In so far as possible, disbursements on account of the chamber 
should be made by bank check. Necessary disbursements in currency 
should be made from a small cash fund, which frequently is put in 
the hands of an employee of the chamber offices, possibly designated 
as cashier. For example, a fund of $50 may be entirely adequate. 
The exact procedure for the establishing and handling of this fund 
will be described in a later section. In principle, however, the cashier 
is charged with the amount initially provided, say $50, and at the end 
of each month, or oftener if necessary, one check is drawn by the 
chamber secretary, or perhaps the chamber treasurer, for the amount 
of the disbursements. Thus the fund is kept constantly at its original 
amount, or at other times the cash balance plus the receipted invoices 
taken for petty cash disbursements equal the initial amount of $50. 
No petty cash book should be kept. 
In conclusion, it should be repeated that there need be no cumber- 
some method in order that the funds of the chamber may be carefully 
protected. On the other hand, slipshod, easy-going methods are not 
to be condoned. In the discussion in later sections the precise ways 
will be presented by which simplicity of method accompanied by 
security of funds may be secured. 
PurcHASING SUPPLIES. 
The purchasing of supplies and service should be handled in an 
orderly and business-like way. Chamber employees indiscriminately 
should not have the authority to make purchases or obligate the cham- 
ber. All proposals for purchases should be scrutinized before the 
purchase order is placed. In the case of the purchase of small items, 
the authority to purchase may rest in a chief clerk or office manager. 
In the case of a larger amount or that involves unusual items, the 
secretary personally should give authority to purchase. In fact, when 
it is proposed to put the chamber to an unusual expense, the secretary 
may well find it desirable to consult with one of the other executive 
officers, or the budget or executive committee if the item is not covered 
by the approved budget. 
It is a wise policy to require that a purchase order be issued when 
an oral arrangement has been made for materials or service of consid- 
erable value, or where delivery is not likely to follow immediately. 
The volume of these transactions, however, does not appear to make 
it necessary or desirable, in the case of most chambers of commerce 
at least, to provide a special form of purchase order. Confirmation of 
the order may well be made on the chamber’s letterhead, and if desired 
13