El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-07
COLES ACCEPTS
CITY OFFICE, IT,
Mayor and Council Offer
Him Position as Publicity
Agent For the City.

A. p. Coles. one Of the organizers of
the County and city Democratic club,
was appointed assistant city auditor
and publicity agent by +nayor c. Z.
Kelly after council had suspended the
rule Friday evening and passed an or
dinance by unanimous vote, creating
this office and fixing the salary at
&250 a month. The office viii be abol-
ished under the ordinance, the last
day OF March, 1915.
In presenting the ordinance to coun-
ell and asking for its passage mayor
Kelly said. Three years ago I recon-
mended a committee be appointed to
inspect and approve of all merchandise.
This was done and il is then put up to
the city purchasing agent for final ap-
prOvaL We have an audit Of our books
each day and also an annual audit. But
despite this there seems to be some
complaint and 1 have a recommended
tiou to make to council"
The introducing Of the resolution and
ordinance by the mayor followed an ad-
dress recently made by Mr.. Coles be-
fore the County and City Democratic
club, i'm which he said that the city
should have a statement published Of
. all salaries and expenditures and that
If the books and accounts we're correct
the city officials would not object
TO it,"
coles May Accept.
Mr.. Coless letter to mayor Kelly re-
garding his appointment reads:
W nile nave not Deen officially no
titled. I see by the Morning Times that
the city council last night passed an
ordinance ina regard to the establishing
OF an itemized monthly statement of
the city payroll to be sworn to, and
that YOU did me the honor to appoint
me assistant city auditor on a salary
Of $3.50 per month, and owing to the
fact that your honorable city council
is doing everything that you can to
keep down the expenses of the city, yet
i'm order to meet the expenses Of the
CITY YOU seem forced TO raise the tax
valuation on a great many of the prop
Crty owners TO such an extent that the
taxes are becoming heavy burden on
many tax payers and, feeling that the
property owners can i'll afford to stand
the high raises being made at this time
on many pieces Of property, I could
only accept the position YOU tender me
on condition that I be allowed to do
nate the salary attached to this office
back to the city and that you permit
my representative to do such auditing
work as cannot be done by your pres
ent auditor, rs I would not be a party
TO cause the city to impose any heavier
expenses on the taxpayers.
TN This connection, I fish to state
that in my remarks at the public
meeting Of the FL Paso County and City
Democratic club, on the night Of the
llfth my desire was that this sworn to
statement, giving the names Of each
anu NNHA pADAE u the CITY II OlAA
the mayor down to the street sweepers,
showing the work that each performed
and the amount Of salary received by
each fthem, as well as other expenses,
be kept on file in the city UTfice, not to
be published at the expense of the tax
payers of the city. but to be kept sub
iect to publication when desired by
any newspaper in the city.
Recommends Economy.
This is not n criticism nor a refleC-
1lDn
any member Of the city council, but is
a matter that should always be kept
open TO The public. I realize the good
work OF many Of your very efficient en-
ployes and more Especially the excel
lent police force and fire department.
which need Increasing instead Of re-
ducinE' but If it is possible to tighten
me burden Of the taxpayers by aban-
donlng the less important positions
heid by parties on the payroll, which
method is adopted by all business in
stltutlons at time when the institu.
ton is running behind in its earnings