Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06
EXAMINATION OF
COUNTY FINANCE
PROPOSE TO EXTEND LAW selvINe
STATE AUDITOR POWER
IN CITIES
Examination Of Books Of Several NUM-
cipaities concluded-FindT That the
City of keokuk Gives Bonus to a
Cereal MiII-sells for Committeeman

Des Moines, Dec. 5.-An effort will
be made in the coming session of the
legislature to extend the present law
giving the auditor Of state the power
to examine the accounts Of cities Of
more than 5000 population and of such
other cities as petition him to do so.
to cover county finances also.
1t is probable that the law will be
strengthened, also, with respect to
what shall be done when evils are
found in municipal accounts. At pres.
ent there is nothing to be done. The
inspectors working for the auditor of
state make a report on the condition
Of finances of the city whose accounts
they examine and file the same at the
state house. That is the end. If
there are glaring evils the publicity
is the only remedy.
Up to date the auditors inspectors
have examined the accounts of the
following cities:
Keokuk, Atlantic, Fort Madison,
Creston, Marshalltown and Mt Pleas
ant.
George e. Pennell Of Atlantic, who
is in charge of the work, will go to
Oelwein next.
Aided Cereal Mill.
He said here today that he had found
nothing specially sensational in any OF
the cities whose accounts he had ex-
amined, SO far. At Keokuk he found
certain warrants outstanding repres-
onfir,rr W nl1y t,o -
mill and factory. This he vigorously
criticised and in turn was assailed by
the local press at Keokuk. The theory
now is held that there should be some
means Of enforcing recommendations
relative to evils Of this character. The
law which requires all cities to adopt
Uniform system of accounting, in ac-
cordance with plan adopted by the
state board, goes into effect April 1.
After that, in all probability. some
thing can be done to effect the rene
dies which the inspectors recommend.
At any rate there will be wide public
| ity of the condition of the cities, as
| the auditor of state will issue reports
| thereon.
Looks Like Sells.
In view Of the New York dispatches
outlining combination between
Chairman Taggart of the national
democratic committee and Mr.. Bryan
| Iowa democrats fully expect to hear
| the announcement of the appointment
of Cato Sells as Iowa committeeman
within a few weeks. The New York
dispatches state that Mr.. Taggart is
| profoundly convinced that Mr.. Bryan
should be the nominee for president in
/ 1908, that he is anxious to retain his
present place as chairman of the ma.
tional committee, that combination
of the majority of the national com
mittee with Mr.. Bryan is an extreme.
| ly desirable thing for the committee
| interested and that Iowa is one of the
states which Mr. Bryan is expected to
control without help from his friends
on the national committee. Under
these circumstances the appointment
of Mr.. Sells, representative Of the
democracy Of Iowa in favor of Mr..
Bryan, is expected soon.
The New York dispatch says:
with the sanction and support OF
! William j. Bryan, he is working to
win over the members of the national
committee and with Mr. Bryan, control
the national convention"
Iowa Bryan democrats think that
this settles the controversy in this
state in favor of Mr.. Sells.
Leon Brown.