Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-03-22
Report of R. H. W~ildberger, Expert
Employed by the Committee

GENTLsMEN--I beg leave TO submit,
as the result of my Investigation, state
mcnts numbered, properly attest
cd and verified, showing in detail the
result arrived ut OH the various lines
of inquiry pursued by me. | find the
Trcasurcr's books well and systcmati-
cally kept, The system OF checks and
balances to insure correspondence with
the books of the Auditor OF Public Ac
counts preclude the possibility OF err
ror in the general balance rs long MS a
correspondence in sum totals is mann
tanned, so far as the items of account
passing through the hands of both Of
iicers is concerned. The only tens
taken into account by the Treasurer,
not primarily passing through the
hands of tho Auditor, are the items Of
bonds issued and cancelled, coupons
Tor interest cancelled, certificates OF
Indebtedness and interest on insurance
deposit. | have examined the records
to ascertain if the Treasurer has pro-
pcrlv taken into his accounts these va
rious items, and can find no error
therein. The statements submitted
show that the Treasurer received ali
the credit to wlcih he was entitled on
these various items beyond the posi-
bilitv of II doubt. | could see no pos.
sible way for an error in bookkeeping
to explain the deficit of S315 .6l2.l9 m
less the Treasurer has charged him.
self with some of the present amount
of outstanding bonds which he did
not issue or get the money tor, or un.
less he has taken up some OF these
bonds which are not yet due, and fail
cd to present them tor credit.
Therefore examined the bond books
TO see if any of the bonds reported
sold were on hand unsold but | find
only the stubs. The bonds are cer.
tainly outstanding in The amount stat
ed, nor can | find that he has taken up
any OF these bonds not yet due The
business methods of the office in keep
ing no memorandum Of all cash items
which composed the cash balance at
any time, in the fourteen years exam
incd are TO me incXplicable. can find
no memorandum even that the cash
was ever counted to verify a cores
pondcncc with the balance shown by
the books, No shortage of more than
S7,460.7 70 could have occurred prior TO
January |, 1886, without the same hav-
ing been made before that date, as had
such been the case there would have
been on that day actually no money
in the treasury unless securities were
hvpothecatcd and money borrowed, of
which no record was made, or unless
the Treasurer had in his hands at that
time other funds, such rs lcvcc board
funds in considerable amount not tax
en- into and shown upon his accounts,
from which funds he was drawing his
supplies of cash. On these points the
records and memoranda are silent.
The item of agricultural bonds. S227.-
$50 in no way affects the Trcasurcr's
cash account. lie received the bonds
for which he rcissucd this series out
side of his cash settlement with his
predecessor, as Il trust fund, and he
held them rs such and so delivered
them to his successor. His entries
simply show the cancellation of the
old bonds and issue of the new series.
lie charges himself with the II and
credits himself with the other TO equal
amounts, and therefore docs not affect
in any way his cash.
Respectfully submitted.
II. II. WILDBERGER.