Putnam patriot., 1911-02-24
NO 8
W. $. Johnsou's Letter.

". a. JunhSOn Letfer.
 in our last week s issue we printed the giSt of letter from Mir. w. S. Johnson. relative to the way the city register is made up. We repeat 1t in order that reply to il may be better understood. It is as follows:
 "The people of Putnam are entitlest toa clean, straightforward, business re- port, showing by whom, when, and now the pubiie's money is being used. lncluuing the general expense account. Such a report, l believe, would be one or the pest investments Putnam could make. Previous to 1909 we had reada- Ole reports. Why has il been cut out TOT the last two years. There must be reason, or should be some excuse.n
 Alter reading the above one would probably agree with Mir. Johnson's cri- ucisms who had not been aware of the reasons for leaving out the detailed Items In the various reports. It was done, not alone by those who made up the reports, but by the advice of those who believed it was for the interest of the tax payers. The reasons assigned Tor so doing are these
 The cost of the 500 copies of the City Register just issued Is Ss6. When de- tailed reports have been printed the cost has been nearly three times that sum. But that Is not all. The copies ot the Register applied for by interest ed citizens, whether with or without the itemized statements, seldom reach es over thirty-the City Clerk says about twenty-five. Consequently there is left on his hands, year, after year, as waste stock, some 460 copies of the Register
 Again, as we are informed, all bills against the city are referred to the pro- per committees; examined b V them, and then referred to the Common Coun- ell for their action. When thus acted upon, all bills are filed in the office of the City Clerk, where they can be seen by any one who desires to examine them.
 Besides the means for learning If the details of expenditures in the affairs of the city are correct, all the bills ap- proved and ordered paid appear in the proceedings of the Common Council each month, and are published In tho local papers.
 In Mr.:. :.johnson's s letter thereds refer ence made to clerical error in the City Treasurer's report of $lO, ,0O0, \ which the City Clerk discovered, and correct ed on each Register before he had giv- en out many. The record of the City Treasurer is also open to any one desir- ing to examine it.
 These reasons may not necessarily satisfy MT. Johnson, and perhaps oth- CTS. In that case the only proper me- thod to settle the case Is to submit it to any city meeting for the voters to act upon 1t.
 Perhaps 1t is good thing to have the question properly discussed, as 1t will tend to allay any suspicion that the city affairs may not be correctly managed, and thereby do our city of- ficers an injustice. They have often to deal with matters in accordance with their best judgment, and may err at times--as they may have done in this instance-and should not he subieeAed to any suspicion of wrong doing. They are the peoples servants and should be regarded with confidence until they have been proved Of wrong doing. 10 will be to the city's interest to havo those who publicly serve 1t to feel as sured that they have the esteem of the citizens as long as they are entitled to 1t. It Is good feature to have citi- zens to take lively interest in public affairs, in order to see they are we'll managed, and to criticlse whatever in their judgment Is not to the peoples benefit.