The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-14
MONEY IS THROWN AWAY
SEVERE ARRAIGNNEEgNT OF CHICA-
GO SYSTEM oKs MUNICIPAL
ACCOUNTING
DRASTIC REFORM IS NEEDED
Opportunities for the City to Lose
Millions of Dollars. Through
Dishonest or Incompe-
tent Servants.

NEW YORK, April l3.-Some time ago
Messrs. Haslins ana Sells. public ac-
cCuntants Of this city and Chicago, were
engaged by the Merchants Club Of Chi
cage to make an examination of the ac
counting methods of the city of Chicago.
The accountants transmitted to a sIe-
cial committee of the Merchants club
report which gave in full the result of
the firms iI1vestigatiSn Today there,
was issued by the fisn Of accounts a
letter supplemental tie the above reRort
and addressed to t1se Merchants club.
This letter says in pass that the account
ants found the acell4.Sts Of the city In
a deplorabIe condition, due mainly to
the survival of methods of control and
accounting entirely Inadequate to the re-
quirements of a greet city. The letter
goes on to say that taxes to the amount
of $780, eco a year fsr the past decade
have been released as loss and deficiency
Upon the mere questioned word of the
tax gatherers; that clerical errors, such
as posting hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars, have remained 5uncorrected, and
that books of record have been destroy
ed. The letter also says that these faulty
methods have led to forced balances,
frequent Jumping Of accounts, wholesale
omissions, arbitrary ertries of millions
of dollars each, credits in anticipation
sponsible for the possible duplicate pay
ment of claims against the municipality,
and according to, the statement it Is
questionable that the city debt has been
reduced more than one and one-half mil
lions dollars during the past two years.
REFORM BADLY NEEDED.
OF the future the letter says:
1.-THE ultimate destiny, however, of the
new Chicago is consolidation. It's pres
ent pieceneaf government is grotesque
in the extreme, from the standpoint of
domestic utility; it is utterly indefensi-
BILE The dissipation Of wealth due to
the diversity of government agencies and
taxing bodies Is incalcuiable, and an eStl-
mate cannot be attempted of the value,
material and moral of municipal unifca-
ton to the future welfare Of the COM
munity."
Attention is called to the rapidly in
creasing number Of associations of citi-
zens which are grapplings with the many
problems as how to best administer local
governments and mentions the states
wherein legislation for the higher well
fare of the municipality is making head
way against opposition. 1t is claimed
that California, Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin are foremost in this movement for
charter reform. but that Wyoming, North
and South Dakota, Texas, Massachusetts,
Indiana and Illinois are following the
examples of the others
Attention is called to the work of the
National Municipal league.
MANY NEW CHARTERS.
One of the concluding paragraphs of
the letter reads thus:
''It would be almost invfdious to choose
a selected list of American cities which
have recently adopted radical changes
looking to the betterment of their gov
ernment and the safety Of their public
money.
San Francisco adopted a new charter
by popular vote, other California cities
have followed, and this movement is sus-.
tanned by the decision of the supreme
court. New York and several other cit
les in the same staae have adopted new
charters; Milwaukee, and other Wiscon-
sin cities; Minneapolis, ST. Paul, Duluth,
Mankato and other large sized cities of
Minnesota; Mobile, New Orleans and
Baltimore have all secured new charters
in the interest of good government and
economy; WilmingtOH9 Del, has kept up
continuous fight for charter. reform,
and in many other cities, including
Providence, Jersey City; Pittsburg, Ra-
leigh, Jacksonvilles Chattanooga and
Grand Rapids, movements either to
amend or renew charters have been sue
cessfully proSecuted,s or are still in prog
ress. The present time gives to the city
of Chicago an opportunity to institute
municipal government worthy of imita-
ton -