The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-27
THE CITY'S AFFAIRS.
Improvement in the System of
Bookkeeping.
A RECORD OF GRADE TAX ROLLS
Comptroller Ferris Plan for Preventing
Duplicate BiIls-Meeting of the
City Council Tonight.

The recurrence of debate upon the loose
methods of ordering goods and vouching
bills has induced Comptroller Ferris to in
vite the attention of the finance committee
of the city council to his proposed method
of bookkeeping. His plan is TO have all
acquisitions made in duplicate by the
board of public works. The duplicates
must be filed with ham at the time of or
dering. He will enter the order, with suffi-
cient particulars to insure identity; when
the bill is vouched it will also be entered,
and when the warrant is paid that will
also be entered in the proper column, the
whole forming a complete and lasting his
tory of every item of purchase.
The committee on retrenchment called
Mr.. Ferris into counsel last week, and
with him went carefully over every item
of city expenses in order to determine
where saving might be effected. The re-
suit of their inquiry will be et4bodied in a
report to be submitted to the city council
tonight.
The city treasurer's Office should receive
the attention of the committee. The sys-
tenn of bookkeeping there is admirable
Mr.. Ames has shattered one of the most
tenacious of old and cumbersome usages
were left tossing around desks, handled by
abstractors and Others whose business it
was to resort to them, torn, soiled
and mutilated by frequent hand
ling, and occasionally even lost or
stolen. Mr.. Ames has had them
all copied into substantial volume
which will form permanent certified
record OF their accuracy. How such
precious documents were left loosely
around for so long is one of the mysteries
of official routine. The new system is now
adopted and the primitive folly of the past
is forever discarded. 1t is only just to Mr..
Ames to point to the contrast afforded by
his books and his methods with that of
predecessors. Much vexatious litigation
has been caused by the careless crediting
of taxes to the wrong property, but this
cannot now happen if his successors only
follow the lines laid down.
The issue of tax certificates of property
sold for delinquent city taxes
will begin in few days. About
5000 entries have to be made, as every
certificate must be duplicate and full en-
tries made.
There are several thousand dollars due
the city for past two years. The city
bought in the property, but has no title
nor can it issue tax deeds to itself. Here
after, under the new law, this can be done,
but some steps should be taken to insist
upon payment of back taxes. Under Mr..
Ames' direction Deputy Treasurer knott
is perfecting system by which all proper
ties charged with city taxes will be listed
so as to readily Show the lien.
In connection with this office another
attempt will be made to reduce Mr.
KNOTS salary. This, many members of
both houses are determined to resist
They say that there are several mechanics
and routine clerks who receive 81 day in
cash, while a skilled and most responsible
official is to receive less than "a a day in
scrip and get what he can for it. For such
all exceptionally important position SIPS
month seems little enough.
Both houses of the city council will meet
tonight, and the board of public works will
meet in the afternoon.