New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-05-11
North Street Water Mains.

the clerk and this accounted for the
fact that a larger salary was paid
here
On the subject of remuneration Mr..
Schilling stated that the council had
increased his pay from time to time.
He started at $40 per month and his
last increase to S75 was received when.
the waterworks system was established.
In explanation of this he said that the
council felt that Supt. Stoll had
enough to do to look after the water
works without keeping the books, and
this suggested to Mayor Silverson the
recent transfer Of the electric light and
waterworks books to the municipal
station. He declared that Supt.
Wagner would find ample occupation
in looking after his machinery, keep
ing down the consumption of coal and
directing his men, without troubling
himself with the bookkeeping, and he
felt that the present council could
~ oilo Ny GllS plOCOAcllU InI. oCullllLIS
mentioned.
The latter closed his remarks by
asking what was wrong with his books
and rotten in the bookkeeping, and
Clerk Bobleter enumerated the things
which appeared irregular. He had
found, he said, that it required all the
books in the Office to keep the system
going: that every book was dependent
upon some other. For instance, the
receipts and disbursements were not
itemized in the journal. In collecting
for assessments it had not been
customary to enter the lot or block
from which the amount had been re-
ceived, and there was no mention of
the street upon which the Improvement
was made. In order to find what as
sessments had been paid it was neces-
sary to refer to the stubs in the receipt
books.
The accounts of the electric light
station were in bad shape and it was
impossible to tell how much coal had
been used, Or the amount of supplies
purchased. The last purchase of coal
that had been posted was on Sept. IS,
1908, and there were no receipts in the
office for later investments in this line
In opening accounts with individual
consumers there were things which he
could not understand. A year ago he
(Bobleter) paid for wiring a dwelling
and for light used, but he was unable
to find entries for the amounts paid in
either his name or that of the property
owner. Even now his electric light
bills, although rendered in his name,
were credited to J. A. Kreger, a man
who had lived in the house he now
occupies but who left the city more
than six months ago.
Clerk Bobleter also criticised the
system of issuing warrants. These,
he explained, were made payable to
bearer and he understood that it had
been the custom of his predecessor to
tear out whole patches of them to be
cashed at the city depository. He
would receipt for the warrants and
then pay the persons entitled to the
money in cash or send it to creditors
in the form of drafts. The weakness
of the system lay in the fact that it
gave the city no record Of the warrant
having gone to the person for whom
| it was allowed. In many instances
! vouchers were made out to one man
and receipted for by another, but this
could be overcome by changing the
word Clearer" to ''order."
Mr.. Schilling replied to the question
in regard to the coal entries by say
ing that when the new books for the
lighting plant were opened the com
mittee had decided that the records O.
coal and supplies should be kept a
| the station. The entries might not ap
pear in this Office but the receipts were
all on file. Clerk Bobleter procured
the file and it showed the last receip
| filed in 1900. Mr.. Schilling explained
| that they were now kept at the station
| 1t was decided to takeu up the irregu
| larities mentioned in the Bobleter re
port in regular order and the Fifth
North street water main assessment
came first. Mr.. Schilling remarked
that as he understood the city attor
ney had made out the report that Off
cial should familiarize himself with tn,
| charter. The charter is plain in thi
matter and it shows that the clerk has
nothing to do with special assessments
He is unable to turn delinquents owe
to the county auditor until the cit.
treasurer has made his returns.
"You have brought me into thi
thing" said City Attorney Somsen
"and want to ask a few questions.
| did not go into this matter but simpl,
= \ /