The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-18
MAY TRY new WAYS
CITY CONSIDERING CHANGE IN
SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTING.
EXPERTS OFFER TO DO WORK.
THEY CLAIM MUCH MONEY WOULD
BE SAVED.

Haskins AZ Sells Make Proposition 90
the City and the Matter Will he
Taken Up by Finance Committee.
Possibly Within the Coming week.
1t WOnId Cost Considerable Money
to Make the Change, but 1t Is
Claimed That the City Would Save
Great Deal Annually.
A proposition has been made to the
City Council of Savannah by repre-
sentatives of Haskns & Sells, certified
public accountants, to make a COM
plete and satisfactory change in the
system of keeping city accounts. The
cost of this work would be between
$40. Geo and $4,000, according to the
amount of research required, by which
is meant the number of years of its
accounting system that the city
would wish to have investigated.
Mayor Myers. to whom the PROPOSE
ton was made, has promised to sub
nit the matter to the Finance Com
mittee of Council, and it is likely that
Mr.. j. G.. Hubbell, representative of
Haskins & Sells, will be asked to APP
pear before the committee and explain
the system that is offered to the city.
Mayor Myers said yesterday that the
matter has not really gone far enough
to be discussed, but he implied by his
tone and manner that he was entirely
in accord with the plan, but thought
that the city could not afford to pay
very large sum of money, and that
possibly the figures might be scaled
down a little. The Mayor thought that
it was possible that the Finance Com
mittee would be called together within
a few days and that the matter would
be given the fullest consideration.
Explained by Mr.. HubbeH.
Mr. Hubbell, who is in the city on
other business, is stopping at the De
Soto, and when asked to explain some
of the principal points about the Has
kins & Sells system, said that the very
best answer he could make to almost
any number of questions, was to point
to the report of the controller of the
city of Chicago. The firm, said Mr..
HubbeI, went in Chicago, and after
twenty seven months got matters into
such shape that the report of the con-
troller showed the increase in revenue
nearly half a million dollars. The saw
ing in clerk hire was $4,000. The city
of Chicago paid Haskins & Sells $143,-
900 for the work done there, $65, 900 be-
ing for the auditing of the accounts IF
the city for a period of twentythree
years. The examinations brought to
light great many matters that had
long needed ventilation, and the sys-
tenn inaugurated brought the conduct
of the city's business up to a regular
standard, such as is used by big rail-
roads and other corporations. In the
whole course of the Investigations no
frauds were discovered at all. but
simply a waste, from lack of adequate
system. The results meant great deal
for Chicago and the entire plan Of
keeping the account was SO simplified
| and shortened that $72, 900 per year was
saved to the city in clerk hire and
the books of the entire city are now
audited, by contract by Haskins &
Sells at the cost of 81, 900 per annum.
Will Meet Finance Committee.
Mr.. Hubbell said that he is particu-
larry anxious to meet the Finance
Committee, and he believes that he
will have no trouble in convincing the
business men of the necessity and eX
pediency of having a new system of
accounting. BY this he said that he
| did not expect to find anything wrong
with anybody's books. There is no OBJ
| ject in the plans other than to bring
| the matter before the committee of
keeping the public accounts in the
best manner, and to increase the city's
revenue by having accounts due paid
| at the proper time, and no further
waiting, indefinitely, or putting off al
together.
1t is not expected that any discrep-
ancies will be found; the change, if
made, will be because the city has out
| grown the methods employed many
years ago and it is time for it to adopt
| modern methods.
The Haskins & Sells system is rec
| commended by the National Municipal
| League, and is also heartily Endorsed
by the cities where it has been tried.
Among the places where the system
has been introduced are Chicago, At
lanta, New Rochelle, N. Y, Houston,
| Tex. Havana, Cuba, and others. The
system is recommended by the Nation
| al Municipal League and is always
strongly advocated by the places where
the good work has been evident.