The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-13

order TO furnish that committee WIZ InA-
terial for report on the subject. II was
the committees intention TO make such
report To the council yesterday evening. but
It was found impossible TO get the data to.
Eether by that time. The city's books as
turned over by the preceding admiDistrs-
ton. are in such & condition that 1t is eI-
oeedingly difficult to get information from
them as TO what the ctty's floating debt
actually Is, and IL may take all Of tnis 4
week to get anything Ike approximately |
correct figures concerning It. The in /
yestigatlon has proceeded far enough,
however. to show that said debt Is much |
larger than It ought TO be and that the /
present administration has Inherited some
thing over $4,000 Of obligations 70 take /
care OF. over and above the budget Of $685. |
co. voted by the retiring council. and in |
addition TO the Fixed interest charge on the [
city's bonded Indebtedness and the Storrie /
and the paving refundins obligations. The /
committee expects now TO be able to make |
& report In the matter next Monday.
In the absence OF report on the anan.
cial condition 81 tie city, tas council de-
voted some time to tae proposition o. hlr-
ing experts 20 audit the citys books and
install an improved system o. Bookkeeping.
AZ the last meeting the committee on hooks
ana accounts, composed Of Messrs. Miller,
Keller and Wall. recommended thu eaop.
ton Of g proposition made by Messrs Has
Aims d Sells, and the proposition was re-
ferred 10 tae council as q whole. When
the proposition was reached yesterday even.
ing Alderman Eoa,hauG moved that action
therein be deferred for another week. Civ
Ing as a reason for lis motion that Messrs
Nsrwltk Is Mitchell. who had originally
submitted a proposition Ia the matter IN
competition with Ncssrs. Haskins & Sells,
had fled an amended proposition which
be desired 10 read and study before reach
i1g conclusion en- the subject.
Aldstmaa Watkins oIersd substitute
Tor Alderman KohlLau1's motion. providing
Tor the acceptance @: the amended Mar
Wick & Mitchell proposition. Alderman
Keller sought 10 offer a substitute for the
Watkins substitute, providing FOR the adop-
tion Of the Hasains d. sells proposition,
but was ruled oul OF order. The matter
was hually settled by motion made by
Alde-man Miller that the amended Mar.
wick s. Mitchell proposition be reopened 10
The council rs 9 whole, which molten car.
Gied and postponed action for another week
The amended proposition referred 10 reads
follows:
The Hon. O. T. Holt Mayer and City
Council, Houston, Texas,
No. 81 Wall Street, New York, May O.
Dear sirs: Our attention has been called
70 the fact tnat our proposition Of the 9th
limo was nlrniy sutucientiy precise OF
explanatory 70 AFFORD the members of The
council a correct idea Of our Intentions
y has also been suggested hat our Zee waa
liable 20 be Increased 10 substantial
amount above the spcclpcd amount OF Sl2,
90. We therefore submit statement OF
cur Intentions In such detail that our prop.
eei'oD may receive due Iteration on its
morlts.
l. We will make a thorough audit OF the
o h.. HIaH. Lao. I'D. o rn
the offices OF the assessor aud collector,
t9e school board. police. seay enser, fire, en-.
glneer and legal departments, IS also OF
the boiler inspector, city electrician weight
Inspector city health and other minor dc
partments We will follow all items
Through TO the auditors books and fnul
balance sheet which we viii submit 10
show the actual state Of the city anances
at the tEose Of the last hscal year or az
whatever later date may be approved The
period that this audit will cover will begin
OF the date OF the opening Of the books now
the 3iSt Of December, 1899 II is intended
that this audit should be thorough sn the
strict sense OF the word For Instance our
Investigation In the assessors office would
begin with the original document Of tho
tax payers. These we would follow
through 10 see that proper charges were
made and collected, or failing collection,
thar they were properly registered as benE
In arrears, Where litigation resulted We
would ascertain the status OF the various
cases and report on them as they viii Ger
thlnlY represent valuable assets to the city,
This would include examination and re
port on the city's tax suits in the district
clerks office.
In reviewing the financial condition Of the
city we would prepare a statement that
would show its funded and floating debt
aud suggestions as 10 refundiug or rearrang
Ing the Indebtedness, should such be nee
essary to reduce any excessive Interest
charges.
Taken in connection with the revised as
easement rolls. this statement would SHOW
the amount Of bonds, Il any that shoult
be Issued to provide cash to cancel hoatini
debts and meet payments as they matur
on existing contracts and the balance tina
would be available for further improve
mepts, should such be desired.
Having made this thorough audit OF th
accounts we would submit fun reper
on such matters as would interest you II
addition TO submitting approved balanc,
sheets and other statements. This repor
would be absolutely impartial and set forth
as clearly possible, the condition o
each department exactly as we dnd g.
This work involves large smognt Of ls
approximate, but for 1t we estimated Se0oc
though we modified our charge to $500
when taken 10 conjunction with the late
fords important Information.
2 We VIII draft and install system o
accounting for the future guidance Sf Al
you on the score Of thoroughness and sin
pllcity. No essential check between III
due regard will be shown for economy o
working 70 the future. II IS not necessar
10 impose on the city any such claboratio
Of books and department. managers as ma
be necessary In large cities such as Ne,
York; Chicago and Boston. but the wor
Will be distributed so as 10 produce the hes
results from O moderate force of assistant
II viii ~ our aim TO avoid any Increase
expenditure in the total amount Of the sal
aries payable, but some changes may b
made In the distribution OF the force no,
employed. We can certainly effectsa savln
IN the work now being done. This woul
OFFSET the work necessary TO provide tn
auditors check on the different depart
inent accounts
Our system viii be simple, because IN
simpler It Is the more likelihood IS ther
that Il will be maintained intact throug
future changes In the personnel Of the Of
6cers
Having drafted the system and suhmitte
II for your consideration and approval "
should render the necessary assistance 4
making the opening entries IN the nel
hooks and familiarIzng the heads ~ denaFi
nents and their assistants In the work .