Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-19
NEW ACCOUNTING LAW WILL
PROVE OF MATERNAL sENEFlr
IN MANY QUARTERS.
EXAMINATION uNkNoW
IN THIRTY COUNTIES
Official Records Unchecked Since %.
sinnins Of County Government
Complaint Arises From Many OH.
eiaIs - Declare Reform Will Provo
Expensive.
Special to Times Republican.


Des Moines. July 1s.-More thaa
thirty Of the counties Of. Iowa have
never even had the pretense of an ex.
animation of the county Offices. The
taxpayers of those counties have no
assurance whatever that taxes have
been collected. penalties enforced, fees
accounted for, proper prices paid for
supplies. etc. Now they are going to
find out. Naturally, from these and
other counties where loose business
methods have been followed here
comes vail because -he state is go
ing to insist on full accounting and
complete publicity of public affairs.
The fact that practically third OF
the counties of the state have been go.
ing on for thirty to fifty years without
any examination of pubic accounts
was developed as result Of the in
auiry by joe r. Wall, chief OF the bu-
reauS Of public accounting. The fact is
Of itself declared to be a Startling COM
mentary. on the business methods Of
the counties.
y Reforms To BE Expensive.
Complaint came few days ago to
the bureau TO the effect thu: The ex-
aminationsof accounts is going to cost
some counties small fortunes each year
and is going toebe especially expensive
in the matter of uniformity of book
keeping and modern system of doing
business. A, big wall came the ether
day from Woodbury. county along this
line and complaint tha: it was going to
I'M ~
YES" said, Mr.. Wal, eve have re-
They all come Trom menbcrs Of the
boards or county auditors. These
boards have had things their own way
for so long that they nate to give up
in the least The trouble is not that
the new system is going to be expen-
give to them. but tina, they are going to
have to give up some of their cher
ished privileges.
The fact that the state examina-
ton of accounts is not going to Cost
the counties that have mad accounting
nearly as much as they have been pay
ing. OF course for counties that have
had no accounting at all, 1t will be
more expensive than to let things go
on by guess. But many counties have
been paying these private accountants
$40 a day for an examination which at
best is little more than. an inquiry to
seeeifs the books balance and there has
been proper,:distribution Of the funds.
The examination the state will give
them will go great deal fur.her-to
|'see If fees have been collected, penal
ties added in accord with Law. fair
prices paid for material and supplies,
and. in general, II there has been good
business managem as well as good
bookkeeping.
1T may be that this fact Is one rea-
son for the complaint on the part CT
certain county officials.
New System Satisfactory.
CAS- for the plan Of uniformity in
keeping county accounts and stand
ard system Of blanks and books, that
will be much cheaper in the end, for
the counties Of the state. The system
that Is proposed and will be adopted
with such modification as may be
found necessary-is already in use In
three or four counties of the state. It
is perfectly satisfactory. 1t contem-
plates, among other things, that the
books Of the county auditor shall show
a balance every night, on every ac-
count with every county Office, so that
taxpayer may tell from the auditors
books, for. instance, Just the STATE OF
the county treasury, as well as from
the treasurers books. That is what
We do in state affairs. The law has al
ways contemplated that very thing in
county offices, but it has not been
done; now a system will De adopted
that will make it possible. And the
system will be handled by fewer clerks
in county offices than are needed now.
The fact that we have found tina.
more than thirty counties of Iowa
have never had any examination OF
county accounts and county Offices,
continued Mr.. WALL shows better than
anything else the great need of the
state taking hold of this mater and
requiring an examination. In many OF
the counties the only examination OF
accounting for years has heen the set
Element by the board with the trcasur-
er. and this has been performed In a
perfunctory manner. And as for an in
quiry into business methods thai has
never been done. 1t is time to start