased, and we find that blankets, tents and military stores generally have been bought haphazard from retail dealers in Seattle at different times, thus depriving the state of any material gains and of the benefits of healthy competition. As a rule no preparations have been made for the future, and a quantity of supplies have been furnished at the last moment when dealers can make their own terms and the state is put to additional and unnecessary expense. Owing to the inefficiency of some officials, we understand that traders have let out to irresponsible parties, and instead of dealing with the state on the lowest terms bid, favorites have been allowed to step in, with their profit and greatly to the state's loss and disadvantage.

Of course, there is absolutely no reason for questioning the good motive of the adjutant general, but we are constrained to report a painful lack of judgment and a complete absence of business economy. The palatial official quarters of the adjutant general and his numerous assistants, which have contained a clerk, a stenographer, a quartermaster clerk and a storekeeper, and have consumed a generous appropriation, have left the state with outstanding warrants and expenses. The evidence is that the state military department is involved at least to the amount of the deficiency. It is within the province of the appropriations committee to outline any remedy for the military organization, but we do not hesitate to say that an immediate halt should be shown to such waste and extravagance in our military finances. The National Guard must be placed in the hands of those who will exercise economy, prudence and common sense in business transactions.

We recommend that all just outstanding claims against the military fund be carefully husbanded with the view of speedily taking up the outstanding warrants, and that steps be taken with a view of preventing in the future any such colossal wastefulness as has prevailed in the past.