The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1921-02-04
AUDIT DOES NOT
INCLUDE SURVEY
Debts, Credits, and Figures Dealt
With: Only Small Mistake
Found In Books.

Nothing interesting though the
city audit is announced There is
nothing in it that "the gang" can
use for political research, after the
conclusions are boiled down, and
credit given only where credit is due
Ito the city clerks and city account
ants who actually operated the books
and who are credited with good
record in the audit with only zone
small error" referred to by the audi
tor.
The result of the audit thus de-
veloped is as was generally aticipa-
ted and as forecasted in The Partisan
in a recent issue. There has never
been any doubt in the minds of the
people but that the books and rec
ords were being kept straight; there
was never any theory advanced that
would even indicate presumption
that anyone in the city's accounting
force had maliciously mishandled the
accounts.
The audit, while APPARENTLY com
plete insofar as figure entries are
concerned, contains absolutely no re-
port of survey of the city to deter
mine its potential resources for rev.
enue purposes. Unlike the audit that
Ewing made some four or five years
ago, this most important detail which
the People had originally looked for
ward to, has not been dealt with
the auditor presumable not having
a,A. 1&t< asr1x
Thus, there is nothing to show where's
in various firms and individuals of
the city may or may not have fully
paid their licenses and privileges,
and which 1t Is known was not done
In some instances. For instance, one
corporation Is said not to have paid
privilege tax in five years, gro
Gerry firm In four years. and an auto
mobile supply dealer never has paid.
The audit is merely summarize
tion of additions, subtractions, extern
sions, etc, from the financial record
end.
The auditor is profuse in his
commendation of the city officials
for the result of the audit TheAPa-
risian, however, takes occasion to
direct this special mention to the
clerks and city accountants and those.
having to do with the entries on the
city books-they are to be ,cengrat-
uiated on the very excellent showing
made in their accurateness, only one
small error having inadvertently been
made.
Without undertaking to challenge
the various paragraphs of the audi
tors report eulogiing the administra
ton for the work of the clerks, nor
isis presumption to determine wheth-
er or, not the city had been well and
faithfully served by its council and
officers, and whether or not it is
clean and economical administration,
1t is supposed that the auditor, in all
his references is dealing with only
the result of the schecking of the
figures. That, he was not in the city
q sufficient length of time to acquaint
himself with the administration of
the executive end of the affairs, and
was not aware or advised as to the
reasons for the criticism that is be-
ing heaped upon the dominating
heads of the administration for fail
ure to perform eXecutively, and made
no investigation accordingly, from
which to base any report.
The full tabulation will be publish
ed In this paper next issue, not hav-
ing been received by the printer in
time to get set up to run this week.