Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-21
ATLANTIC CITY'S GIRL COMPTROLLER
MODEL OF BUSINESS EFFICIENCY
Miss Bessie Townsend's I'm
derstanding of Duties of
Responsible Post Makes
Her Indispensable
First Stenographer, Then
Clerk, She Is Promoted
When Chief Is Removed.
Politicians Grieved

ATLANTIC CITY. Nov. 2i,-Bessie
Townsend, Atlantic City's girl comptroller,
whose reappointment for one year to that
desirable $4,000 berth has caused much
'sdlstress among shore politicians, Is an eH-
ample OF common-sense feminine sfieiency
and It's possibilities,
Miss Townsend, then Just out Of Hish
School, went into the comptrollor's ONCE
about ten years ago, as stenoErapher to
Alfred NJ Heston, at that time known
al the watchdog OF Atlantic City's treas
ury" He was the irst incumbent OF the
place She was probably the most COM
petent stenographer Mr.. Heston or any
other Atlantic City official ever had.
Almost in no time. to speak sne
Jumped from stenographer to chief CLERK
In tho meantime, the tall slim and llsht-
haired young woman had made a study
Of municipal finance and found as much
delight in Rcduaintlng herself with inc
lntrlcacies OF bond Issues, premiums ana
other technical subjects relating TO the
fiscal side Of city government as the aver
age young woman gets out OF those dlNet-
slons which appeal to most young women.
She made a study OF banking on the side,
because she did not know n great deal
about that subject TO mako sure the CITY
was getting all tho interest that was duo
kept on deposit, and TO keep tabs upon the
accounts OF departmental officials. some OF
whom were old enough to be her grand
father.
STAYS WHEN CHIEF GOES
Consequently. when Boss Kuehnle. who
ran Atlantic City in those days, got the
goat. politically speaking, OF Watchdog
Hcston because Hegton at times obstinately
declined to approve certain bills which the
iptu RhOuld nave
been approved forthwith, and caused tho
watchdog to be thrown out and replaced
by David r. Barrett. who was kuehnie 8
First Ward lieutenant tho calmly con-
hdent and admittedly competent CHIEF clerk
stayed right on the Job Somebody had
to know all about how TO get out bond
issues and keep things running until the
now comptroller took his primary course
in municipal nnanolerins. and Miss Town
send knew all about It. She was tho Comp
troller in fact. In those stirring times
although Barrett drew the salary.
In 1912 Atlantic City adopted tho com
| mIssion plan OF government. "Bill" Riddle
| became Mayor. Kuehnle went by tho board.
politically eclipsed Riddle did not like
| Kuehnle men and when Barrett injudl-
| cloudy issued n comptroller's warrant for a
railroad claim, which the new Mayor hao
refused to approve, Riddle proceeded TO
| have him fred lncontinently.
BECOMES COMPTROLLER
Riddle had been studying tho work OF
| the young woman who actually ran the
comptroller's office. She seemed to have
| everything relating TO the fiscal department
| at her finger tips. II anybody wanted to
know anything about how much the Board
| walk cost to maintain or how much money
would have to be raised for this purpose or
| that, she told them.
The upshot of II was that Mayor Riddle
| gave her the title OF comptroller and caused
| the salary to be raised from $500 to $4,000
| a year when Barrett went Miss Townsend
expressed her thanks and attended strict
ly TO business. She worked just as hard
| as before, won the commendation OF expert
accountants, went to national convention
of city comptrollers, gave talk on fiscal
hnanclering that made some OF the gray
| heads sit up and take notice and showed
| her ability as an organizer by directing n
| stafr of three men and two girl clerks as
| the work of the office doubled and almost
| trebled.
All OF which explains why, with poll
tlcians who delivered the goods in the big
| city commission battle OF last May which
| sent Riddle into tho discard. clAmorlng that
It was a shame to keep woman In n
$4,000 Job with 80 many OF tho boys" wait
| ing 10 be taken care OF. the City Commits
sion on Thursday last reappointed the girl
comptroller for one year.
Tho why's and tho wherefores OF the
| one-year appointment have not been ex-
| planned. Miss Townsend's friends. and they
| include great many big taxpayers, do
| not understand It. The city charter speci-
| hes three-year term. The understanding,
| politically. is that somebody thinks this
| provision OF the charter has been superseded
| in some way by the commission supplement
and that the commissioners could have
named her for only six months II they had