The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-23

| Des Moines, Ia, May 22.--(Special.)- )-- Under the commission form of govern. mont. Des MQines had the delightful experience last year of finding s2o,00t surplus in It's general fund at the cioss of as tas ,n:sssd . Sf .ssn asels box Ths Gs It's work lsmagnifcentiy.
 When the commission plan of gov. ernment was adopted year ago. there were outstanding bills aggregatlns slso,000. and a deficit in the city treas ury. But the situation was not novel It had existed before many times. To start things right, with clean slate, the city authorized the issuance of debtedness. So when the commission CTS really got down to business they had $37l,776 ons which to operate inc city. When the annual statement was city had not only been conducted on that amount but there was approxi- mately $20.Uo0 left in the general fund. A great deal of credit for this con- dition Is given Charles W. schramm, superintendent of the department Of accounts. and finances. MT. schramm re-organized his department as soon as he took ofice. After every pay day. he requires the city treasurer to rem of every department. showing Justhow the funds appropriated for that depart ment stands. These statements are verified by. the city auditor and by Mir. superintendent knows just how much money there is left on which to oper- ate his department the remainder of the year. Very freauently MT schramm asnts sn arssn Sometimes Sa0n tsilins ths@ they were going too fast It was this ev- eryday watching and conserving of funds that kept the city from debt.
 MT Sch sehramms ann first HSys . when .ss ,,tr.s ne funds in banks where interest was pa Id on deposits. In former years, distri- button of funds was made to banks controlled by. political friends of the counci!men. Mir. Schramm has placed the city money where 1t draws per cent on daily balance and { per cent on time deposits. This nets the city about ss.ooo, nearly enough to pay the salaries of three missioners.
 MT. schramm has caused the county books to be audited insofar as the city accounts are concerned and discovered one item of nearly slO,ooo due the city. covered in the possession of the police judge forfeited bonds uncoIiected. which aggregated nearly s2.oo0. The police judge was haled before the sounei where he saye 5v half thar sasis sss not been collected. Mir. 6chramm had the bonds immediately placed in the hands of the city solicitor and instruc- tions given to begin suits for their coi- lection.
 The old title, watchdog of the treas ury'' has been given this superinten- dent, and he certainly Is handling the city's funds in business like way.
 Equally as busy as Mir. Schramrn,- is Commissioner J. Wesley Ash. superin- tendent of the department of parks and public property. His task Is one which begins at o'clock in the morning and does not end till sundown. He has SUI pervision of the park employees, park buildings, cemeteries. public bath house, zoo. the task of beausifying the parks, letting and regulating the con- 'cesslons, care of the animals, etc. Des Moines has seven public parks and three large cemeteries, and Mir. Ash Is responsible for their care. At the ZOO are herds of deer, elk. buffalo a pit of bears. and many other animals and birds. Des Moines Is satisfied with the