Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-17
DIXON LAW To
SAVE COUNTIES
MUCH MONEY
Similar Measures in Other
States are Doing Remark
able Service in Prevent
ing Waste. @.
,IBY ORA WILLIAMS

Des Moines, May 16.-A hundred
Thousand year net profit to Iowa tax
payers on comparatively small invest
ment, through better accounting anc
greater publicity to public business.
That Is the certainty underlying one
of the very many progressive REFORM
measures of the thirty-fifth general as
sembly which goes into effect July 4
next. The possibilities are very much
greater.
This is the Dixon bill for state In
spection of county accounts and uni
formity and publicity Of county busi
ness. The work of preparation OF the
blanks and systems and methods OF
reports is now under way In the once
of the state auditor, who has general
charge OF this law and will enforce It,
State Auditor Bleakly Is already at
work on the plans for the putting In.
to force this remarkable measure. To
q large extent the burden Of handling
the same will fall on Joe Wall, book
keeper and revenue clerk for the state
Mr.. Wall has been collecting 1n1or-
nation from other states as to now
similar laws work elsewhere. For IN
stance the report comes from Ohio
that in the ten years the law has oper'
ated there it has cost $144,000; but that
in the same period the inspectors have
disclosed over $3,700,0OO which ought
to have been turned over to the coun-
ties or which was illegally paid out,
and of this approximately a million dol
lars was actually recovered and turned
into the county treasures.
In New York the law has been In
operation a short time. First county
investigated was found to have $780,.
900 due it from various sources the
county officials were keeping still
about. Second county had $15O,0OO
due, but the person principally re-
sponsible committed suicide and thus
far only $35,000 has been secured
from a surety company. This IS just
q start r....
The great problem in Iowa is going
to be to adapt to the counties and to
put into practical operation a system
for daily checkings between the county
auditors and treasurers whereby the
county auditor will be able each day
to tell, Just as we'll as the county
treasurer, how much money ought to
be In the county treasury. The state
has such q system. There is check
ing system back and forth daily SO that
accounts must balance every day In
both offices. The law Of Iowa has re-
ouired this in county affairs for many
years, but it has been ignored In most
OF the counties. Now 1t will have to
be adopted.
The new law contemplates investi.
cation Of accounts of every county
officer and this includes justices Of the
peace and constables. There will be
no more jugglery of fee books, no more
neglect of tax collections. The other
day county auditor reported he had
not closed his tax books until April
25, instead of April 1, as required by
law. The county lost penalties and
interest galore. One county pays $3.50
a thousand for printing official ballots
and another $1.20 thousand. Who is
losing, and why? The inspectors will
report not only as to accounts but as
to methods and prices and everything.
An immense saving to the taxpayers is
sure in Iowa.
The inspectors have not as yet been
appointed for this work. 1t will be
started off at the right time, and al
ready wise county officials are seeing
to 1t that their books are In good shape
for inspection and examination.
? 81 l " eg n 4 , a s