Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-05-21

has put forth, not, rs he stated with re-
gard to the errors which pointed out in
tho Committees report, for the purpose
of dSceiving honest men, but 10 give I'M
plincpled men some groundwork upon
which 10 base their SANDERS OF honest
citizens.
Let us examine the grave bunders he
points out. First, he aflirms that it was
an error TO allow among the expenditures
the SjSS.27 OF town notes issued to pay
| town bills. Now whatever may have
/ been BIS opinion rs TO the question
whether or not they should have been in
uded among the expenditures in tho
/ Committees report. yet as had included
them among the issue OF notes, it would
seem reasonable that lac should have been
able to see that some credit ought 10 De
given Tor the bills they were issued TO
settle. did not iuclHde them under the
general head OF expenditures, but placed
them by themselves so that each one
could sec the transaction. PEI haps ii |
had entered it rs town bills paid by notes
instead OF notes issued to pay town
bills, even b. might have comprehended
/ that il was legitimate transaction.
lie also brings up again the Liquor
Agency question, arguing gravely that |
should have included among the receipts
the total amount OF profits reported from
year to year instead OF the balance actual
IL turned into the Treasury. This too,
without any Investigation into the affairs
OF the Agency Ii b. will turn to GU
last town repott, he will see that there arc
some $500 cash in the Agents hands be
sides large amount OF liquors. Now |
would like To inquire where that property
came FROM Does it not represent some
of the profit OF former yeas? Did the
Committee take that into account in
making up their report? Is it justice 10
include that sum in the receipts without
at the same time giving credit for that
amount? II that is sample Of the
fairness of BIS investigation, do not
wonder at the size of the deficiency.
With regard to the $3.50 of old notes
that are net marked paid, | will simply
| say. that while b. does not know whether
they have been paid OF not. the town
officers have assurances from the men TO
whom they were issued, that they are
no longer outstanding against the town.
/ That is sufficient proof for me- whether
/ it will satisfy others cannot say. These
are all the mistakes he charges directly,
| although he implies that there may be Il
great many more. but he i unable 10 find
them He thinks that | might possibly
have included the $1,000 and other sums
drawn out OF the Treasury by the Select
men in the expenditures twice. am
happy to be able to inform him that they
were included only once He also
aflirms that | attempted to explain away
the 5000. % chargeable to the Treasury
at The same time quoting the language |
used with regard TO it, which in itself en-
tirely negatives the idea which he ad
vances. | can do no better than to qsote
il also. | said-"No doubt whenever
settlements were made these matters
were explained satisfactorily. Whether
it can be done at this late day is ques-
ton do not uRdcrtdke 10. d3SlCer.". His
assertion that attempted to explain that
sum away sounds at least odd By The side
OF my express statement. that | did not
attempt to do any such thing. These
are all the eases he cited. and ii he has
made any breach in my statement ] tail
to see it. put it forth rs what belieV-
ed 10 be the correct solution OF the mat
teri still believe it to be SO.
The great error into which the Com.
mittec fell was in attempting to separate
the expenditures, and while retaining
some, TO throw others out of the calcula.
ton. 1t is impossible TO do SD with any
degree of accuracy-and b. confessed
this, when he admitted that the Com
mittee did not know any method 10y which
| they could ascertain the amount of school
money unexpended on Mar. lst. 1861.
Hence The only correct way is to deduct
the whole amount Of expenditures from
the whole amount OF receipts, and
the balance il any will show the sum un-
accounted for.
| presume we do not come any nearer
satisfying The minds OF the citizens in
this matter by our various articles in the
papers, and have a proposition TO make
toB. will meet him before any com.
petcnt man or men and exhibit our diff
ferent results and the various processes
by which we obtained them. The one
whose solution he or they shall determine
to be most faulty, shall publish such ac-
acknowledgement in the Democrat and
Register over his own signature.
GEO. A. WILSON.
So Paris. May IL, 1872.
-