Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-09-09
CONDITION OF THE CITY TREAS
URY.

Eosted ever the condition Of Salem
snag treasury, and The Journal doe
ulct thiRk it is o~verstepping the bound
ad prspriety in frankly discussing tn
ss1bJeca-
~ sail be remembered that upon tn
cscmiAR in Of the new council last Jan
r-rzT " was decided, as is right an,
Epssper, TO expert the books Of the cit,
terSasgy.
Tins was done in the usual couse o.
tsuS'Bess through a special committee
sspIsinted by the council, and no on,
csAn aake exceptions to such steps.
Jtmt committee made a very thor
sUoah search Of the records, and in
"a~ eyeurse submitted it's reports, find.
tax discrepancies in records of the re.
curaBr and treasurer.
Tn errors in the recorders accounts
ehew a balance due the city Of some.
ching hle 800. This was promptly ac.
AknUNlsdged by City Recorder Judah
znd made good. He has since endeav.
spsfd to End offsets for these items, and
AnUNs that If he ever does find legiti.
uuate offsets or proves the experts re.
lp0ut incorrect that he will be REIN.
Gsarsed.
The errors in the city treasurer ac.
coouni show a balance due the city of
aE6uua $ll00. The city treasurer verbal.
~ Declared TO the council that no such
~tisrrepancy existed. He stated that
I'm 3iue time he would make a report to
tahs city, showing his accounts alright.
NE was given time, and now about
uhree months have elapsed, but no
Aiasemept has as yet appeared from
1hAt official, His friends insist that
@he experts' report is wrong, and pos.
sahly a. is, but that report is an official
Ntscument, and must be needed until Il
as properly c%ontroverted.
An Of City Treasurer Moir's friends
Gsaieve. him 10 be- an honest man. and
me is entitled 60 the benefit of every
stenht until the matter IL officially sift.
ed, but the council and the taxpayers
have a right 10 have this matter set. |
sica soon.
The truth is, the system under which
Ssalem's city treasurer operates is a bad
eysiem. IL is lax, out.of.date, aud ev
os1y business man must admit that il
should be reformed. Under this system
che city treasury virtually is not a city
treasury, but the bank which handles
ahs oity's funds, is the city treasury.
The treasurer should be provided a
public Office, where he can transact the
busaness Of the city as il should be
transacted, and he should be- paid nc
.eordiagly.
The idea Of a city treasurer drawing
"a nominal salary Of 900, aud then
turning all the work OF his office over
a bank, is anything but businesslike,
hui this has been the custom ia Salem
fran time immemorial. Tho treasurors
abe past have pursued this line for
years, and whatever bauk happened to
provide their bonds has handled the
nands and done the clerical work. But
precedent does not make this right.
since Mr., Moir's books have been
exported, the bank Mt which his bust
Is transacted has rendered. sever
~ statements. and finally that bank
has made an entirely new set of books
for tho city treasury.
Hut what has the city government
10 with a banki Ii should deal
'sith It's treasurer, aud permit mo- in.
iervcnors OF any character. :
In the past, when a wprrant has
esen presented ut the bank for pay.
it has AZ times been indorsed
mot paid Tor want Of funds" by als
teller aud the city treasurer y
sigued thereto IN that %tellorl II
fhefe b no ordinance authorizing the a
appointment OF q deputy treasurer, and
aone has ever been appointed or sane a
lioncd by the eouneil Yct the banks !
had their tellers officially sign the a
Of the city treasurer TO their war
!,
This process has relieved the city IA
treasurer Of considerable work, aud, la
measure, Of responsibility yet Il islt.
but husinesslike and the
glolc matter should be changed. e
NJ Moir has admitted an Of these i,
.nsPosiiioas 20 a Journal representa- .
,v0 and, ia fact, any wellingosmedl
nAness man must acknowledge the Il.
rushfulness and fosee Of the com. IN
here made In.
a il no reelection upon Mr, MolF's a.