Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13
PROBE TREASURERs.
Bill to Examine Books Of Keeper
OF Public Monies.
BOARD is TO BE NON-PARTISAN
Shall Consist of Three Members-one
Shall Be Assigned to Southern Part
of Stakeholder Two to North and
Middle Respectively.
Des Moines Bureau the Courier.
Das MOineS. Fah. II

| ~ ! -
Des Moines Bureau the Courier.
Des Moines, Feb. il.
A bill has been introduced in the
house by Furry, of Hardin, which is
deserving of extended analysis and
consideration. 1t provides for the APP
pointment by the governor of three
public examiners, whose duty it shall
be to examine, at least once every year
the books of every county treasurer
in the state. 1t also contemplates the
reinforcement of a uniform system of
keeping the accounts of county treas
urers' offices over the state. The i'm
portance of the measure can best be
illustrated from conversation which
had Saturday afternoon with Mr..
Furry and Speaker Eaton. The last
named gentleman introduced an iden.
teal bill in the twenty-seventh and
twenty-eighth general assemblies, and
is greatly interested in its fate in this
session.
The Bill in Brief.
THE bill, briefly stated said Mr..
Furry, 'contemplates the appointment
of non-partisan board of state exam
liners, consisting of three members
who shall be assigned, one to the
northern part of the state, one to the
central and one to the south. These
examiners must, at least once a year,
and without previous notice being Civ
en-, examine the books, accounts and
cash of each county treasurer in Iowa.
This examination must be exhaustive.
| 1t must ascertain that all the funds
are properly kept, that all accounts
balance, where the money is, whether
it is safely invested and whether it is
drawing interest. In addition upon
the request of the board of supervisors
this official shall be required to make
an examination of the books of any
other county official The measure al
so provides for a uniform system of
bookkeeping, by which this work will
be greatly simplified. Mr.. Eaton, who
is really the father of the bill, can tell
you mere of its merits and the evils
it is intended to remedy than | or any
other man in the legislature. Yet |
want to say, he resumed, that it is
Intended to check defalcations in pub
lie Offices and to supply the deficien-
cies of boards of supervisors. In our
own county of Hardin the supervisors
are as good men as are to be found in
the state, and as anxious to do their
duty, yet they are not expert book,
keepers. They are supposed and eX.
pected to make a detailed examination
of the treasurer's books, but the whole
\ thincy a 70 thn,,
through with the work they know but
little more than when they commenc.
ed. They see and count the cash and
that is about all
Save More Than Board of Control.
Il believe l am not overestimating
the Importance of this BILL" said Mr.
Eaton, when l say that il will save
to the state of Iowa more than did the
creation of the board of control
There are two sources of vast saving
which it will effect. AS, Mr.. Murray
has told you it provides for uniform
system of bookkeeping. Yet this very
feature has brought against the pro
posed law the opposition of every
book-binder in the state. AS soon as
a new treasurer or other official takes
his place under the present 60 as you.
please methods he is besieged by the
makers of books, who inform him that
he needs this and that, that their pro-
duct is the best and that they are
used in other counties with the best
of satisfaction, and the consequence
is that the whole system is confused
and misleading. have been informed
by Mr.. Herriott, and 1 have no doubt
he will be willing for the statement
to be made public, that system fol
keeping county accounts could be de
vised along the general lines of bank
bookkeeping, which would not require
one half the work nor one-half the
books now used
Examinations Made Without Notice
Then it is intended that the exam
ination itself shall be like the examina
j ton of banks-made without, notice
This system will almost stop defalca
tons. Let treasurer understand thai
at any minute his books must be
ready and that he will have no time
| to borrow cash to make good a lefic
iency or make good his accounts, anG
those books will always be straight.
Present System Anticipated.
tThe present system of examina
4 ton takes three men about a week tt
go over the books, and then make on
ly an imperfect work; the proposed