The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-06-29
CORRECTING BAD METHODS.

The Board of County Commissioners
have beea engaged for some time past
in an effort to adjust the system of
bookkeeping and the practices Of varl
Gus county officials 10 the new prae-
lice of making appropriations ana
keeping within the limits and conform
ing 10 he methods prescribed by law.
Much confusion seems to nave re
suited from failure TO comply with the
law, in various ways. As was an
nounced some time ago. the board had
for years made no appropriations, but
levied the full amount of the rate fixed
BY law as The maximum limit, and
then drawing against the general fund
thus created fer the various purposes
of the county until the money was all
gone. The law required appropria
tlon bills to be passed limiting eypen,
diiures for the various purposes to
certain sums, and It was the county
clerks Business to extend upon his
books such rate of tax upon all the
property In the county as would yield
approximately the sum total thus APP
propriated. And The law does not per
nit the overdrawing of any appropria
tion.
But II appears that, in preparing the
appropriation bin some time ago the
Board could not procure accurate data
for estimating the amounts that would
be needed for the various purposes
and. later because Of the practices Of
some Of the officials, particularly the
sheriff, there was no way of telling
when an appropriation had been over
drawn. There was nothing criminal
in the practice: there was no money
Incorporated or lost; but the meth.
DDS were such that the county cler,
and board were left in the dark as
10 how much money mad been paid out
and for what purpose until the final
settlement was made The sheriff has
been collector and treasurer and one
or two other things all in one. and
She real treasurer of The county has
been merely figure head The
sheriff collected the money and paid 70
out 90 warrants which would be- al
lowed to accumulate into many thou
sands of dollars before they would
find their wav into The hands Of the
county clerk, TO be- entered up 10 the
proper accounts in the books.
The result has been that nearly all
the appropriations made recently by
n. Int h..r1 hoo. ,fr1,H.. l.....,.
oyertlrawn and The board Is in a very
bad way TO carry on the business OF
the county through The remainder of
the fiscal year.
But vigorous steps have been taken Z
20 correct the methods and TO prevent /
a occurrence of this state Of hing /
Hereafter the sheriff will be prohibited
from paying any bills of the county /
but must turn his money over To the 1
treasurer as il is collected and that
official will pay the warrants when 4
presented and turn them over TO the
county clerk al once.
This will make more work for the 4
treasueT and for he clerk. bat 70 is the 4
method prescribed by law and If ad /
hered 10 IL will enable the county 4
clerk TO tell ar a moments notice a.
any time how any appropriai ion
stands
Il must not be inferred that there is
anything in all this 70 reflect seriously
upon any official The sheriff and 9th
- officials have merely been following
the methods Of their predecessors;
and The extent Of their offending has
been a lack Of system and the follow
Inc ~ ihe old aaeIhods. which
has resulted in confusion since the
county board has undertaken 70 adopt
those prescribed BY law The board