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Ottawa I Report BY SCOTT FENNELLMP j WHITI3Y FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1980, PAGE 13 Auditor General traditional hero If: is only recenf:ly, during the tenure of Jim Macdonnell, that the office has concentrated more on avoiding future mistakes than exposing bureaucratie horror stories. Burried behind the headlies are the details found in Sinclair's book. Canada's worst Auditor General was probably Edward Sut:herland who held the office for the shortest length of time, 1919 to 1923. His auditing processes were so sloppy and ouf: of date that an assistant deputy minister was able to make off with thousands of dollars worf:h of currency which was sup- posedly removed from circulation and destroyed. The viliain was eventuaily caught and sent to prison and an accomplice committed suicide in the East Block of the Parliament buildings. Sutherland's successor, Georges Gonthier, ensured a frugal use of the taxpayers' dollars during the Great'Depression ex- cept for those spent on theAuditor General's office. Questions were asked in the House of Commons about the then unheard of sums spent by Gonthier on his office furniture - $385 for an office rug and $248 for a desk. He was a status conscious man who installed a brass rail three feet inside his office. You stood at the brass rail and asked hlm questions. The smoothest Auditor General - a man who really knew his way around Ottawa - restored respect to the office between 1940 and 1959. He was Watson Sellar and was stingy. As Sin- clair describes hlm in her book, "He was that rare phenomznon, an officiai almosf: fanatically convinced that taxpayers' money shouid be spent more carefuliy than his own. " When in New York City on business, Sellar was appalied by expensive taxi cab fares and took subways and buses in- stead. Unfortunateiy, there have flot been enough public officiais like Seliar and as a resuit his successor, Maxwell Henderson and the present Auditor General, Macdonnell, have had plenty of bureaucratie blunders and extravagancies to expose. Henderson was the most colorful and the worst recent thorn in the government's side. Macdonnell, who is retiring this year, has not neglected the horror stories but has increased the office's emphasis on proper financial management. His " &cordial but flot cosy" relationship with the government has meant several triumphs, such as the Auditor General Act: and the creation of the office of the Comptroller General. Sinclair's book is interesting and readable. I highly recom- mend if:. DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC_ 111 DUNDAS STREET WEST WHITBY 668-1464 JIM MAWONINELL After last week's harsh (but weil-deserved) comments on the management of the federal civil service, I thought I might' spend some time examining the history of the Auditor General's office. Its 102 year history has been devoted to keeping the bureaucrats and politicians on their toes. Dwring the centennial of the creation by Parliament of the office McClelland and Stewart published a thorough and fun book, Cordial But Not Cosy by Sonia Sinclair. If: examines the accomplishments, controversies and failures of the seven men who have been Canada's Auditors General. The Auditor General is traditionally a hero to the taxpayers. As an officer of Parliament, an independent watchdog, he keeps a sharp eye on fhe public accounts. Few governments have liked him, few have successfully taken him on, and al have recognized the power he weilds through headlines. The Honourable Douglas J. Wiseman Minister of Government Services invites you to attend the GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY which marks the start of construction of the Ontario Government Building, Oshawa Thursday, August 7,1980 at 2:30 p. m. (Ceremony at the project site, northeast corner of Centre and Athol Streets) Special guest: The Honourable William G. Davis, Q.C., Premier of Ontario Ontario _ __1 9 mmmi