The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-16
WONT EXAMINE BOOKS
City Accounts Not to Be Expert
Finance Committee Says
Cost Would Be Enormous.

The books of the city officials viii
not be examined by expert accountants
The finance committee reported ad-
versely upon the matter and its rec
concentrations were adopted by the
city council last evening. The report
said that the books have not been aud
tied since 1851, and that as it would
require years" to examine them at d
cost from SIS 900 10 $4,000. with no ap
parent object TO gain, that il would be
a useless expenditure Of money. The
report also brought out the fact that
PRODUCED by Councilman A. j. Davis,
that City Auditor Albert s. Reiser
would examine the books as fast as he
could
The last paragraph or the committees
report, which was signed by President
CottreH and COuEciimen Fernstrom
and Robinson, reads as follows:
As there is no charge. of any wrong
doing or any Irregularities in any of
the departments, with one or two eX-
ceptiOns. and as one OF these, the ceme-
terry department is being investigated
by the committee for that department
and the other. the attorneys depar-
ment. is under investigation by the
grand jury. and inasmuch as the audit
or's Office has been excepting more or less
of check upon the various depart
ments in the past. and the auditor has
Informed the council that he viii audit
all department accounts not already in
spected as fast as time viii permit. we
see no need of mourning such an enor-
nous expense for no apparent purpose.
The assertion that the grand jury Is
investigating the Office of the city. at
torney was so appaE entity untrue and
unfOunded that it was voted to exclude
the following portion of the report:
with one or two exceptions, and as
one Of these, the cemetery department,
is being investigated 10y the committee
for that department and the other, the
attorneys department, is under Inves-
tigatiOn by the grand jury
The implied charges of President Cot
trell that the contractors of the city en-
tered into a collision to defraud the
municipality in the bids on the heating
plant of the new city jail, fell fat The
three committee report recommended
that the contract be awarded to P. J.
Moran, the inference being that the
charges had not been proven at the
committee meeting examination last
Wednesday evening. President COttren
said he intended to bring in a minority
report, in which would be included a
Statement from a contracting firm
which had not bid, relative TO the
charges, but inasmuch as that firm had
not sent in it's communication, he would
sign the report. Upon that announce
ment Councilman EaTdley said he
would sign the report also. The report
of the three committees was unani-
mOusIy adopted.
F'eTnstrOm contributed his usual Of
fering to the gayety of the evening by
an attack on The Herald for its report
of the previous meeting of the cOun-
Gil, which he stated by resolution and
speech, not less fervid because pOlyglOt,
to be untrue. His statement was chaI-
lenged by Councilman Black and after
some discussion the matter went over
A special meeting of the council will
be held Thursday night for the purpose
of considering the construction Of
reservoir in Parley's and City Cre&
canyons
Councilman Thomas introduced a res
oluttOn calling upon the city attorney
to draft an ordinance compelling the
heads of all city departments. except
ing the chief Of police and the fire chiefs
to attend all council and committee
meetings.
The executive committee of the ma
tiOnal irrigation congress, which holds
its eleventh annual session at Ogden
this year, has asked the city council
to loan the large oil painting of Brig
ham Young which adorns the east wall
of the council chamber. The commit
tee proposes making ] display Of great
leaders and pioneers in the irrigation
of the west and desires to place the
painting of President Young in the
foremost position. The matter was re-
ferred to the mayor and committee on
control