The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-01-08
BOOKS. AND RECORDS. OF
CITY CLERK FAIL TO REVEAL
WHEREABOUTS OF MONEY,
ACCORDING TO STATEMENT
Water Clerk Suspended For Two Weeks; Will Be Asked To
Answer Charges City Clerk Called Upon BY City Coun-
Gil To Also Answer Questions As To Irregularities
In Books; Lack OF Attention Shows Glarngly

clerks report on the water depart
ment was naturally accepted as cor
rect. i, ..,.
There was also q matter of a
check for $94.88 that F.. g. Schadegg
had paid the city, clerk on a special
and for which he held
a receipt He Is not credited with
having paid anything and Mr.. Schad-
egg, who was present, produced the
receipt of which there is no record.
However, this item is not taken seri-
ously as any dishonesty on the part
of the city clerk but merely more
carelessness in keeping the city's
records.
The financial committee Of the
council consists of Alderman Lahr,
chairman; Alderman Backus and
President Clark In presenting the
report, Alderman Lahr stated the
committee was ready to make a par
tial report on the city clerk, all the
committee cared to make at this
time, and as to, the water clerk
would not care to make report at
this~time unless the council, 50 de-
sired. He stated it had been started
and was l,p 70. hhes scounc Gil to follow.
e 49,, The RspeF1t & !13e.gsa sA3oxs:a ~ tho
check Of Mr.. Schadegg and expressed
himself as believing it a minor mat
ter, after, the committee had recon-
that Clerk Stein be suspend
ed, charges filed and a hearing held,
the charges to be that there is loss
of money to the city as shown on
the clerks books. Smart also said
he thought the finance committee
was. to blame.
Backus-"Y-e-s, that report shows
Smart also remarked that Mr..
Stein could pay back the amount Of
the missing check.
"Whole Thing Farce"
Lahr-"There's that 1921, too.
Better give another indemnity bond.
The whole thing is farce. The
city clerk should have made his an
nual report the first of last February
and we didn't get it until the mid
die of May. And then we recon-
mended that a public examiner be
put on the books. It was done and
here Is the report. We won't feel
badly If it is laid on the table,"
Phillippi-"The report ought to
be threshed out and not laid on the
table. Let's find out who Is to
blame. If the clerk is cleared, so
much the better"
LahrMWs SveE WSs'v% %Snt fofmeTiRRSaft. feei RSFt. You
can receive the report and do as you
please. The city clerk is supposed
to go over the report Of the water
clerk and report to the council. We
naturally accepted the report of the
city clerk as correct. His report
would come out to a cent with that
of the water clerk and now we find
it shy over $4,000. There's $4,000
in the water clerks safe. At least
it isn't in the city treasury. The
city clerk has q bond and II the
money is not in the bank it's not
there and the books show a short
age. We can recover from the bond
ing company"
Examiner on the Job.
President Clark - "The finance
committee of the council held q
meeting and decided to ask the clerk
for his report. We waited two weeks
more and there was no report. Then
it was that we suggested public
examiner be called. The clerk then
made out a report which couldn't be
understood and we asked for the ex-
aminer. The clerk was absent from
the city three months the first part
of the year and this is the only re-
r1rf ouor had ~
Smart made motion to give the
city clerk two weeks (until next
meeting) to square up. Carried.
Kirk Addresses Council.
George kirk, clerk Of the water
board, then addressed the council.
He admitted that his accounts were
short and he said he was sorry for
the conditions. He asked that he be
allowed to attend to the outside
work for the water system and pay
back what was missing, explaining
that he felt a moral obligation. He
cited a family Of seven and said he
hoped he would be retained and the
salary of $40 increased, claiming
that not sufficient for the work, He
also mentioned that he could set
aside a certain portion Of his salary