The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-05
Criticises Officials For Neglect
of City Duties.
Claims No acquisitions Are Made
For the Supplies.
DON'T OBEY THE LAW.
Says Every Purchase Must Be
Recorded by File.
No Way to Check Up Bills by
System Now Used.

Out of patience because the city en-
ployees and officers have paid no at
tention to the ordinaces which require
that a requiSition be made out before
anything is purchased for municipal
use, Mayor Billiard has issued a general
order to the effect that the law must
be obeyed in the future and no pur-
chases made until countersigned prop
erly.
The mayor has been signing the
checks for various concerns in the city,
to which the government has been in
debted, and to his establishment there
have been many checks without eX-
PLANTATION of any kind and the orders
were made on the city treasurer with
out the knowledge of the mayor.
The ordinances state specifically that
before anything is bought by city
employee or officer a requiSitiOn must
be made out and signed by the mayor.
This ordinance was passed in the DAVIS
administration and under the last adj
ministration it was carried out to the
letter, ex-MayOr Green seeing every re-
quest made for purchases
But since last spring the custom has
ceased gradually until now when no
attention is paid to the law and sup
plies of various kinds and prices are
purchased without the. knowledge or
approval of the mayor.
Finding checks amounting from 81
TO 800 which We're made out without
any approval or consideration of the
mayor, Mr.. Billiard has notified the Of
ficials that a new leaf will be turned
over in the new year.
The cd ordinance required that the
requisition be attached to every couch
er. The acquisitions We're numbered
and dated and asked that the party
furnish to a party named a list of
articles and asked that the same be
charged to the city of Topeka. The
mayor keeps a stub of every purchase
and at the end of the month they can
be checked up and audited.
The way the officials have been do
ing lately is to buy an article and at
tach it to the voucher. The city audi
tor checked it over according to the
figures presented-and not to the
validity of the purchase. Then the
checks were made out and the mayor
signed them, knowing nothing of the
purchase unless inquiries We're made
He had nothing in his office to use as
check on the checks he received.
By the order of the city it was supposed
that no bills be paid until accompanied by
the requisition. Now there are no requisi-
tions and the bills have been paid any
way.
The officials have been negligent about
this matter and 1 have taken it up with
them" said Mayor Billiard this afternoon.
of course realize that there are some
things an officer must purchase that
would not be practical for my. signature
times supplies must be purchased at once
and at times when I was away from the
office or when they could not obtain my
signature.
But as a whole the scheme is the only
way to keep matters checked up in this
office and / will insist that it be done
hereafter.
Il don't know why the officials have
neglected this requisition-it is an ordi-
nance and should be enforced"
City Auditor WATSON is IN favor of the
requisition.
I'VE do not know what these things
are for or why they have been purchased, -
he said. THE old ordinance provides that
something must be done and 1 am in
favor of having the requisition idea car
Tied out. In my work 1 have no way to
determine the class of stuff to be pur-
chased or purchased unless 1 go person
ally to the offices and make investi-
CATION
The city officials who have been negli-
gent in the matter of making out the
acquisitions have no excuses to make.
They seem to think that the city commits
sioneTs as heads of the departments are
sufficient to approve all bills.
The ideas practiced by Chief Wilmarth
in the fire department are to be initiated
service a man couldn't purchase a lead
pencil without receiving the proper
requisition and the proper signature and
approved from Chief Wilmarth. In this
manner every item is checked over and
accounted for at the end of the month.
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