Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-04-09
The Finances of Paris.

occupied prominent column OF The Ok.
ford Register with inaammatory appeals,
headed. "To the Taxpayers OF Paris"
setting forth therein, without any equivo-
cation, that the funds OF this town are
nearly $4,000 short, which sum he claims
by some ingenious application of that
mysterious principle-"Now you see it,
and now you DON'T" has disappeared into
the pockets of the former municipal
officers OF the town. An attempt has
been made also by the same paper, to
iasten the responsibility of said alleged
defalcation upon the Republican party.
do not propose TO enter into any po-
litical discussion at this time, for do not
conceive that the question ut issue has
any political bearing. Any attempt TO
convict the Republican party Of this
town with completely in frauds. will
simply recoil upon lis authors with
damaging effect, when it Is conclusively
shown that no such frauds exist.
All of these statements and attacks are
OF course founded upon the report OF the
Investigating COMMITTEES lately SUBJ
mitted 10 the town. That report derives
its great weight from the high personal
character of the gentlemen who COM
posed, viz: Gov. Perham. Alvah Black.
Esq, and Gen'l VIM, h. kimball. and
not from any evidence which it bears OF
careful and thorough investigation or
great accuracy, in the conclusions arrived
at. Ii is admitted that the first and last
named gentlemen did not eithcr of them
90 through with the whole investigation.
By this simple acknowledgment the re-
port is shorn OF all weight TO be derived
from their signatures thereto. For the
Books Of the town are so complicated.
and onea barren OF important facts that
should have been recorded, that it is ab.
solutely impossible for those gentlemen
10 be certain that the conclusions arrived
at by the Committee are right, or even
approximately right. Hence the report
derives the only weight to which il is en-
titled from the signature Of Mr.. Black.
Now, while We are all willing 10 &c.
knowledge the integrity and ability OF
the gentleman. yet it is surely asking US
too much 10 accept as conclusive, his
simple statement, in \ matter where ii is
so difficult TO avoid falling into errors as
to the receipts and disbursements of
money. and doubly so when the attempt
is made, as was 10y this Committee. 10
separate the expenditures. and while re-
tanning some TO throw others out OF the
calculation. The Committee themselves
confess that "strict accuracy cannot be
claimed fer all the conclusions arrived at
in this report"
Now il "B.' really believed that the
town had been delraudcd OF this $1,000,
and had come 10 that conclusion after
having spent three years in examining
diligently and earnestly all the books and
records of the town connected with its
financial transactionSn-w he not, as
gentleman of acknowledged legal
ability, and rs citizen OF the town,
equally interested with us all in securing
a proper disposition of the towns money,
have advised the Seleclmen 10 at once
commence suits against the delinquent
parties Tor the recovery OF the stolen
funds. instead OF combining himself TO
these paper attacks and inuendocS. de-
signed Tor political effect. The TACT is
that the report OF the Committee is so
full OF errors as To be entirely unreliable.
Some of the errors appear upon casual
inspection OF the report, Others could only
be ascerlained by strict examination.
As an example OF the first class oi errors,
in their recapilulation they put down the
net proceeds of the bonds received from
the State At Sl746l S3-the records show
the net proceeds TO have been only $l7,-
lS9 5O-a difference of only $27l. S3. but
then, lit shows which way the wind
blows Again they make no allow
auce for notes issued to pay town bills,
amounting to 1888 y, for which no
money was received. Again. on page 9,
they say Finding that the receipts and
disbursements of the school moneys bal.
ance each other, we omit that subject
from the report, vet on page II we find
them charging the officers with the full
amount Of cash on hand and taxes un.
collected on March LIST, 1861. the date ut
which the investigation commences
amounting to S4465.04. Now the records
show that between March Isl 1861, and
Feb. l4th, 1862, the Collector took up and
turned in Si.SS6.69, or nearly the whole
Of said sum, in orders. AT this distance
OF time it is impossible 10 say what pro-
proportion of them were school orders
and what for town charges. Yet as the
Committee report that the town charges
during said time amounted to only 81.
SS4. 02-of which sum $3.50 "a was paid
by the Selectmen. and $577.6S by the
Treasurer, il leaves only balance Of
S1,076.lO of the town charge for that
year, that could by any possibility have
been included in the orders taken up by
the Collector Hence the difference be-
tween the two sums. amounting to 3d..
3lO.59. must represent either school
orders. or orders issued prior TO Mar. lst
1861, as no others were issued at that
date. To offset this they allow for only