Show HANDLED OVER 2000 CLAIMS comptrollers off spends a large sum to settle small and large issue washington how the government spends a large amount of money to settle p ayune claims as well as Is eues of larger importance and the sweeping nature of the powers vested n a single are demonstrated y the daily work of the office of the of the treasury which in ganv goi ernin matters Is the court of last resort during the last fiscal year the comptrollers offee has passed upon more than 2 appeals from the ac alon of the various auditors for the executive departments and bureaus and services besides that in numer ous cases it has advised cabinet cers and bureau chiefs as to their gats in making payments of money where any doubt existed where the comptroller s office on request advises a head of department or disbursing officer as td whether payment of money may be made the latter Is protected in making such payment whether it Is legally ight 01 arong if a department head mabes a pay ment without consulting the s office and it Is subsequently found that there was no warrant of law for it the payment Is promptly disallowed occasionally a claim Is presented to congress for reimburse burs ing the disbursing officer for the loss he thus i personally erso nally incurred most of the work now being done by the office relates to back pay of veterans of the civil war when the present organization took effect in there were only cases ap pealed from auditors passed upon during the first year before that these cases were pasesa upon by a first comptroller and a second comp each having a different juris diction nov with these jurisdictions con soli dated the comptroller s decision is afna unless appeal is made from an auditor s action within a year or unless the comptroller office inter venes subsequently to an auditor s decision probably the smallest warrant eer passed upon involved only 11 cents the largest probably was for the 20 paid for the philip pine islands following the war with spain that an appropriation for the pur chase of fresh meats imported into the philippines Is liable to pay the customs taxes on these meats under the raw tariff aw is one of the most recent decisions of the comptroller s office |