The log cabin Democrat., 1910-06-22

officers of the city. While it may take little time and trouble on the part of the officers to comply with these requirements, we believe it is neces- 1 sary and proper that they should do so. And we call the attention of the council to the fact that the system of accounting which has been adopted is not being carried out, and ask that the council take such action in the premises as it may deem proper. Respectfully submitted VIM. J. GRUMMER, Chm.
 N. c. MARTIN,
 Finance Committee. Honorable City Council of the City of
 Conway:
 We, your finance committee, beg gated to some extent the system used in the past in regard to the eXpendi- ture of money for the purchase of supplies and street work, and we find that this system is in our opinion inn proper. For a number of years, and perhaps since the incorporation of the | town, 1t has been the custom for the various committees of the council or l the mayor, or the marshal, to make purchases of supplies on behalf of the city, or to expend money for street work without consulting the members of the council, the matter being first brought before the council when an appropriation is asked to pay for work already done or supplies already pur- chased and used. It is naturally rath- CT embarrassing for the council to re- fuse to pay for work that has already been done or for supplies that have already been purchased and used un- der the direction of some officer of the city, for the reason that it seems to have been customary in the past for the council to allow and pay for such. l We believe that mere statement of the workings of this system is sutfi- cient to condemn it in the minds of ev- eryone, for by this system the respon- sibiity of guarding the finances of the people is shifted from members of the council upon whom it has been placed by the people on to such officials of the city as may be willing to assume it.
 We recommend that in the future when it is desired by the mayor or by the marshal or by any committee of the council to expend any funds of the city for street work, Improvements, supplies, or for any purpose, the off, cer or committee desiring to make such expenditure shall file with this council an itemized statement of the work or supplies contemplated, show ing the approximate cost of each item, and that no money shall be expended for work or supplies until after such itemized estimate thereof has been presented and approved by the council. We submit herewith for your consid- eration a resolution in conformity with this report.
 Respectfully submitted,
 VIM. J. GRUMMER, Chm,
 N. c. MARTIN,
 | Finance Committee | Alderman Drummer then introduc- ed the resolution above referred to, which was as follows:
 Resolution Entitled "A Resolution to
 Regulate the Making of Contracts
 and Expenditure of Funds of City
 of Conway"
 Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Conway, Arkansas:
 That hereafter neither the mayor, nor the marshal, nor any committee of the council, nor any other officer of the City of Conway, shall be authoriz- ed to contract on behalf of the City of Conway for any street work or work or labor of any kind or nature, or for the purchase of any supplies of any kind whatsoever, or to eXpend any funds of this city for any purpose whatever until after an itemized esti- mate of said work or supplies, showing