The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-11
NEED AN AUDITOR
City Commissioners Believe
That Law Requires 1t.
Commissioner Bone Will APP
point One This Week.
FIX THEIR SALARIES.
The Maximum OF $1,SOO and
$4,000 Accepted Today.
other Happings at Board Meet
ing This Morning.
FIX THEIR SALARIES.

IL mas been found by Commissioner
OF Finance Bone that it will be i'm
possible for the city to do away with
the oHlce of city auditor and follow
out the laws prescribed by the COM
mission form of government. 1t was
thought for some time that the COM
m1ssioners could save a salary OF
$4,sOO year by abolishing this office
on reading the law more carefully
and investigating conditions I have
/ found that it will be almost impossible
TO get along without a city auditor, -
| SAID commissioner Bone this after
/ noon For instance in one part of
! the law which concerns the duties of
| the city treasurer it says: 1T shall be
| his duty to receive and keep all mon
ey belonging to said city and to pay
| out the same on warrants drawn by
| the city clerk under the seal of such
| city and signed by the mayor and
countersigned by the auditor and not
| otherwise. 1t says here that it shall
| be done this way and not otherwise
and it looks as though we would need
an auditor"
| Some of the city officials are of the
| opinion that a city auditor is unneces-
sary. The excellent system of city
bookkeeping established and main
| tanned by City Clerk Burge is complete
and keeps perfect tab on all the city
| expenditures.
Formerly this system together with
the approval of the committee on
claims and accounts and the mayor
and council was depended upon to
keep all records straight. Recently
government expert was in the city eX-
aiming the records of the city and he
claimed that in all his experience over
the country he had never found any
thing in such good shape and so ac-
cessible as the work between the city
clerk and the city treasurer of To-
peka
Commissioner Bone has received a
number of applications for the office,
but refuses to make any appointments
at this time. He will hold the matter
over for a few days at least. The po-
sition pays a salary of about $1,S00
per year and is one that is in demand.
The civil service commission was not
appointed by the city board of commits
sioners this morning. 1t is thought by
the members that this commission
should be composed of strong COM
petent men and should not be appoint
ed without consideration.
A resolution by Commissioner Tandy
this morning placed the appointments
in the different departments of the
commission in a new light. This reSo-l
luton provided that each commissioner
should APPOINT the employees of his de-
partment.
1t is contended that this will be for
the best interests of the city, that it
missioners, and will do away with the
trouble of securing the full consent of
the commissioners before anything is
done.
This meant that Mayor Billiard ap-
pointed Morris Jenkins as chief of po
lice and that Commissioner Bone will
appoint a city auditor. OF course,
every appointment will have to be sub
mitted to the board Of commissioners
and receive their approval.
The matter of sprinkling the Melan
bridge this summer came up before the
commissioners this morning. The only
bidder for the work wanted $50 per
month, an advance of SO per month
since last year. He claimed that the
increased cost of feed and labor made
it absolutely necessary. The matter
was referred to Commissioner Holman
with the provision that the matter
should be settled in this way If the
contractor would sprinkle the new
temporary approach to the bridge as
we'll as the bridge itself.
Susan Shockley of North Topeka who
claims the North side sewerage pump
ing station was erected on her land
against her will and consent sent a
petition to the council not long ago
asking that she be paid for the land.
This matter was referred to the board
of commissioners and today referred
again to Commissioner Bone for in
NC0lAScbAO1A Win SAAO lily eSSNOAAASJ S~iAA
city engineer.
The commissioners decided to pay
5000 for the land at the approach of the /
Fillmore street bridge over the Shun- |
ganunga. This land is owned by |
Sherman J. Joy and was handled |
through Attorney Hugh Mcfarland.
Echoes of the Biddle creek trouble |
which aroused the east side of the city |
about a year ago came into the COM |
raisSion chamber windows this morning |
when a petition to the council concern |
ing the poor condition of the alley be- |
tween Lafayette and Leland streets |
vas presented. 1t seems that the city |
excavated in this alley to fill in near |
tie bridge over the creek in that vi |
entity and after heavy rain. stagnant |
water collected.
The first request for damages follow
ing the big Seventh street cistern ex-
[ losion last December came to the city
{ commissioners today when Jacob A. |
Dice asked the city for $1,000 He claim
ed that he had been burned around the
face, hands. his hearing had been af-
fected, his eyesight damaged, and had |
received internal injuries.
Commissioner Miller thought that the
city should do what was just, right and
decent by the men burned in this els
tern and recommended that something
be done. The matter is stated by Jacob
Dice was blamed on the city, the street
and the gas company.