The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-04-12
SK|PTON IS BEST
CITY CHOICE FOR
COMP PTROLLER JOB
Past Administration Will Bear
Most Rigid Inspection by
Local Voters.

E. NJ. Skipton. our present city
comptroller, is seeking reelection to
that Office solely on the plea of his
own qualification to fill that ofiice,
according to campaign statements
made by Mr.. Skipton. In the opinion
of the Bulletin-Appeal, Mr.. Skipton
is unquestionably entitled to re-elec-
ton to this office, and a review of Mr..
Skipton's past administration, as well
as his long years of experience in the
work of municipal accounting. will
doubtless speak for itself, so far as
the voters are concerned.
As Mr.. Skipton himself points out,
the city comptroller must above all
things be an expert accountant to be
able to fll the office of city comptrol-
Ter properly. In this respect, Mr.
Skipton adds. the voters naturally ex-
pect that the city attorney be an ex-
perienced attorney, and that the city
architect be an experienced architect.
Must Analyze.
"The office of comptroller Of the
City of st. Paul." Mr.. Skipton points
out, among many other things. con-
trolls the expenditure for every de-
partment of government in the city.
1t tells each department how much is
available for its various activities. To
do this properly, the city comptroller
must be able to analyze, compile,
audit, segregate and summarize the
thousands of items of expense and in
come which he finds in the various
accounting nspsystems and records in the
various departments. He must know
how to read and to interpret facts
and figures. He must be an account
ant"
Mr.. Skipton has been an expert ac-
countant for the past twenty years.
He has had experience in wholesale
and manufacturing accounting for
seven years, three years practice as
a public accountant and for the past
ten years has been connected with
the Office of Comptroller of the City
of st. Paul.
Appointed in 1914.
In 1914 when the present city char
ter was adopted, Mr.. Skipton was ap-
pointed special accountant for the
city in the Comptroller's Office. He
has had charge of installing all ac-
counting systems. has compiled all OF
the comptroller's annual reports, has
been chief statistician in the Comp
troller's Office and for the past seven
years has supervised all audits and
examinations in the Comptroller's of.
fee.
Mr.. Skipton has also been instru.
mental in placing the sinking funds
on basis to redeem all bonds at ma
turity. He has assisted in putting St
Paul on a strictly cash basis.
Campaigns on Merits.
Mr.. Skipton's campaign for re-elec
ton Is based solely on his expert At
ness to ill the important Office Of
guardian Of the city funds and the
expenditure of those funds. Unques
tionably, he has the better qualifica
tions for the Office. His opponent
has publicly admitted that his only
qualification for the Office of comp
troller is the fact that he has taker
a correspondence school course in ac
counting, and that he installed caro-
index system in the water department
of the city where he is now employed
The Bulletin-Appeal then. in con
trast, presents Mr.. Skipton's twent!
years. experience in accounting, hal
of which have been spent in munich
pal accounting, against his opponent''
diploma from correspondence schoo
in accounting. The voters must de
eide for themselves.