Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-03
The City Treasurer and lis Accounts.


the 29th and Both instants, who in re-
ply to our enquiries made the follow
ing statements:
eyes, | have read the articles you
refer to. In regard IL til" suggestion
that as matter Of business the
amount Of the City Trcasurer's bond
should be raised in view of the in
creased fund to be placed in his hands,
| have nothing to say. I have given
the bonds required at the time took
the Office Of Treasurer and should the
City Council see tit to require bonds
in larger amount it will be time for
me to say what action | will take in
the premises.
$50 tar as my reports rs Treasurer
to the Council are concerned, the
statement Of the T,ibnac that they
were not made at the first regular
meetings in January and July last is
correct; they were made however
soon after these dates, and so far as
know were satisfactory, in point oil
time and otherwise, to the City Coun-
ell. Such official reports as ! have
heretofore made to the Council were
as full and exhaustive as they could
which have up to this date been kept
by the City of Olympia, embracing tho
amount OF moneys received by me
the sources from which they were re
ceived; the amounts disburscd; fol
what the disbursements were made
and the number and amount OF war
rants outstanding and unredcemed
which constitute the Indebtedness OIL
the city.
In stating that partial report was
made by me in August last presume
that the Tribune means to say that
have not shown in my report an &C
count of warrants drawn against dit
ferent funds as contemplated in the
charter. Well, the fact is that up tC
the present time there has been no &C
count kept by the Treasurer OF sepa
rate or special funds. All moneys re-
ceived into the city treasury have been
bundled into the general fund, and
all warrants drawn upon the Treasurer
have been drawn upon the general
fund, and paid from it when there was
money in the Treasury to pay them.
"Though this system has worked
all right in the past, do not think
that it suits the present requirements
considering our increased revenues
and disbursements, and | believe that
an entirely new system of keeping the
accounts of the city should be at once
entered upon, which will necessarily
involve the payment to the Treasurer
whoever he may be, salary proper.
tionate to the duties and responsible
tiles of the Office. In expressing this
opinion I do not intend to reflect upon
any one, I merely say that it is time to
enter upon a new system. This is
all l care to say"
But Judge, let me call your atten-
ton to the paragraph in which the
Tribune states that the City Treasurer
has not made full report of the city
finances since assuming the duties of
his office, although the law requires
that one be presented to the Council
at the first regular meeting in the
months of January and July. A par
tial report was made in August, but
this was pigeon-holed by Councilman
Murphy, who is chairman Of the COM
mittee on Accounts and Current Ex-
penses, where it still slumbers. Mr..
Murphy be it remembered is on the
Treasurer's bond,' What connection do
you see between the facts, if they are
such, that Murphy pigeon-holed your
report and that he is on your bond?"
"Well, sir, l have already given you
my answer to every material matter
mentioned in the paragraph which
you have just read to me. I have
stated that 1 have made full and ex-
haustive reports of the finances of the
city so far as they could be made from
the system Of accounts which has been
used up to the present time. / have
told you also that l think the whole
system should be reformed. I made
my report to the Council and have no
knowledge whether or not it was
pigeon-holed by Murphy or any one
else. When there has been some def
mite charge made against my integrity,
as City Treasurer, will endeavor to
answer it. I do not intend to notice
inuendoes of this character.
at will also state in reference to the
article in question, that it is not true
as stated that I have now or have at
any time had three persons at work
on the Treasurer's books in order to
get them in proper shape. The books
are at this date in the same shape as
they were when I received them. I
have simply been at work, through an
assistant, in making up report in
compliance with the order of the City
Council. from said books, which will
show as my former reports have
shown, up to the date thereof, the
moneys received by me rs City Treas
urer, from all sources; the moneys
paid by me as such Treasurer and for
what purposes, and third, the amount
of warrants outstanding and unre-
deemed"
"The Tribune states the city in
debtedness to be not less than 81 Is 900.
Can you give Us figures showing the
exact amount Of the city indebtedness,
and its means Of paying the same?"
Yes; l can give you the amount of
the city Indebtedness at this time as
shown by my books and can furnish a
close approximation to the means Of
paying the same.
NY last report showed an outstanding
Indebtedness Of $27,14s.S3 over and
above assets. Since that time have
paid $3.50 of warrants included in
said Indebtedness, leaving the balance
outstanding of said amount against the
city .......'.. ........ .....'..... $27,104s3
Total amount Of warrants nnredeemed
issued since the date of said report and
down to the present time. 49,. 49, S3S, 339 SO
$50, 1885
This statement does not include in
terest. The warrants bear interest at
the rate OF ten per cent. per annum
from the date of their presentation
to the Treasurer, and as there is no
regularity in the dates of their pre-.
sentiment it is not practical to COM
pute the amount of interest due. I
should say that $4,000 will cover all
interest due, this would leave the
present Indebtedness about $63, 1896.
By Indebtedness of course mean to
include nothing but warrants that
have been actually drawn and pre-
sented to me. I have no official
knowledge of any Indebtedness of the
city except such as 1 have obtained in
this manner. To meet this indebted
ness we have the following resources:
Balance due on Main street grade tax =. S2.O5l92
Balance due on Eastside grade tax 4. ll6.OO