Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-24
KEOKUK WINS THE
BOOSTERS MEDAL
City Fathers Adopt Methods In
High Finance the Law Does
{ Not Permit
EMsEzzLEMENT, SAYS EXPERTS
State Accountants From the Auditors
Office Find Methods of Manipulating
Public Funds IIesaI-Factory Built
With Public Money at a Cost of
$4,000
Special to Tlmes-Repuhllcan.

| Special 10 llUlGS-INSQuNiGois
Des Moines, Nov. 24.-Boosting {
city like Des Moines is a child's play
things in the city of Keokuk, according
to the report of the inspection of tht
Keokuk city accounts as made by the
experts from the office Of the state au.
ditor. The report has been filed with
the state auditor and also with the
mayor and city clerk of the city OF
Keokuk. Here are the two biggest
things that Keokuk did to boost it:
city:
Appropriated $50, 900 for the benefit OF
the cereal mill which had burned.
Appropriated $4,000 and built fac
tory building which was leased free
to concern to induce it's to locate in
Keokuk.
There is another item of $4,000
which the inspectors unearthed as
having been appropriated to the Keo-
kuk & Hamilton Power Company, be-
sides some other minor items along
the same line.
These facts are brought out by the
state inspector because such use OF
the public funds is clearly illegal and
is defined by the statutes as enlbezzle
ment. The criticism of the state in
spector, George Pencil, is that "it is
none the less an offense that no one
accused any member of the council OF
profting personally by the transac-
tons"
The $4,000 for building factory is
carried on the books of the city as
the factory account and the state in
spector criticises it as may be enter
prising but would come close within
the definition of embezzement," as
defined by the statutes. An item of
$1,000 given to the San Francisco suf
ferers is also criticised as being with.
out authority Of law tho for worthy
motive.
Keokuk, however, has taught all the
cities of the state how to get money
from one fund to another, tho the in.
spector does not think it any the less
illegal Under the state law money
can only be transferred from the gen.
eral fund. Money raised by taxation
for any one purpose must be. spent
for that. Many of the cities of the state
have been illegally transferring money
from one fund to another. Keokuls
has adopted the plan of dumping the
money all into one common fund" and
paying it out for any purpose as de-
sired.
The report shows that the actual
property valuation of Keokuk is So
1888, and as Keokuk is a special
charter city this is also the assessed
value. The law provides that the levy
shall not be more than eight mills in
special charter cities. Keokuk's levy
is 4.52 mills, which on the basis of
other cities is the same as levy of
1903 mills, and the inspector thinks
they have exceeded the legal limit.
On the same basis as in other cities the
total consolidated levy in Keokuk is
S1.1 mills.
Iowa will have her share and more
in the International Fat Stock Show
at Chicago next month. In some of the
breeds Iowa men are exhibitors of half
of the animals entered for the exhibits
This is especially true of the Angus
breeding cattle. In shorthorns Iowa
breeders have big per cent of the
entries and are we'll represented in all
In the exhibits of steers in the An
gus class, the state college hast enter