The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-25
Improvements in County Auditing

A month ago County Auditor Scott ad-
dressed letter to the board of county
commissioners regarding improvements in
the auditors system of books. He re-
minded the board that law passed in
1902 requires the county auditor on the
first Monday In January of each year to
compare the tax lists with the statements
rece1pted for by the county treasurer and
on file in the auditors office. The work
thus imposed is a. colossal burden. !:
There are 165,372. descriptions which
must be examined under this law, and
each is in effect aledger account made up.
of from six to twenty four items. In the
1901 tax list there were eighty folio VOL
umes Of from so to $50 folios each, with
from 20 to SO lines to the folio. The state
ments rece1pted for by the county treas
urer number 1922. These statements
had to be arranged by towns, villages
and wards, by sections, volumes, addi-
tions, blocks and lots, into 80 piles to cor
respond to the 80 ledgers, and then each
item on each statement had to be COM
pared with the corresponding item on
the ledger account. Mr.. Scott found it
possible to do this work this year by con-
centrating his whole available regular and
extra force on it for three months But
next year he will have, in addition to this
work, to write 1882 descriptions in the
assessment books, and will be unable to
make the comparisons required by law
without additional help, which he esti-
mates at six men for three months.
The laws Of 1902 require the auditor to
keep accounts with the state and other
political bodies, besides other laws on the
same subject. The keeping of these ac--
counts is a heavy task in view of the fact
that the auditors office is the agency thru
which the taxpayer receives his state
ment Of all kinds of taxes. It is praise
worthy system, since it saves the tax
payer from the annoyance of receiving and
attending to number Of separate tax
bills, but it costs labor and money to keep
1t up To attend to this accounting prop
erly the auditor thinks there should be a
journal or journal and ledger account in
connection with the card ledger he has
already introduced. The installation of
such books would require the services Of
a good accountant nearly all the time to-
gether with those of one assistant. The
checking of statements could be kept UP
with the work Of the treasurers office
very closely, with the assistance of an
other clerk. The additional books and
help would also enable the county to keep
a full account Of it's work in collecting re-
volving fund and other special assess
ments Of the city.
Another piece of work the auditors Of
flee has to face, in addition to routine,
is the production Of a new tax list Of 7S
volumes by the first Monday of next jan
uary, which will probably require over
time work. Last year such extra work
amounted to three hours day for two or
three months for fourteen men, without
additional compensation. Mr. Scott finds
that the office needs new set of working
plats and that to provide them and give
better service in the work of the office
that requires the preparation of plats an
assistant draughtsman is needed.
Altogether Mr.. Scott asks for an in
crease of four persons in his staff at a
total salary of $4,000 in addition to
extras We have no doubt that the
good Of his office demands this additional
help Perhaps the fact that the county
levy this year is bound to be larger than
last, for good reasons, will make it i'm