Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-04-29
of the City CounciD knows perfectly we'll that
the extraordinary length of time devoted to

must necessarily stumble over them. TIL
labor has been to find the true way amid tn
many false lights, and no amount of throwing
dirt by charging me with incompetency, o
with desiring to be paid and let off. will shiel
the City Council from responsibility in tn
case.
Ny opinion of the want of system in thu
Collector and Trea:urer's accounts is no new
thing. Mr.. Little has known it well for more
than four years, and during all or nearly al
that time he has urged the election of frient
| of his to the office of Auditor, friend an(
champion, the Hon. Joseph w. Patterson.
have heard OF this Mr.. Patterson before
He has often been quoted by the Collector ant
Treasurer as the authority fer his particular
style of bookkeeping, when l have objected
to it, and judging from his communication II
the kennebec Journal of April 25th, l have
no doubt he is the author of Mr.. Titles sys
TEN, for his communication is as full Of error:
as any short paragraph can well be.
How majestcally he fourishes his 81 have
to-day looked into the matter and submit the
following statement, as the correct standing
OF our treasurer with the city," etc-An easy
matter, gentlemen, only a few minutes work
i, j. w. Patterson have done this thing to-
day-oh, yes-where is that Auditor now?
Il have looked into the matter" and found
what? The unsolicited taxes amount tc
S20557.33." "The balance of cash in the
Treasurers hands, including SG96.99 fol
changes made by him, not actually paid being
81 COS "a, and he had nearly $4,000 in tbs
banks standing to his credit as Treasurer"
The SO, 900 in banks know nothing about
but the question suggests itself how the Treas
urer, as Treasurer, can well have So, 900 cash
in bank and only balance on hand of 81, G95,.
81. Does Paterson mean the Treasurer had
81 ,C95.9i on hand March 10, 1874, or what he
first states 81 1854 and the difference be-
tween that sum and the SO, 900 is sort OF
contingent fund, which the Treasurer keeps
handy to square blunders with?
Mr.. Patterson says the cash in hand, nclud-
ing SG97.99 for charges made, but not actual
ly paid amounts to 81 1854. Now l write
with the Treasurer's report before ME, and
the report don't show any such figures, but
does show the cash in hand including S578 25
for changes made by Kim, not actual paid TO be
S997.95. Truly Mr.. Patterson is a worthy
teacher to most worthy book keeper. Mr.
Patterson also says the account has been made
up to "March TO- and examined by the Audi
tor, and no discrepancies found, as the Treas
urer informs me-" l respectfully beg leave
to discount this statement; / am slow to be-
lieve Mr.. Little's word as unreliable as his
books Mr.. Little knew / differed with him
$1,000, on loans.
He entered on his note book a loan of J.
W. Patterson Of $4,000, and | reported the
amount to the City Council in April, 1873.
Mr.. Little in June following, informed me
| that the entry was aa error, and should havt
been 81 ,0G0 and asked me to correct the err
ror on my account. informed him that tue
| only way to correct the error was for him to
charge loans paid with the error of 1000,
and get Mr.. Patterson's certificate that the
loan was "a 900 and not S. 900, to file as a
voucher. That certificate has not been pro-
cured, and on my account the $1,000 stands
charged to the Treasurer, while recent ex-
animation of the book disclosed the fact that
the i had been changed to 4, and the Treasu-
rer reports $1,000 less loans negotiated than
| do. Mr.. Patterson is handy to look into
matters. Why not look into this matter
and have this error. if an error, corrected
in proper manner? My charge
was not dishonesty, hut that the
books were not correctly kept. This case
alone proves the charge, but DO not rest it
on one or ten; the instances of errors are too
numerous to menton. Mr.. Little knew diff
ferred with him widely on the Highway ac-
count, and took my figures, and either adopt
ed them or found and corrected the errors OF
his books. His books were in such fearful
shape that | found it necessary to discard
them, and from his vouchers, and by aid OF
the Mayors and Street Commissioners &C
counts, make up an account of my own.
hope it will be found correct, but considering
the material upon which it is founded have
grave fears and doubts as to its reliability
cure am that unaided by the Mayors ledger
l should have been adrift on a boundless sea
Of difficulties.
l regret that the action of Mr.. Litle's
champions in this matter compels this state
| me Ut from ME. Mr.. Pattersons own figures
show the condition of accounts, for it will be
seen that while Mr.. Little's report gives the
cash in hand at S997.95, Mr.. Patterson finds
ii 81 Cos 81, and those other charges S697,-
30, while Mr.. Little reports S5.S25, showing
that two statements cannot be made alike
from the books, without having the one frs,
made to refer to.
But am done with Elventen and with the
Treasurer. | will soon part with Patterson,
with Joy and not with grief. In his commu.
nication to the Journal he outdoes himself in
blunders when he iiourishes his attachments
in the face of the public, with the evident in
teution of showing how creditable it has been
to the Treasurer that the abatement aPpro-
priatons have not been used up since 1869.
We all remember MIR. Patterson as the ven
cradle father of the city; we rsvered his sill
very locks encircling ponderous and mighty
brain; we acknowledged the stiffness of his
back bone and gloried in it when as the hon
ored and honorable Mayor he vetoed the
ith of July appropriation, or swore he would,
70 matter which, the result was the same
we dreaded him assessor when our taxes
went up and his went down; we looked or
him with admiration and wonder as with
tripod and compass he displayed his ability as
City Engineer, and we wondered still more
where the bounds and plans of streets would
be when he was gone, whether stored in his
back attic, or in the Treasury vaults, where
they should be-; we wept with him when he
retired from the Treasury Department, t.
give place to his faithful disciple in book keep
ing; IS alderman we dotted on his ponderous
form, the roblest Roman of them all as
member of that lower branch, the Common
Council, we admired his magnanimity in de-
clining the honors of Mayor, that he nigh,
serve his ward for stationery only: as Ply
stefan of the crippled and wounded kennebec
bridge, we marvelled at his success and more
at the length of his bills as Auditor his cor
rectness and speed delighted us and finally al
the acknowledged source of all municipal
| 81; nh &c fat bor