The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-06
CHECKING GOES ON.
Controller Rogers Objection Il
Checking the Revolving Fund !
Is Without Effect.
He Intimates That Any Mistakes
Discovered Will Be Chargable 4
to Other Officials. z7's'< &

City Controller. Joshua Rogers doesn't
relish being quoted exactly. He said as
much at the meeting Of the committee on
accounts of city officials, before which he
was summoned yesterday to explain why
he.was obstructing the investigation of the
permanent Improvement revolving fund.
Mr.. Rogers fairly bristled as he referred to
recent articles bearing upon his attitude
toward the men appointed by the commit
tee to check up the account.
II want it understood right here and
now" he said, that these newspaper re-
porters must be stopped, and especially
that pipe dreamer of T h o n a !. -
Referring to T h j GU : n a is account
Of a recent scene in his office, of which
Alderman Mccoy. Custodian Gaylord and
a reporter were Witnesses, he. said:- =
Il want it understood that no. caves
dropper of Il h e o u r II a. will be al
lowed behind my counter again.
He declared he had been misrepresented
all through his controversy with the &C
countants, and he warned the latter on nc
account hereafter to give sout to the press,
without first consulting the committee,
any statements which reflected upon the
conduct of his office. In regard to any
evidences of bad bookkeeping which might
be discovered in the controllers Office ne
disclaimed any responsibility whatever
saying that the blame must be placed en-
tirely upon the city engineers and county
auditors Offices.
Must Admit Accountants.
On the advice of the city attorney, will
whom the republican members of the com
mittee sided, the controller was forced tt
recede from his position of attempting t.
deny the accountants access to any of hi
books. Both Mr.. Stacy and T. S. Dicke!
are to be given free access to all OF tn
accounts of the controllers office durin,
office hours. If an assistant accountan
examines any of the books, the accountan
must be present when it is produced
Books are not to be removed from tn
| controllers office, and the use of ink
| forbidden.
The controller had declared that it wa
unnecessary for Mr.. Stacy to inspect tn
| revolving fund account Mr.. Stacy insist
ed that this account had a material bear
| ing on all other accounts, and that hi
! work will be seriously hampered If he
not privileged to refer to it.
1T is impossible" said Mr.. Stacy, 1t
make a full investigation of the conditio
of any fund whatever without considerin
the revolving fund, as the investigatio
thus far shows. a conflict between ths
fund and the permanent improvement
| sinking, interest. and several ward fund
No full and satisfactory report on tf
city's financial condition can be mao
without thorough investigation OF TT
revolving fund. There is little questio
that from $1,000 to $4,000 a year for
long series of years has been improper
charged to the revolving fund. and M
spread upon the assessment rolls for tt
maintenance of that fund This actic
has been in direct violation of the chart'
provisions. .
It is expected that a thorough invest
cation and checking up of the permanel
improvement revolving fund will show thu
the present system of allowing and co
= Letting tax rebates is one of the thing
which largely prevents the city from keel
ing straight set of books. This may e.
plain why T. s. Dickey and G. A. Nmocl
both sided with the controller yesterday
opposing the checking up of the revolvir
: fund. Both make a business Of collectir
rebate taxes from the city.
. MI. Stacy has employed as an assistar
in checking up the revolving fund az
counts in the controllers office Edwar
E,kman, who was assistant public exam
liner from 1889 to 1891 and who was #
ten years a bookkeeper' in the Nation;
German bank Of st. Paul. Mr.. Ekman bs
gan work in the controllers office tn
afternoon.