The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-08
JONES DEMANDS
 AUDIT OF BOOKS
Continued From Page 1.)

(COntlnued From Pago l..
 port and that the authorities now in charge have had an inkling of such shortages for months.
 Accepts Responsibility.
 q want to state that I was comp troIler during the Barrett administra- tion. was in absolute charge and supervision of that office. l em- ployed and discharged my subordinates and assistants without regard to po- litical reasons. I am responsible for every dollar that passed through that office during my term.
 "No money was ever paid into that office, during my term of office that was not deposited to the credit of the city of Birmingham. Not q cent of the city's money was misappropriated by anyone. Not cent paid out except that authorized by law.
 Any suggestion, charge, insinuation or information to the contrary Is q lie of the whole cloth without an ele- ment of truth in it in any respect whatever, and is probably inspired by this one city official who no doubt Is so entangled in the skein of his own shortcomings as to welcome an oppor- tunity to divert public attention from thievery by resort to such tactics.
 q want the people of Birmingham to know that welcome thorough audit of the comptroller's office during my entire term, by MT. Smith or any other competent public accountant III the state of Alabama. not only wei come such audit but l demand that Il be made, and I promise to pay, and will furnish adequate security for the expense of tic audit if it shows that the city has been defrauded by one dollar. or that one cent has been stolen or misappropriated by any one in the comptroller's office, during my term Oi office.
 q want to say Further that if an audit reveals shortage in the comp troller's office, during my term oi office, that I will not only pay the expense of bringing this shortage r. light, but I will go further and assume full responsibility for it and not be q party to laying it on some boy fol the evident purpose of protecting others and avoiding a public trial where tht facts might be inquired into.
 Advocates Impeachment.
 ' "Mention is made about Lehman being in the employ of the city in th' comptroller's office during my term oi office. This is true. Lehman wa: here, and conducted himself properly and in my judgment would have con tinued to do so, had he not been ex posed to SOTO contaminating superior officers when the Barrett administra tion went out and the present admin istration came in.
 ''This one city official that appears to be the source of the information contained in the story in Sundays pa per says, according to the paper: "Tht authorities in charge have had an ink ling of such shortages for mOnths.'
 elf this official is correctly quoted and is telling the truth, the authOri ties in charge should be impeached fol neglect of duty. They should be driver beyond the boundaries of civilization for failing to promptly make these facts public and resorting to every -egal remedy to punish the guilty and pro tect the city treasury, instead of wait ing for months until people get where they hold their hands on their pocket books when they pass the city hall, be fore this situation is disclosed.
 "Why did this one city official not explain the omission to make this charge earlier, if they had an inklinl of it for months? Why has this secret been kept from the public fol months if there is a suspicion of trutl in it? Is he dreaming, or joking Ol I. LoI1 Al.1 AI,.,- those in authority have kept this thini back for monthsy
 "In conclusion, I want to brand al utterly and totally false, each and ever! charge, insinuation and suggestion, b! whenever made, that there was an! shortage in the comptroller's depart ment, during my term of office as comp troller. All such are not only false, bu are made maliciously, and for a pur pose"