ember 23, 1933
THE STATE
Page Eleven
FAGTS ABOUT OUR STATE GOVERNMENT
No. 7 — The State Treasurer
( This is the seventh of a series of
articles appearing in The State
picturing for the information of Tar
Heels the manner in which their state
government departments carry on for
the benefit of North Carolina's more
than three million citizens.)
By W. J. SADLER
There an* many busy executive# who
administer the affairs of the various
departments of North Carolina’s state
government, but Charles M. Johnson,
comparatively youthful State Treas¬
urer, probably is the busiest of them
all.
Mr. Johnson, 42-year -old native of
Pender County, holds, in addition to
the treasury portfolio, thirteen posi¬
tions which require much of his time
and attention. Ho is Chairman and
a Director of tho Local Government
Commission; Chairman of the State
Hanking Commission; and member of
the following agencies:
State Thrift Society, of which he
also is treasurer; State Hoard of As¬
sessments; Hoard of Public Buildings
and Grounds; State Hoard of Educa¬
tion; Council of State; State High¬
way Commission ; State School Com¬
mission; State Textbook Commission;
Sinking Fund Commission, and Board
of Advisors, World War Veterans
Loan Board.
An article, recently published in the
Commerce and Industry magazine, of
New York, which was exceedingly
laudatory to Mr. Johnson, stated that
the number of offices hi* holds prob¬
ably constitutes a world record for a
public official.
Mr. Johnson’s service to the state
lias extended over a decade of honor¬
able achievement. For four years he
was connected with the office of State
Auditor, serving as Deputy to that
official for three years; Executive Sec¬
retary, County Government Commis¬
sion for four years, and Director of
the Local Government Commission
from March 4. 19:11, to November 17,
1932, when he wa« appointed State
Treasurer by O. Max Gardner, at that
time North Carolina’s Governor.
CHARLES M. JOHNSON
- ★ -
Mr. Johnson succeeded John P.
Stcdman, who had served as State
Treasurer since the death on January
6, 1932, of Captain Nathan O’Berry,
out* of Wayne County's most illus¬
trious sons. Captain O’ Berry took
over the direction of the office follow¬
ing the lamentable death of Benjamin
R. Lacy, of Wake County, on Febru¬
ary 21, 1929. Mr. Lacy's tenure of
the office lasted 28 years.
Wake County, which has furnished
five State Auditors, also ha- supplied
North Carolina with an equal number
of State Treasurers, leading all <>f the
state’s 100 counties in this respect.
The office of Stale Treasurer is more
than two centuries old. The first
Treasurer, Edward Moseley, was ap¬
pointed in 1715. For almost 40 years,
from 1740 to 1779, the state was di¬
vided into two districts, Northern and
Southern, with n Treasurer for each
district. From 1779 to 1782, there
were six districts, each with a Treas¬
urer. The six divisions were Kdenton.
Salisbury, liillthoro, Halifax, New
Bern and Wilmington.
In 1782 a seventh district— Morgan
— was created, but two years later the
district system was abandoned, and a
treasurer for the entire State was
elected.
The colonial Treasurers were ap¬
pointed and their duties defined by the
General Assembly at pleasure. The
Constitution of 1770 made the term
one year, and that of 1835 mndc ii
two years. In 1868, tin* term was
made four years hv Constitutional
amendment, and the office declared
elective.
“The Slate Treasurer is the chief
financial officer of the state,” snid Mr
Johnson in an interview, "lie is re
sponsible for all money received by nil
State agencies. In order suoc<--fully
to carry on the State’s business it i-
necessary that be designate banks in
various sections of the state for the
convenience of State agencies, and al
low them to make deposits to his credit
in these banks.
“The Treasurer is responsible for
this money from the time that it i«
deposited. He is under bond of $250.-
000, and is required to see that all
funds are adequately secured He i-
responsible for all money deposited by
any State agency in any bank dc*ig
nated by him from tho time the deposit
is made.
“The Treasurer is not only li;ibl«-
for money deposited by him, <>■ by
others to his credit, hut also for it'
disbursement, and his bond is r< qion-
sible if he makes a payment that
should not he made, even though a
warrant for the payment has
1нч*п
drawn by the State Auditor.
“He is required to see that there
is an appropriation provided by law
to cover all disbursements and is re¬
sponsible for any over-payment of an
appropriation. He must issue an an¬
nual report shoning items received ami
disbursed, and he must keep hi* n<-
counts so that at all times they will
show the balances due funds belong
ing to various institutions and depart¬
ments of the State government.
“All State institutions of all kinds,
the Highway and Public Works Com¬
mission, and the general -chool fund
pay their bills of all kinds by individ¬
ual vouchers drawn upon tin* State
Treasurer, resulting in the Treasury
clearing more items than any bank in
the state. The Treasury also pays
more than 300,000 interest coupon*
annually, in addition to probably a
million drafts, making a huge annual
clearance.
“As an example of how the work
and responsibility of the State Trea-
urer’s office has increas'd. Treasury r<
( Continued on page tu cnty fmrr )
