, 1874-06-17

tho DoHIl
o,ornEn THE v1oE-pnxs1pENr WITH AUTHORITY
"noAnp OF runL1o Wonks, !
Dtsrntcr or CoLuaiNtA, )
WARRINGTON. D. O., Oct. y, tY11.}
"Tho Hoard met nt tho ,lRnal l.our. rrcsGnt Edwin
I. Stanton acting Governor. uni Moasrs, Shepherd,
referring to tho organization Of tic board waa
10 executive oieur heroof liz shall 10 in atonanro
nt tho o''co Of tho Board beswcen and ot!ook T..
H. 70 reesiye al rer.ons having b,,si,,ess with Tic
need mctliao attention. lie shall sign All orders of
thu Doart mud submit at cao session thereof M ALI
srsst e a. s'' n,le.9 By s nso +, tho
aon by tho loar anl genoraly 10 arrange It's busi-
as' ses at SSpet tSp roiots s of t3 ' hs District 'a o
e cers ,, sre r rrnnnt1y made a1d .,n orers ., 10
tive tnt!ea, mud niay diantssn any cmrloyh OF tlo
boarl subject to it's approval Al resnnitions for
s'tol,s to rportfy tho particular improvement for
which i II 1ieedusi, and tho nature OF tho work for
which Il ia to 10 ,,nc lie shall aiso, perform auch
Iim t by i tie 1osrS t0 t''''' - '''''' ~ A'1'
Pursuant 70 ths nutherity. for no other .esrns to
haso bocn rolled upon. tho Vicc-president ultimately
raAorloALtr THE noARn OF runr1o WORKS.
and exercised he powers Of the Board ano.. a .l,.
time, notwithstanding tho n0st extensive operations
by hy no1.r, therc no asutol times for Board
meetings, ind hut comparatively few board mcotings
s but srs' s were me II t @
lrtivrs anl iapers hit e4mo to tho e!ace,
dent. Yon,s Of tilcso wers on.ries made Of
husinces transacted y tho Vice President at ha rri-
yae oflicu, aud attorwnr.s placed Gil The records as
ntnutHs wuro
n&nrEY IF EVER READ AND ArrnovEp.
As mn illustration Of tile 1uauner1n Which this husness
WEB transacted notlcu II Maao Of tho testimony 1f
Charles T. Johnson Assistant Secretary The Treasurer
Ut tho Board was nado tho solo custodian Of tho
officer Of the sumo, without any cl.eck him what
over. lie could draw checks utoh the public noncyB
In favor Of Whoever, and for what amount, no
ihinS shS proper, ap withoa 'ssngn' any eor u
tlo hoard Or ocer thereof having any knowledge Of
checks ho has iHaue do not correspond with tho scv.
era amuunts reported by lin 10 have been paid; 10
@ @ u hs s re 81 as,
by examining tho hooks anil plpers III detail, Which
would havu required moro tinie than tho Corrnittoo
ssilIful sccoantant From tha Organization Of this
Doard IN June. 1871 to this tins, the Doard has nat ex-
s59s s Ihs oao o1 n ha tn
Auditor Of I'LL account or estimate ruiTortug TO no
approved by tho Board Of Public Worhs,. tlo Auditor
rroya! Of tic account or cattmns his voucher for
tho issuance of tho certificate hut record regis
ter Of sch auditing by TUG Board ,yss kept by tho
sngio number to lirect aceo'snt to be asiaca III
tho namo Of tho Board. Consequently, there are no
comparison Of which with lls own nooks 1t cau ha
SEEN
he has IMPROPERLY ISSUED cEnr1r1cATEs.
Tho only way In which tho bucks can Dn verified ia W
comparing them with ths many thousand Vouchers un
tla fl lis office. Notwith.aniing the powers Of tle
Auditor an tho Treasurer Of tho Board during the
$hNNh rnHNH hhN1
Ing iii the way Of verifying lie ACCOUNTS CT theso two
officers. This Is \ urgliyence not to 10 excused III
Whether moneys avo been paid out on falae accounts
or diverted to improper purposes eau only hs e;er-
IN THE HILL nEroRTED
by tho Committee proytuion IL made for havinB the
hooks aud accounts Of ihcsa olcers examined. Tho
net crenttng tue board limited the total ob Of ths
value Of tho property within tho Dstrict. tho intan Of
which wan to limit tho actna dobt Ct tho Dlarlc. to
That snl. The board, however, CONSTRUED tho yartons
provisions Of the organic net aa placing them and thor
Transactions without lilo pals Of thta limitation CHI.
le law shiie sioa.in a spirit and to Ills the Lesi*-
atiyo Assembly. FROM tU to tluc rnascd acts which
wero simply devised for Tic purpose OF sa'siug
Ind R y era.s
temporary obligations UPON tic property Of individuals
tie loan autLorzsd by tic act o July 1871,
IN the iurroysnent o hs s.rosts snd building srMess'
ast Of ns II y 5 hof
OEHTlt1oATfs or 1NpEnTEbNEsa,
tho payment Of which occurred by ptolgo Of as
ncnts. Again after ezhansting this doyice for the
payment q contractors tug Legislative r. Asaeulely
ue ss oea .pe t
taxes upon the various Sewerage districts, varying M
rata fron to 20 millH tho squaro fool although at
entire sewerage gystom was completed, ~ contcm-
plated by what WIS known as tho plan submitted to
tho Legislature in ls7l as tho baBis OF $4,000
esn :swt.aa ph'sh ~ S4ptfssy s dssss
added TO tho assets et tho Doard Of Public
exespt aot out tho stss sa Of soo teree variou:
othes acts lasscl OF similar character involving
snall sulns and BY shia system Of credit uron crsa
ysst ooraos uo result Of which hhs been TO croate
duut for which the Board Of Public Works and Dis
trict, IN ono form Or another, lnble, and when
aided 10 other hoatt.g nd0etaneBB Of the Datrict,
together with thu funded tnsehtetlness,
AaanSaAIISn a s,e a, a"1 NOT IEss 51tSx Az ssooo ooo
gross Of May !, 1879.
Tho Committee comprehend tho distinction sought
to he drawn bcWeen the a1tt crcAte by thB issuance
Of coriheacs ~ charge upou tho sEncfed propsrsy
iii payment for work dono mud an actual obligation
atgnel by the Doarl itself Or come authorized officer
thereof. Such certihcateB, however, create burden
which might 10 80 redupcnted ~ to rolae thu spirit.
Il not tho stsor Of thc limitation nxel by tho act of
tls District to sl0ooD,o00. but beyond this there In
now an exccss nnd therefore tho total bnrlsn.upon
tho propery Il ths District IN nearly and
ordinary functions Of the Governinent attor tile 1ss Ut
July next.
which the board could hare expected to pay tAs Egs
debt, aud that u by receiving
AID FROM CoSanEss,
as 1t must have occurred to them the RESOURCES Of
my than. Tie Board Of Public WssrRu,
e asss 5 SYs IL s sa e Ed
Streets arvnues aud roadwnye, and III the con4truc-
ton e seweIs, .n tho gene!al ornun1ontation sud