The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-10
MANY ACCOUNTS
ARE OvtRORAWh
Members OF City Council May
Rc Called On TO Make
Good.
AUDITORS BOOKS CHAOTIC
lie AddS S275 to SIPS. Gets $500,
Then Makes His Totals
Balance.

Members of the Council Committee
on Cemeteries. which expired Deem
be~ 81 last may be called upon to
make good certain overdrafts on ap-
Precipitation for maintenance of The va
rious city cemeteries if the report OF
City Auditor Warren oroves TO he cor
rect. The frequent errors in reports
submitted 10 the City Council by Aud p
itor Warren in the past few m onths
have to a large extent shaken conf
dence in their accuracy.
Alderman John b.. BliIey was chair
man of the old Committee on Gene
teries. the other members being Messrs.
Nielsen. Paul. Butler. Umlauf Moore
and Mills.
According to the report OF Auditor
warren. eight Of the twelve appropria-
ton accounts for cemeteries were
overdrawn when the committee went
out of existence on December 81. as
follows: lakewood pay roll slSS.iS.
Riverview pay roll. S2i.25. Shockoe
Hin expenses. ss3.61; 81. Johns eN-
pcnses. $fS2: 81 Johns pay roll
s134.5o: Maury and Mount Olivet pay
roll. $io.45: Maury and Mount OhVet
expenses. $50: Maury and Mount OIL
vet Improvements, s3s.2S Thu mem
bers of the various committees and
the superintendents OF the departments
are under the city ordinances. per
sonally liable for all payments made by
them in excess of the amounts appro-
priated.
Many DeIinquents.
II Mi Warrcn's report is to BE- taken
at its face value. the Cemetery Com
mittee is not the only delinquent. The
u.
reported Dverdrawn sl141.6' the
Building Department pay roll. SS5S.lS'
the City Home pay roll. 1862: cleo
trical inspection pay ROLL s6O4-3f;
Grounds and Parks pay roll. s82f5o'
James River improvement pay roll,
sf10l.O4. and the Water Works gen
.ral Office. s7i5s6. In some of these
instances the deficits have been caused
bv salary increases ma6e during the
year without any supplement to the
pay roll appropriation to meet the
added drain.
Obvious errors occur in the printed
renort of the Auditor. which shake the
confidence in the claim the city NAV
have against Mr.. Bliley mad his asso-
cjates In the case of the appropria-
ton for the Spring street Home MI
Warren adds together s275 expended
In most Of the instances referred 10
above the report does not show tne
amount of the appropriation or the
am punt of expenditures during the
wear. but merely the overdraft.
Needs ReOrzgapizatiOn.
plan for reorganization OF the
method of accounting in the Auditor
office is now pending before the Coun-
ell. some months ago. when the posi-
tion of clerk to the Auditor became
vacant. Chairman Grundy. of the FL
nance Committee. protested seaihs'
going int, an election until the chaotic
condition of the Office could be IN
ouired into. y majority OF the mem
bers had pledged themselves to MI
Weisiger. q former employe of CITY
Treasurer Pace. and Mr.. Welsiger was
elected over the protest of the FINANCE
Committee. Patrons OF the office make
frenuent complaints of inattentlon'
slow methods and the sleepy appear
anc,. Of aged clerks. No one hints al
or believes in any intent )nal 'rreSu-
lsritv in the conduct of the Office. but
II * stated that the general books Of
the city have frequently been out OF
balance. and. according to those most
familiar with the conduct 0f the ONCE.
4 thorough reorganization IS impera-
tive.