The record-union., 1895-11-16
IT CAN HAVE ITS OWN SAFE.
Views of Trustee-EIect Bentley on the
Treasury Question.
It Is Not a Difficult Matter to Keep
the Funds Safely without Maxi
ing Them Bank Deposits.

A Record-Union representative yes
terday called at the County Treasury
and had conversation with County
Treasurer Lyon relative to the possible
placing of city safe in the county vault
for rental fee.
! Mr.. Lyon courteOusly showed the in
terror of the county vault TO the re-
porter, and expressed the opinion tnat
| there is not room in the apartment for
another safe. Another safe could be
placed in the vault, but it would crowd
| it uncomfortably, he thought. The
county money-and it handles as much
as does the city. and at times probably
| Sometimes it is less than the city funds
aggregate Probably about the same
sum, on the average, is in each treasury
This money is kept in safe some three
! feet wide, eighteen inches deep and
little less than three feet high Mr.
Lyon finds no difficulty in keeping the
county funds in this safe, though he d
! like a larger one, but he is not favorable
to the idea of having another treasury
in the county vault
! Mr.. Lyon is County Treasurer liter
| ally He keeps the county money act
| udlly in his possession, and it is not
farmed out or used in any way as bank
ing capital In short, he conducts his
office precisely as it is contended the
! City Treasurer should conduct his
! The Record Union representative then
called upon Trustee-elec Bentley, and
asked him what We're his ideas upon the
subject OF the care OF the city money.
Mr., Bentley replied:
| Il am in sympathy with the ideas ad-
vanced by the Record Union in this
rns tier. [ think they are substantially
correct"
30 you think, Mr.. Bentley, that city
funds should be deposits in a bank?"
Il do not. / have read what Treasurer
Carmichael has had to say about it, and
| do not see force in his objections to
having the money kept by him act
ually."
THAT is clearly the intention of the
| law, is it not?"
4 think it is I may say that I am
| DONG ali l can to inform myself upon
city affairs and fit myself for my duties,
and in doing so l have had this subject
under consideration, and feel that the
law should be complied with and the
city funds actually kept by the Treas
urer."
''AIl the Record Union contends for
L
banking institutions, and has not one
word to say against them, but every
thing for them and their owners
why could not the city buy safe?
! Say it costs a thousand dollars, and is
placed where oversight of it can be
maintained-where it can be watched
l see no reason why that may not be
done"
THE RecOrd-Union thinks So
wv lV- has not Mr. Ca a p1'c firm
a superior office where such a safe may
be placed?"
1T has, the Record Union thinks,
and moreover, it thinks that the vault
now used by that firm, with a proper
safe in it, will be an admirable place
| for the Treasurer's safety deposit of
| the funds. II the outer door is not am
ply strong, one can be placed there that
will be, when it is considered that the
safe itself will be secure. The doors
can be made as secure as are those of
the County Treasury vault"
! Gould not room for a safe be rented
in bank vault? I should think so"
The Record Union has advanced
just such an idea, Mr. Bentley"
About this other matter-the bond
! the Treasurer gives a bond of S125,
! 900 and he has twice that sum on hand
often"
Yes, sir; that is true"
| y have noted what the RecOrd-UniOn
| has said on that point, and as to the
| insufficiency of the sum of the bond''
1T is a simple business proposition,
Mr.. Bentley, such as any business
house would consider. Would it intrust
a quarter of a million on a bond in
halc that sum? That is all there is to
| it,
u see. Well, that is worthy of con-
| sideration."
Would you not consider such a bond
iradequate?"
We'll, in most cases, yes. But it
may be error to publish that the City
Treasurer has so much money on hand
constantly. l mean that publicity of it
may be error, you understand"
yes, sir; but that fact is officially re-
ported to the Trustees weekly, is pub
lie record, and for all these years has
been published in the local newspapers
Tuesday of each week"
II see
| After some further assertion of his
| belief that the city funds should be
/ kept by the Treasurer in his actual
| personal possession, Mr.. Bentley
! TUNED to the private affairs of his
desk. Other Trustees, incumbents and
elect, will be called upon for their
| Views on these subjects.