The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-06-06
st. Louis, Mo-, May 81, 1902.

st. Louis, Mo, May 81, 1902.
To the Editor of the Missouri State Republican:
Dear Sir-In accordance with your request have made an ex-
animation of the latest exhibits in the Official pamphlet giving the
state auditors report and the report of the experts engaged, dated
November 2, 1901.
understand the contention to be, that there ar large dIscrcpnn-
cis in the published reports of the state auditors of Missouri and re-
port of experts, published in the official pamphlet, entitled missouri
Finances"
will limit the present trcport to the figures of the state auditor
and of the accountants that enter into the operations OF the state in
tercst fund, school and seminary funds, and the bonded debt rcduct-
ion. For the sake of simple presentations have consolidated all of
the items OF cash received and the expenditure chargeablc to the
interest fund, as evidenced by the auditors exhibits and the account
of the fund commissioners into one plain account, subjoincd hereto,
In order to avoid the endless rcpcthions, counter charges and cx-
plantations, such as are made by the accountants in the Official PAM
phlct. The tables OF these accountants mr. without any practical
value to the ordinary reader, only serving to confuse the issue. They
do not furnish vouchers for the interests payments and the morcy
and the fund disburscd for the sinking fund commissioners.
They attempted to do 1t in the case of the interest payments, but,
as will be shown they failed in It..
have also subjoincd an exhibit, showing by the admitted o.
ceipts into the interests fund, guided by an exhibit called IA. No. 2,
made by the aforesaid accountants, how under n lawful ndminisua-
ton the bonded debt OF the state would have been cxtinguishcd som
years ago. leaving the school fund on hand In 1871 untouched, rs
well as the receipts since accrued To- It. The 100000 certificate issued
to the school fund in 1872 represents no cash, aud is therefore left out
of the following figures. The Items from the auditors exhibits and
published reports, when brought over to n correct balance sheet,
show the interest fund account out of balance s6i0,0ij.
1t will show that an ovcrchargc OF S6i0,GjO was made ON bond
payments on face OF the accounts, which together with other discrcp-
ancics shown in the notes one to four, will aggregate si,Ooi. 23o.
The loss to the state through the conversion of the school and semi
nary funds and the methods pursued in the handling OF the interest
tax fund. aggregates 81 COS 57 as shown by the exhibits hcrin-
after.
The notes one to four are in the nature OF rcconceucnts OF the
items given In the auditors and accountants reports. md Spcak. for
themsclvcs. Further it Is to be remarked that the bond reduction
account, note four, shows n condition of anairs that, when sincd.
would increase the interest discrepancies.
In the report of the accountants there X no statement showing
that the original reports from the counties and cities had been check
ed over to verify the totals of the receipts for taxes a. reported 10y
the auditor. In view of the condition OF the accounts developed
herein, it seems pertinent to state that such checking is nm essential
matter. Nor have found that the issue OF school and seminary
fund certificates for the amount OF 81 ,362S20, ACQUIRING to the said
funds since 1871, have been followed by n corresponding cancellation
OF bonds on their several dates OF issue, ms shown In the aforesaid
exhibit A. \. No.2
The auditors showing for the period 1871 1900, comprised in his
exhibits called 2 A & b, and 3 A X h, to which reference is made
herein, is supposed TO be consolidated in n balance sheet called cx-
hbit 4 A and b and G. THE items on exhibit 2 and 3 having been
varRcd by comparison with the biennial auditors reports) But the
items on exhibit 4 A and Is are not given as they appear on exhibits
2 and 3, hence the discrepancy.
The accountants tables ac simply restatemcnts, In different
positions, of the auditors figures.