Show 1 PUBLISHER CITES NECESSITY FOR publishing NOTICES too many people look upon legal advertising and reports that have to be published as a sort of graft for the newspapers public officials who hate to tc take time or dislike to exert themselves to make out reports I 1 and prepare copy ha have ve ben been very willing to throw out the implication that it was just a shake down by the publishers i i it was recommended last year that the designation should be i public notice instead istead ir ot of legal advertising in order to center at on the interest the public have in the statement or report rather than the advertising or the pocketbook pocket book interest of the publisher ed brandenburger sullivan ill progress a member of he N E A has called attention to a situation that was revealed in mattoon ill HI where a shortage of some was found in the accounts of former city officials some of the shortage was due to the misuse of funds some was due to careless bookkeeping some could not be explained pla ined here is mr Branden burgers 0 time ly comment in an editorial in the sullivan progress situations such as these can call b be e prevented through proper publicity on the part of officials who handle public funds the law requires that such officials publish in a home newspaper itemized statements of receipts and expenditures of the funds entrusted to their care where the law is complied comphie d with I 1 and this is done it Is manifestly almost impossible that public funds be squandered or misused mis used and lost to the taxpayers in many cases where public funds have been misused mis used it has been found that no statement was published as required by law in other cases condensed statements are published which fall fail to convey to taxpayers the information they are entitled to have the excuse for such evasion is usually that the publishing fee is too large it costs too much in the mattoon case and in other I 1 cases which have come to our I 1 attention the cost would have been very very small as compared to the loss sustained by taxpayers because they were not kept informed as to how their money was used and to whom it was paid i 1 we have never heard a taxpayer i complain about cost of publishing treasurers treasur ers statements any such complaint usually came from the official who preferred to keep his transactions from too close a scrutiny by the taxpayers the law says specifically that detailed itemized statements shall be f filed and published it is a protection for both of officials and the public likewise it serves as protection for the bondsmen of the officials entrusted with handling public money it is common sense strict compliance with the law is insurance against misuse mis use of peoples people s money |