Show WHY AN AUDITOR out ot of the keddington ouster case which has just been concluded in the district court the public gets little more than a now new concern tor for the tu fu ture safety of city funds in the findings of the court the city auditor la Is completely exonerated of wrongful acts in the conduct of his office and this decision can be ba questioned only by a higher legal authority the onty bonfy tangible result of the proceedings ce and the months of discussion which preceded them so far as tho the public Is concerned la is an official conclusion that the powers of the city auditor are far from what tho the public has believed it if the findings of the court square with the law covering the duties ot the auditor the auditor Is little more than a restricted bool book i keeper it must appear from the proceedings that the city auditor la Is without the power to make periodical audits sufficiently thorough to assure aastra the public that official business is as it should bo be furthermore reflection on the case would seem to indicate that the auktor Is denied powers generally accorded to roan men in similar capacities in private pui pursuits having no access to bank balances had financial receipts from day to day hence the public must wonder just what the city auditor can accomplish in preventing and forestalling such situations as now exist in the CRY city treasury the public Is concerned with this situation and current developments are not calculated to allay these tears fears harking back to the adoption bf the commission form of city government I 1 the public at that time gained an impression that the city auditor was to be a public representative in other wards this office was waa made elective so that the incumbent might be free from commission influence the theory being that the auditor would provide a constant check on city finances the turn of events would seem to indicate that this Is a misconception and the auditor la is more or less confined fl n 0 d to stopping expenditures which are arb specifically prohibited by law and so it appears that the only tangible result of oc the ouster proceedings Is to remove the public delu salon that the city auditor has any power to pro hect the public from thieving servants just what can be done about it Is a matter for the future and the legislature to determine salt lake tribune the above editorial appeared in last wednesdays tribune and we believe it very timely it seems so strange stra so many times that the public does not know just where it is at also regarding authority officers do and do riot not have |