The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-04-16

The meeting was called to order
by Mr.. G. S. Butterfeld, who was
called for out of the audience and
who was elected chairman by accla-
nation. Mr.. Ferd v. Becker was
unanimously elected secretary.
Mr.. Butterfield explained that he
hid not know who was back of the
call for the meeting but the purpose
was to discuss the city's financial
affairs.
A call was then made for City
Clerk F. A, Cameron to read his re-
port as auditor. Mr.. Cameron also
disaYowed any knowledge as to who
was responsible for the meeting
being called, stating thai be was
there by Invitation and would read
the report he had made 70 the city
council fH ne records and "the
lack Of as be stated 1t to
! the audiences.
Mr.. Camerons readings from a
very lengthy report stated in part as
follows:-
He found the Mayors books and
the Tax Collectors books both prac-
tically correct.
! the Clerk as far as he was able to
find and on account of lack of suf-
ficient records the auditors work
rendered very difficult.
That the city was in debt $685.
699.75 after taking into considera-
tion every available dollar he was
able to account for.
That the findings of his report
showed the average receipts of the
city, per month, $11,475, with dis
bursements of $10,525, leaving a
margin of $12,4S0 per year to the
good. Fuguratively speaking it
would take 8 years to pay off the
city's Indebtedness according to the
report.
That the 1920 tax levy fixed at
% mills, with property in sight val
ued at $2,624,425, would bring in
! $74,324.
posed to take care of the indebted
ness and running expenses of the
city which showed an average of
$126,300 per year.
That he, as Clerk, had opened up
a ledger as of Jan. /, 1921, charging
and giving credit on every account
with the business as it transpired.
After Mr.. Cameron finished his
| report City Attorney A. A. Cohn was
very pointed and explicit in asking
the City Clerk certain pertinent
questions as to large amounts of in
come that would be forthcoming to
the city after his report closed on
| the first of this year. Mr.. Cameron
was in turn, just about as curt in
mis- refusal to answer questions say
ing he did not know as to what
happened after his audit closed on
| that date, or what would happen next
year," but stood explicitly by his re-
cord as he stated he found it on the
records. Mr.. Cohn was strong in
vehemently declaring that the re-
port did not show what was and
would come from the State as a pub
lie school fund, about $4,000; a
good sum from the county as road
tax; the street tax and general tax
es, as well as incomes from the water
and light plant, Mr., Cohn saying
that the report closed just before the
| time for the largest incomes due to
show to the city,s credit.
Mr.. c. B. Perkins suggested at
this point the question:: "Can the
cooks be audited to date and get just
what we owe and our revenues, ap-
Droximately, to be collected?" This
/ was answered affirmatively, but was
iide-tracked for the time being.
Mr.. F. E. Everett asked the ques-
ion of Mr.. Cameron as to the a.
aount of the city's indebtedness to
Jan. 1st leaving out the bonded in
lebtedness and was given an answer
Of $4,000.