Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-01

y new and interesting phase develop
ed in what promises to be known as
the somewhat famous city warrants
called on the street-when
City Treasurer Charles c. Urine Fri
day afternoon rendered back TO Mayor
Q. L. Irgledue the four warrants ag
gregating S1,311.s6, which, however. the
mayor refused to accept.
The city treasurer's action was taken
on the advice Of City Solicitor F. E.
Northup, in view OF the fact that the
question was raised that the treasurer
had not the legal right to pay the war
Northup advised Mr.. Urine to cancel
warrants back to the mayor, that they
might await their regular turn.
Mayor Says They Were Legal.
Mayor Ingledue refused to accept the
warrants on the ground that they were
legally and regularly drawn. The city
treasurer does not question the legality
had a right to order the war
IdIplS JdlO - IL 81 CIiOSc, DUt Iie waits
to safeguard his own action in payin 3
them. Furthermore the Marshalltown
State Bank does not want the war
rants at the present time. and that was
made q part of the ground for rendering
them back to the mayor. However,
whether or not the mayor refuses to
accept the warrants when returned, the
treasurer's books do not show any
~
count and on Monday. when Mayor
1ngledue goes out OF office. and must
show his account with the city balanc-
/, ing to a penny, there will be debit Of
s1,311.e6 shown by the treasurer's
! books. Naturally the mayor will be
held for the final settlement, and his
bondsmen will not be released on their
i bond until the final settlement.
Not to Mayor Personally.
City Treasurer Urine said today that
! ne thought the public did not under
stand generally that the transaction in
giving the mayor credit for the war
rants was not credit on the treas
urer's books to the mayor personally,
| but to Mr.. Ingledue as mayor Of the
city OF Marshalltown. The four war
rants were. on their face, and without
! knowing anything whatever about what
the warrants were for, legally and reg
ularly drawn on the general fund, and
were deposited to the general fund
Followed Established Custom,
; In paying the warrants the city
treasurer did nothing more than any
city treasurer has always done in re-
ceiving city warrants. The general
fund is now and always is overdrawn,
| t,,t p o,of- -,
pay them, holding them until such time
that there are funds received to take
up the warrants. The warrants draw 6
per cent interest. In actually liv-
. ing up to the letter Of the law. an
endless amount Of work would be en-
| tailed, for if $1,000 worth of warrants
should come in at the bank and there
was $1,000 on hand to pay them, the
treasurer would. according to the strict
Interpretation Of the law. have to go
back to the beginning OF the fiscal year
and pay out Of the money on hand the
first $1,000 worth of warrants, and
mark the last $1,000 unpaid for want OF
fundse. AS a mater Of accommoda-
tion however, the banks accept the pa
per as they would any commercial pa
per. even tho it does not draw as much
interest as other paper, and a person
having a person having a warrant may
60 and get the cash and the bank holds
the warrant. There are now outstand-
ing warrants on the general fund dat
ing as far back as 1906 These bach:
warrants however. can not be taken IN
until the warrants of the preceding fs-
cal year are Cancelled by payment; in
other words all 1910 warrants must be
paid before any of those outstanding in
| 1909 are taken up. and so on back.
| II no question had arisen in the
mayors transaction there would have
! been no difference whatever between
| it and the payment of any city warrant
/ at any time.