San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-21
EX-MAYOR FRENCH
COMES BACK AT THE GAvEL HITTER
IN ANOTHER CARD,
And Presents Some More Interesting
Facts and Figures on City
Finances

And Presents Some More Interesting
Facts and Figures on City
Finances.
In his card the ex-Mayor says: ap-
preciate the difficulty / assume when |
undertake to explain to the public in
contradiction Of the charge made against
the last administration, that especial
funds" were drawn upon and used
neutrality-suspicious. so, when the slate
ment Is put forth, and undenied, that
there were mo funds actually on hand"
when the present treasurer took charge
Of his office. There is no denial, how
ever, that the treasurer's accounts
showed the proper credits to each fund.
| will endeavor to make plain, to bust
ness men at least, just how the matter
stood on February l, 1885, when Mayor
CallaghaD assumed Office, at which time
and for many years preceding, the late
Major j. Minter was the treasurer. All
monies collected had been turned over
to the San Antonio National bank, by
the collector, and went directly to the
credit, on the books of the bank, to the
city OF San Antonio, and were not placed
to any particular fund, the bank keeping
but one account with the city. All war
rants drawn on the treasurer were pre-
sented and paid at The bank In the same
manner as general depositors checks,
and charged to the account OF the "city
OF San Antonio" At the expiration of
each day or week, rs the case might be,
the treasurer took up the warrants and
debited on his books the several amounts
to each particular fund that they had
been drawn against.
In order to pay the current expenses
Of the city, arrangements had been
made, as had been the custom for many
years with the bank, for overdrafts to
the amount Of $4,000, /. g., the bank
would pay all warrants drawn on the
treasurer to that amount over and above
the amounts of credits to the city. In
this way the city obtained credits for
special funds, and saved the interest up
on that amount. These being to the
credit Of the city, no interest was
charged until the amounts drawn ex-
ceeded the credits.
So, for example, on the first day OF
February, 1885, the account OF the city
of San Antonio with the San Antonio
National bank stood as follows:
To amount Of overdrafts. .S53, 666 0S
By credits. ....... S39,0l3 IL
By bal. due bank. 1852 81
Totals. ..... -. $53, 666 0S $53, 666 0S
The result being that the city paid in
terest on Sl4, 652 81, instead OF S53, $3.50. 0S,
a direct saving of about 1925 per month
to the city.
The mayor, city clerk and the treasurer
knew full we'll that no warrant was ever
drawn on any especial fund" improper
ly, nor even any funds ever, in any man
ner, transferred from one fund to an
other, nor was there the slightest COM
plicatiOn OF accounts. In proof Of this
latter fact, | will state that if there had
been, why was the matter not
brought to my attention? Why was
it that neither the mayor nor any mem
Der of the city council ever questioned
me upon the subject, nor in any manner
intimated that any such complications
existed. Would it not have been the
most natural thing to have done? That
with complication of accounts, special
funds, all gone, that |, as u matter OF
courtesy, II nothing more, should have
been asked to explain? No sir, not one
word do we hear Of this financial muddle
until seven months had passed, and then
the subject was preached, for what?
leave the public to answer.
In conclusion reiterate that there Is
no legal nor equitable excuse for the
manner In which the mayor has persis-
tently refused to make good these funds.
He has never denied that the money due
from taxes for 1884 was sufficient to have
done SO, and as evidence Of the fact, !
have statement OF monies collected aCd
expended on account of that year, made
by the city clerk, to August l, 1885,
viz:
Receipts, on account Of 1884 So. $50 1888. 90
Expenditures, on account of 1884 So
by Mayor Callaghan ................ 242l.ll