San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-12-15
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS.
Written for the LIGRT.


books were kept by the city d
mInistration, that preceded that Of
Geo Paschal. In proof Of the truth
of this statement, he cited the fact
that no such book were in the
offices, when the Paschal admins
tration assumed control. He also
cites the resolution Of the council
for the purchase of the necessary
books, and also the entry made on
the first page of one of the new
books. That proves the gist of his
statement.
Mr.. Claudon no where affirms,
that such books were kept, or were
turned over to the Paschal admins
tration. Were the books removed
from the City hall and treated as
private property, by the outgoing
city administration in February,
1883? Were such books kept by
the preceding city administration?
If they were kept, what was
done with them when the Paschal
administrations entered into office:
They were not left in the offices,
nor turned over to the new ad-
ministrations. This is a cold and
stubborn fact.
1t looks as though loose slips OF
memoranda, or memoranda insert
ed in small blank books, such as
one carries in his coat pocket, on
the stubs, were the only records in
use in the auditors office prior to
the entrance of the Paschal admin
istration into office. If this was
not the case, what became Of the
books? Will Mr.. Claudon throw
some light on this matter?
It also now looks as though the
quarterly statement Of the receipts
and disbursements of the city, and
the annual statement of the tinan-
cial condition of the city had been
made out from memoranda, or
from the stubs. There were no
books from which those state
ments could have been made out,
found in the city hall by the Pas
chal administration. VIII Mr..
Claudon turn his "bulls eye" on
this matter and illuminate the
the dark places?
The quarterly reports were
published, according to law,
precisely as Mr.. Claudon states, in
his second reply to Mr.. Rose, but
he failed to go far enough. The
gist Of the statement by Mr.. Rose
was, that things were formerly,
done in in a loose manner in the
city hall, and he cited the failure
to keep books, in which, all the
doing and disbursement Of the
city were duly recorded, as proof
of the careless and loose manner
in which matters were conducted.
Mr.. Rose was in error in stating
the old city government failed to
make and publish quarterly and
annual reports Of receipts and dis
bursements, in accordance with
the lawlbut this was unintentionaI
because it was manifestly an in
ference from the failure to keep
books and record such matters in
them. Mr.. Rose is incapable Of a
Wilful misstatement, or injustice,
and more than willing to correct
any error into which he may fall.
1t is a fact then towering above
the fog and the haze that no book,
wherein the doings and acts of the
city auditor were duly recorded in
a permanent form, was left in the
office or turned over to the Paschal
administration.
There were unquestionably men,
oranda Of such acts and doings
kept, or else the stubs served as
such memoranda, but that was
loose manner of keeping matters
in a public office. The memoranda
were liable to be mislaid, lost or
destroyed in whole or in part, still
they were guides to the officer
making them and were doubt
less correctly jotted down at
the date Of the several trans
actions. The person making
such memoranda, would fully un-
derstand them, as a matter of
course, but they would have been
an enigma to any other person.
There is not in the city of San
Antonio, a business man, bank or
banker that would tolerate a book
keeper, who kept memoranda in
stead Of entering every thing in
his book. The city auditor is in
effect, the bookkeeper for the city
government, and was ment to be
check on the other city officers.
In we'll regulated managed gov
eminent, national, state and mu-
nicipal, the books should show
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