Part 9

These are handled in exactly the same manner as the Exchange pay roll. They may be made out separately by the Laundry authorities or incorporated in the regular Exchange roll. In any case, they should be made out from the time book kept by the Laundry superintendent. The accuracy of this book should be checked frequently in the usual ways.

Miscellaneous Laundry Records.

In addition to the above, the laundry should keep accurate track of the amounts spent in repairs or renewals of each machine or component part of the laundry. In the inventory book should be entered a proper rate of depreciation against each machine, etc., and this depreciation should be written off periodically by the Exchange Council, say once per year. Then, if any organization wishes to sell out or to buy in, it will be a simple matter to arrive at a proper valuation of the laundry and its fixtures.

There should be on hand blueprints of the laundry building, showing dimensions and details of construction. There should also be on hand a complete diagram of all the steam and water pipes, connections, valves, etc.

For cost-keeping, which would be desirable if it can be done conveniently without adding too much cost, other records would have to be kept. The Baker-Vawter Company has given this point special attention and have devised a system which is used by many members of the Laundryman’s National Association.

AUDITING.

It is not too much to say that the monthly audit of the Exchange books is usually done poorly and inefficiently. This is due to several causes. In the first place, very few officers have ever had experience fitting them for such a task, and still fewer have any liking for the operation. The average audit consists of counting the cash and seeing if the vouchers to the cash account are correct, but a proper audit is something different. The Council should expect, as a result of the audit, a clear statement of the status of the Exchange together with recommendations for improvement and reports of any irregularities, etc. An auditing officer who spends his time finding out whether or not the books contain any mistakes in addition is not performing his proper functions as auditor.

Reduced to its simplest terms the duties of an auditor may be expressed as finding the correct answers to the following:—

(_a_) Were all assets on hand as shown?

(_b_) Were there any assets not shown?

(_c_) Were all the liabilities real ones?

(_d_) Were all liabilities shown?

(_e_) Were all liabilities properly incurred?

(_f_) Were all earnings accounted for?

(_g_) Were any earnings omitted from the statement?

(_h_) Were all disbursements, expenses and losses properly stated and supported?

In the following pages an attempt will be made to lay down a system of procedure which will enable the auditor to secure proper answers to the above questions in the most expeditious manner. For this purpose, the use of Form 33, shown below, is recommended. They should be on sheets conforming in size and punching to those used in the book used for recording the proceedings of the Exchange Council. This remark also applies to Forms 16 and 32, previously described.

Form No. 33.

STATEMENT OF AUDIT OF POST EXCHANGE, FORT HANCOCK, N. J.

For the month ending March 31, 1915.

I certify that the cash balance of the Post Exchange, Fort Hancock, N. J., on the 31st day of March, 1915, was three thousand five hundred forty-two dollars and seventy-six cents ($3,542.76) and was held as follows:—

Second National Bank, New York City $3,000.00 In Office Safe 542.76 --------- TOTAL $3,542.76

(Signed) E. A. BROWN, _1st Lieut., C. A. C., Exchange Officer_.

AUDITOR’S STATEMENT.

_1. Charge Accounts_:—

Take retained sales slips for at least three different days and select, at random, at least five sales on each. Are these sales entered on Form 9?... Compare several consecutive sales on each day’s record with adding machine and cash register strips.... Are the totals for each of these days entered on the Steward’s daily report, Form 4?... Are these entries on Form 4 supported by clerks’ reports, Form 5, for same totals?... Are the total charge sales on Form 4 correctly transferred to the daily summary shown on Form 7?... Do they check with Form 6?... Has the Bills Receivable account in the Ledger been debited with the total shown on Form 7?... Have amounts shown on Form 7 been credited to the various departments in the Ledger?... Have all credits been entered on Form 6?... Are they charged against the various departments?... Are they credited to Bills Receivable?... Are they noted on Form 4?... In separate list, show what bills have been due the Exchange for more than one month.

_2. Cash Sales_:—

Take the clerks’ reports for the above selected days: are the cash sales and coupon sales shown thereon properly entered on the Steward’s daily report, Form 4?... Do Forms 4 agree with the cash register records?... Are entries on Form 4 correctly transferred to the cash book?... Are totals of department columns in cash book correctly posted to the accounts of the respective departments in the Ledger?...

