The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-23

tkA0ubS " &NAs ~AAAAAAAstSA - ,ss, Emphasis is placed on the fact that he was named to the po- sition because of his qualifications and prestige and notwithstanding the fact that he was without politi- cal influence. MT. Cunningham formerly resided on Laurel street He is a graduate of the Crosby High School.
 The article follows:
 One of New York City's most able executives is gray-thatched, genial Joseph Michael Cunningham, first deputy comptroller. A man of wide experience, Cunningham su- pervises the accounting and auditing of all city receipts and expenditures, which means he has to keep track of tidy sum of 10000 900 or so a year,
 During the three years he has been in oiiice he has moderni2ed and streamlined the auditing and accounting methods used by the city, and has substituted machines in many cases to do work formerly performed by hand,
 Cunningham was appointed by Comptroller McGolelrlck on January 1. 1888. Strangely enough he did not know McGoldrick and had not even met him at the time, His appoint ment was made because of his rec ognized standing In his profession He has never, he says, had the slightest interest in politics"
 New Blood Necessary
 Cunningham believes the city Is best served by bringing in new blood from outside the service oc- casionally. 1T am thoroughly im- pressed with the necessity of bust- ness management in government" He likes his Job exceedingly well, he says, adding that he is happy to continue in some phase of govern. ment activity"
 Everything Inspected
 we have made some major changes since l came in," Cunning ham says, we started the inspec- ton division and every nickel's worth of material that Is bought by the city is now inspected by our men who make sure 1t meets our specifications"
 Before this inspectional program was inaugurated, 1t was possible for a concern which contracted to de- liver a certain grade commodity to slip 'n on occasional grade 2 ship ment, This sort of thing has been stopped,
 RAc rr0mnd
 Cunningham who was born in Waterbury, Conn, graduated in 1917 from the Wharton School of Finance Of the University of Penn. sylvania. From 1917 to 1919 he was an ensign in the Navy, towards the end Of the war aboard the U. 8, s, Panama.
 After the war Cunningham spent six years with New York City public accounting firm. Tn 1926 he Joined the International Telephone md Telegraph Corporation. He continued there for twelve years and during this period saw 1t grow from q relatively small company to Q billion-dollar organization.
 In l 93l Cunningham went to London as European Comptroller and ran all accounting and finan- eial matters for IT&T manufactur. ing companies employing over 2o,. 900 people,
 The most exciting moment in his life, says Cunningham, occurred in 1884 when he and an associate un- covered the widespread financial conspiracy of Ivar Kreuger, the Swedish match king. Cunningham had gone to look over small eonl- puny that fT&T had bought from the Kreuger empire. He discovered to hiS great nma2ement that un. der the listing of assets an item of 25 100000 kroner, supposedly de- posted In bank, was actually non existent. This revelation brought on Kreuger's downfall and the man who had been able to loan the government of France 100000 900 francs q few months before, blew his brains out la Paris shortly afterwards,
 Cunningham, who says Kreuger was a pleasant man personally, WuI kGi Aluld dAltuNIAhAh ASA flung frauds. Before we sent the cable that sent him toppling, we weated blood"
 Besides his regular duties Cun- ningham is active in developing q training program for employees in the department. Last week the first in-service training course which attempts to prepare em- ployes for a specific promotion eX- am was started, Cunningham opened the series of lectures, which Is offered to senior bookkeepers, junior accountants, accountants and senior accountants in the de- partment, by declaring We have been occupied for more than a year with mechanization of the city's accounting system. This streamlin- Ing of our financial methods will bring up to date the archaic fiscal procedures in use for over gen. eration. Likewise we hope to streamline our accountants, too and aid them in their rise through tba carear servica of the COmD-