San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-29
THE frances Of OUR CITY.
Auditor VinCk Replies to
Mr.. Sauer.
TELLS A FEW THINGS HE
KNOWS ABOUT THE AU-
DIT0R'S BOOKS.
Says He Knows A Set Of Books
When He Sees Them. And Is
Able To Take Care Of
The City'S Without
Assistance.
To the Daily Light.

| To the Daily Light.
Please allow me a little space to an
swer the article of Mr.. Chas. L. Sauer
in your issue of last Friday.
1t has never been to my taste to
gain notoriety through newspapers,
but as Mr.. Sauer has seen fit to try
and throw slurs at me feel in duty
bound. to the citizens of San Antonio
who have elected me to the office of
city auditor to answer his statements.
As to my knowledge Of bookkeeping
| will not say anything but refer to
the San Antonio firms for whom
have worked for the last twenty
years and up to the date that l took
charge of the city auditors office and
further that l know what a set of
books is when l see it.
Mr.. Sauer's claim that he has offer
ed his services to the chairman of the
finance committee to assist me free
of charge" | do not know anything
about and do not care; and it seems to
me that his ability to straighten the
books of the city in "a hours sounds
little funny when he has not been
able to straighten the books during
the four years that he has been in Of
fee, since the beginning of Mayor
Geo. PaSchafS term.
The fact is that the books have new
err been straight nor any correct state
| ment made during the four years of
the assistant auditors term of office.
The only quarterly statement l have
been able to obtain which is signed
by Albert Meyer, city auditor per
ChaS. L. Sauer assistant. and approx
ed by the finance committee, is as fol-
lows:
1896, June 1. to balance, 1870, 427.-
80; receipts during June, July and
August, general fund, $146,25T. 80;
sinking fund, $74,S1416: school fund,
$50 O9234; city hall fund, $67O7; total
S621, 65S.91.
| CIR.
| Disbursements during June, July
and August, 1896, general fund, $149,-
1876; sinking fund, $50,944.7S; school
fund, $50, 6696S; city hall fund, $780,
As; sewer fund, $3,267.50; Wilding,
Marshal, Backus. & Hines, SIC, 1920;
Katz, Crandall & KatZ, 500, 1899. IA;
balance in treasury, 1851 ,120.51; total
1921 ,65S.91.
do not call this anything else but
a statement of the cash account copied
from the treasurer's and collectors
reports and warrant books. l have not
4 oh fSt0 MT 10
want any to do my work, but in order
to protect myself from any blunders
or shortcomings committed by the
former auditor and his assistant was
compelled to make it public and on
March 18th, 1897 l notified the mayor
and city council of the chaotic state
the auditors office was in and sug-
gested an examination which was
made by the finance committee.
The ordinance. defining the duties
of the city auditor states positively
that he shall keep a set of books in
double entry form in all transactions
in which the city is party.
This has never been done and Mr.
Sauer knows it, if he has any knowl-
edge whatever of bookkeeping.
The few entries that have been
made in so CALLED double entry is
nothing more nor less than the copy
ing of the treaSurer's and the cOllec
5 tors reports and for which Mr.. Sauel
claims he had to wait to post up his
books. But 1 have always been taught
to post up my books daily.
} AS far as l have been able to date
! to straighten out the books, l have
e come across numerous errors in the
O auditors double posting all tn
:, way from q few cents to the sum o.
1 $4,000 and which have been carrie'
a right along AS CORRECT for the las
three or four years and | do not evel
,, want to mention a small account o
$240,000 standing upon in the ledger
which should have been closed.
The figures given by Mr.. Sauer a
to the floating Indebtedness of the cit
Of San Antonio l do not know wher
he got them from as they do not az
y pear on any of the books, but on a lo
y of pay rolls laying around in the OF
. fee when took charge of same, an
i some unknown quantity of youchere
, bills and a box full Of unvouchere
bills dating as fas back as 81
= to twelve months.
l. The fact of the matter Is that tn
s. Office has not been attended to prof.
II erly by the auditor or his assistant c
anybody else.
will close this explanation by r.
)f QueSting any business man of the cit
OF San Antonio to visit my Office an