_3. Coupon Sales_:—

Do the total coupons sales shown on Form 4 for the selected days agree with the cash register records for these days?... Are entries on Form 4 correctly posted to Form 26?... Are total coupon sales for each department shown on Form 26 credited to these departments in the Ledger?... Are total coupon sales debited to Check Account in the Ledger?... Are coupon books on hand safely stored?... Are they correctly accounted for?... What value of coupons issued during the month of which there is no record?... Are total coupons issued during the month correctly credited to Check Account in the Ledger?... Are they properly debited against Bills Receivable, Credit Coupons?... Is there any ground for believing the stated value of coupons outstanding to be erroneous?... Any complaints from men that they are erroneously charged for coupons?... Is total cash received for coupons (shown in cash book) credited in Ledger to Bills Receivable, Credit Coupons?... Deduct from the total coupons entered on all Forms 25 the amounts shown in cash book as received for coupons; is the remainder properly supported by unpaid Forms 19?... Have these unpaid amounts been properly entered on Forms 25 for next pay day?... What efforts made to collect payments on coupons past due?...

_4. Stock Records_:—

Perform or check the following operations on the record of Stock Transactions, Form 27, at selling price:—To inventories at first of month add all stock received during the month, subtract from this the inventory at the end of the month. The remainder should equal the total sales from the respective departments during the month. Any marked discrepancies should be brought to the attention of the Council immediately. (Initials)... Check several copies of Form 28 against corresponding invoices and against Purchase Record; do they agree?... Are these values correctly transferred to Forms 17, BOTH at cost and at selling prices?... Are these Forms 17 correctly transferred to Form 27?... Are totals on Form 27 properly charged against the various departments in the Ledger and on the Statement?... Are inventories entered properly in each department’s account in the Ledger?... Under whose supervision was stock taken at the last of the month?... Are results of inventory correctly noted on Statement?... Are all wastages, accidental breakages, etc., entered on the stock records and properly supported?... Are windows and doors of Exchange provided with efficient locks?... Are all civilian employees under bond?... Are the stock records kept up to date?...

_5. Purchases_:—

Check Purchase Record against the Cash Book; do entries correspond?... From “Total Purchases” subtract “Creditors” column in cash book; does the remainder check with the balance shown in the Bills Payable, Merchandise (or Creditors) account in the Ledger; ... with the credit balance shown on the Purchase Record?... Are all bills discounted?... If not, is there any excuse for it?... Who makes purchases?

_6. Cash Book_:—

Check all vouchers against cash book disbursements. Were all expenditures proper ones?... If not, give particulars under remarks.

(_a_) The following vouchers not rec’d back....

(_b_) Vouchers not supported by canceled checks....

(_c_) Nos. of outstanding checks....

(_d_) Total value of same....

(_e_) Cash found on hand at end of month....

(_f_) Cash in bank at end of month, per bank statement.... Does total of (_d_), (_e_) and (_f_) agree with Statement?... Look up items (_a_), (_b_) and (_c_) mentioned in preceding audit, are they now complete?... State items lacking.... Does Exchange Officer keep the cash book himself?... Does he attend personally to all cash transactions?... Does any employee have access to the cash after it is turned over to the Exchange Officer?... Cash reserve is $....

_7. Ledger_:—

Inspect trial balance; is it correct and does the Ledger balance?... Is the system being rigidly adhered to?... Report to the Council any omissions or faults found in the manner of keeping the books.

_8. Statements and Balance Sheets_:—

Check all items on Statement of Income and Profit and Loss against the original entries; do they agree?... What earnings cannot be accounted for?... What earnings are not taken up on the books?... Check all entries on General Balance Sheet against the original entries; do they agree?... Are any assets left off the books?... Were all assets actually on hand as shown?... Are any liabilities left off the books?... Among the liabilities shown, are there any which are not real obligations of the Exchange?...

_9. General_:—

Is copy of Steward’s Report posted for information of customers?... Any books or papers which should be destroyed?... Any recommendations?... If so, submit them to Council in separate report. Remarks....

(Signed) .... _Captain, C. A. C., Auditor._

CASH REGISTERS.

In Post Exchange business, these machines are ordinarily used in recording all sales, although some Exchanges do not ring up their charge sales, but rely upon the sales slip alone, an unsafe practice. There is, besides, a saving in ringing up all sales. These machines, if properly handled, and used in conjunction with our stock records at selling price should amply protect the Exchange.

