The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-15
AS TO "PAYING AS YOU co..

Ao lo IA 1NG AS SOU GC.
There is large, hollow spot in the
Uranium Of the Herald, where the
knowledge of the city's finances is by
on printing certain figures of the differ
ent funds which have nothing to do
with the general financial condition Of
the city, and then proceeds to jumble
them IN way to ''confound the
sense and obscure the Judgment -
Its course in this shows that it is no
disciple Of the laird Of Monkbarns,
whom the choleric Sir Arthur Wardner
so heartily despised for his "petti-
Jogging intimacy with dates, names,
and trifling matters of fact, and
tiresome and frivolous accuracy of
memory No one will accuse the
Herald of any such offenses as these.
1t undertakes TO state certain so.
called facts about the different funds
in the city's accounts, without noting
essential facts which bare recital Of
official balances does not disclose. For
instance, that in March. 1905, trans
fer of $1S,340.24 was made from the
street fund to special improvement ac-
counts, for the city portion Of the
work done in 1904; that in March,
1906, a similar transfer was made from
tho street fund of $47,7071s, which
latter should have been made in De-
cember, 1905, and, in fact. was
asked for by the then City Auditor
but which the Council refused to
authorize; that in June, 1907, similar
transfer was made from the street fund
of S3l, ,134,09, and an additional trans.
fer Of $lS,67s.93 has been authorized
since the close of the books on June
S0th, and this last stated amount
will appear as debit on the street
fund account in July. The total charge
to the street fund will thus be $40
S15.O2.
The Herald makes loud and in.
sistent claim that the Morris admins
tration "paid as it went along How,
then, did it happen that the Morris
administration turned over unpaid and
overdue bills against the contingent
fund Of $S4.s14.04, with only
s3809.4o in that fund to meet them'
Here is shortage in this one fund
of $S1 ,010.55 which the Morris ad-
ministration did not "pay as it went
along
Again, this s47707.ls, above men
toned, should have been transferred
in December, 1905, as the then Auditor
asked should be done; but no, it was
shouldered over, with the $S4,S1404
OF unpaid bills onto the American
administration to adjust; it would
have made a bad showing. and Nor
ris wouldn't have it appear aagiust
him. The American street fund was
made TO carry the burden. instead Of
should have carried it. We note, also,
that the American street department
paid in 1906, for equipment, $7115.46
as compared with $30s0.21 paid by the
Morris street department in 1905; a
credit of double to the Americans
To which it may be added that the
first six months of the present year
the American street department. paid
for equipment $355ss3, which is more
than the Morris street department paid
on this account the whole of the year
1905
The American administration is max
ing these proper and legal transfers
and adjustments as fast as the City |
Engineer can determine the right |
amounts to be entered in each case.
pose Of having the different accounts
show the facts, and not mere bookkeep.
ing fctions. as under the old system.
When made, they will show the actual |
condition OF the various funds at
the end Of each month, And until they
are made, it is useless to print bal.
ances which arc good bookkeeping |
all right, but which have not been
adjusted in their makeup,
and which fail to show in fact what
they are designed to show, and should
show.
bUb, rs we nave SAID DeToTe, the |
special funds and accounts do not form |
the basis of the controversy. 1t is the
contingent fund, the one from which |
the general and current expenses nre |
paid, that is important And as to
this, we have abundantly shown that
1t is holding its own, and will come
out Mt the end Of the present year
about as it did at the end Of the Morris
administration, and about as it did |
last. year. So there is not the least |