Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-15
ONLY A SHORTAGE /?
The Books Of the City Assessor and
Collector Of Dallas Show Over
$4,000 Shortage,
II Is All Claimed TO be Due, Not 10 It,
Irregularities. but Simply 10 a lax
system 81 Beck Keeping.
A Cumbersome System tho Cause OF the
Trouble The nooks Badly Mnddlcd.
MhRre 60 be D0ues
SPECIAL 10 mo aaactto.

Special 70 tho Gatc,tc,
DALLAS, Tx, Dec. l4.---The Evening
Times to-day contains the following In
regard TO an alleged deialcatlon with
which the city council has been
engaged in secret tession periodically
since May last, and which has created
much guarded talk In circles outside the
council aware OF the existence OF an ap-
parant shortage OF city funds. This Is
the alleged def ,lCation 20 which reference
has been made several times In GAgKrrg
specials from Dallas "Tho late city as
SCISSOR and collectors books showed upon
examination, a shortage II over Sl7 600.
An examination OF the books proves,
u Is said, that II was due, not 20 lrregu-
larities, but TO a lax system OF buokkeep.
Ing, Mr. |. Craft stated, IN communal
cation TO the council on Saturday night,
that his properly, on tho corner OF Main
and Jefferson streets, had been adver-
tisod for sale In the Times for street
paving TAX, but that he held receipt
from eX'Assossor aud Collector Bogal for
suen tax. Therc are very many such cases.
yetthe city, II is claimed, does not lose the
money, because Mr. Bogel has paid II
Into the city treasury, yet such was the
sYstem Of bookkeeping, that the amounts
paid In by him 90 the city were In lump
sum, and II IL Impossible, except by
careful comparison OF stubs, giving tho
details and the total amoun,e pad by Mr..
Bpgol TO the city, 10 ascertalu what has
really been paid IN by taxpayers.
Thanks, however, 90 the admlfahle
system OF the present assessor and coll
lcct0r, Mr.. j Ford House, mud tu the in-
tiring work OF Aldermen RDwcy, Tom
brown and M,honey, each OF wnom Is
entitled 70 the gratitude ot this munich,
pAlity, matters are in n fair way OF being
Strengthened out Whcn II was pointed
out TO Mr. Bugel that an accountant's
balance sheet would show the de-
iicHncy referred 90, no, conf ions
IN his own Integrity Of 10.
tcntion, ohCeriully and readily went
over the books with the committee aud
proved 20 them, II Is said, that II was
only an error 10 bookkeeping, aud, that
as a matter Of fact, neither the ely or
the Taxpayers are losers, We ars aRx.
lous 10 do Justice TO oil concerned, and
willingly testify 10 the cndcwors OF all Co
make the facts consistent with the books,
Bat the fact la itself shows that the
system IL az fault somewhere. Untor-
tunatcly the confusion extenda TO other
branches Of the olts's tlsual records, and
when the new comptroller OF the state
treasury takes office IL VIII probably be
necessary ~ have conference With tho
officials OF Dallas Ia order 70 siralghten
out the oity's accounts, especially
In connection with the bonds
OF the Dallas & Wichita railroad.
l. Is not Mr.. Il gel's fault that he had
TO deal with cumbersome system, bat
II Is much 90 the credit OF Collector
House Chan whom n moro efficient uillClal
Dallss never had), aud 10 Mayor Brown,
City Secretary Parry and Aldermen Row
ley, Blown and MahoneY, that they are
surviving TO reform that Bystom with
out adding increased cost 20 the tax.
payers or iHopardizlng the success
Of bill for the amendment of the city
Charter. Stll, the facts we present and
they have nOyor before bpoa published
warrant our course IN calliug the earnest
attention Of tbs cltlzeus 10 the Imp lrt-
ant points involved In the councils dts.
cussions, which they nave been reading
without understanding