In order to secure the maximum benefit from a cash register, however, it should be suited to the work in hand. Many registers handle but two kinds of sales, charge and cash; but we have a third kind, coupon sales, and the registers in use by every department which handles all three kinds should be arranged for such work. This kind of a register has three separate adding mechanisms, the appropriate set being thrown into mesh by means of a movable clutch and indicator at the left of the keyboard. In ringing up each sale, the clerk sets the indicator at “cash”, “coupons” or “charge”, as the case may be, before turning the handle; the total sales of any kind can be read at any time by anyone possessing the key which unlocks the reading window. Thus, the Steward, at the close of business on any day, can ascertain these totals in a few seconds, instead of having to transfer them from the cash register record tape to the adding machine. Thus, considerable time and labor are saved.

We should also be able to tell which clerk made every sale. This is accomplished by having a separate push button for every clerk and requiring the clerks to punch the proper button before ringing up their sale. The record tape of the machine will then show the full particulars of every sale—how much it was, what kind of a sale it was and who made it.

The size of the keyboard is determined by the probable value of the largest sale. In departments where there can be but two different kinds of sales, say charge and cash, a machine without the movable clutch can be used.

A modern development of the cash register is the “Slip Printing” device. By this, we mean the printing of the amount of sale on the sales slip itself, instead of on the “chop ticket”. In our system of recording charge sales, where the customer is given a copy of the sales slip, it is unnecessary for him to have the chop ticket, too, but it is necessary for us to know that his sales slip calls for the same amount that has been rung up on the register. For this purpose, the register can and should be arranged for “Slip Printing”, that is, for printing directly on the sales slip whatever amount is rung up on the register. This arrangement can be made without extra cost in the case of a new machine. The sales slip then handed to the customer then shows him exactly what amount was rung up on the register. The slip shown in Fig. 1 was treated in this way, although the slip was not originally designed for this work. Another slip is shown in Fig. 38. A cash register embodying the above described characteristics is shown in Fig. 39.

It is apparent that if we can be sure that all sales are rung up on the register the Exchange can suffer no loss except by persons taking stock from the shelves, a proposition which is cared for by our stock records. Therefore, it is important to devise means for insuring that every sale is properly rung up. There are various means to this end. One is to provide a series of locked boxes, one for each organization at the post, each provided with a slit in the cover large enough to admit a chop ticket. These boxes to be plainly labelled with the designation of the respective organizations, and all customers to be instructed to drop their chop tickets into these boxes. Whenever dividends are declared, a certain proportion of same to be divided in the same proportion as exists among the total values of the tickets in the various boxes. Unless these tickets are counted by a committee from the various organizations, this scheme would entail considerable clerical work for the Exchange office force. The scheme practically amounts to distributing a part of the dividend according to the amount of business done by the respective organizations—a necessity in the rare case when one or more organizations boycott the Exchange. It is said that the members of the various organizations soon become efficient agents in promoting the practice of customers demanding the chop tickets from the clerks.

Another scheme is for the Exchange Officer to inspect the serial numbers of the sales recorded for a certain time, say one month, and to arbitrarily select some one of these numbers, publish a notice concerning same, and to present to the person who produces the chop ticket bearing that number, a credit at the Exchange of $5.00 or so. The Exchange could easily afford to do this, as the advantages accruing from having every sale rung up will more than counterbalance this small expenditure. Other devices will readily suggest themselves to those who are interested in the subject.

The Steward should, of course, keep accurate track of the readings of the various dials of the registers. Cash register companies issue books for this purpose. The keys to the registers should be jealously guarded, including those to the reading windows. A record should be kept of the readings of those dials which show how many times the lid of the register has been opened.

In leaving this subject, a further discussion of which is necessarily curtailed, it will be well to add that the best way to get satisfaction in this line is to write to the firm whose register you intend buying and ask them to send you their local representative and such descriptive literature as they may have at hand. It will then be an easy matter to secure a machine exactly suited to the needs of the case.

CONCLUSION.

In the foregoing pages, the writer has attempted to outline a system of record-keeping for our Post Exchanges that is at once simple and efficient, complying with the desiderata set forth in the opening pages. No contention is made that the system is perfect and incapable of improvement; but it is the best that the writer has seen in twelve years’ experience with Post Exchanges. It is hoped that it will at least prove worthy of being taken under advisement by most Post Exchanges and many of its points put into practice. Strenuous efforts have been made to explain the system in such simple language that the average employee of an Exchange could install and operate it, without the necessity of the Exchange Officer devoting his personal efforts to it. An effort has also been made to simplify matters for the Exchange Council and for officers detailed to audit the accounts, to show what points are important and what are not, how to secure a clear idea of what the business is actually doing in all its branches, and how to prevent leaks.

THE END.