, 1875-01-01

A...-e........s..:=-E-.
THE COUNTY FRAUDS. |
The investigation OF the Special Commit
tco OF the Board Of County Commissioners
seems to have been conducted in tho most
thorough, manuer, au,1 has led to extraor-
dinnry developments. It Is proper to say
TINT Mr.. G. G. P. HoLpEN, the Chairman Of
the Committee, is entitled to the larger part
Of tue credit for this erpose, since tho work
Of the investigation dovolyed mainly upon
him. He received, however, tho hearty sup
mort and cooperation Of Mossrs CLoUdH,
JoNEs, and GuExrnEn. Mr. MCCARTNEY,
another member Of the Committee, clogged |
tho investigation and refused to sign the re-
mort, Tho treatment of this report in tie
open Board was direct Insult to the people
whom the Commissioners represent. One Of
the most importantportionso of itwns stricken
ont without warrant, and the whole matter
WINS finally disposed Of by reference to vari-
Gus committees, and by the recollection OF
certain officers directly implicated. The only
consolation tho public can find is in the fact
| that the ring was sustained by majority
vote OF only one, and that the facta were fairly
BROUGHT out before the ring was able to
souolch them. We desire to put these faots
conspicuously before the public, so that the
action of tho dissenting Commissioners may
be properly estimated.
| /, Tie Contractors. portion Of the
report stricken out BY the ring betrayed the
aetunl personality which controls the most
valuable contracts Of the county. It is
nrotcan individual whose real namo is G.
| 1S,.k 3a bt1e
Board not only under that name, but as
F. BornHEn, JA.tEs FORSYTH d Co., J. e.
BrAnpg1EY j. Co., O. F. CnAnY j. Co.,
ANDREW HAaasn, and g. II. CARPENTER d
Co, The other persons in whose names the
contracts were taken out appear to be in the
employ of JAMES Fons11u s. Co., or G. F.
prnro1Ar. who ore ono and tho came "a fur
as tue county contracts are concerned. This
. ! individual, therefore, controls the contracts
{ for beans. hominy, groceries, crockery, cloth
: ing, hats, dry goods, bedding. and potatoea
! If the Committee hnd not ascortained any
! thiup beyond this, they would have Furnished
. 4rin,g }acid evidence that, tho county supplies
i being controlled by one person, there ia vir
tually no competition, md tho very purpose
n Of the contract system is thereby defeated
|. Yet eight of tho County Commissioners hat
t. the impertinenco and audacity to voto t.
o strike ont this part OF the exposure!
!. 2. IHu Contracts.-An examination Of tn
!, contraot- prices fully confirms what nigh
j. have been expected from comforting me
:. uopoly upon ono poraon. It WIS discovered
r. first, TINT the enormous sum Of $780, 600 ha
Il been expended upon the county charities.
t.
|, line OF goods furn!ahed to the Poor-Hous
in and Insane Asylum, Of which over $1,000
3, wero bought, q saving Of moro than 5,ot
co minht have been nude. In other words,
us single limo OF goods cost the city more tho
II, twice what they ought to have cost. This vi
H. ascertainea BY direct comparison between Il
nd contract prices and tho prices
lie which Mcssrs. FIELD, 1ErrER j. G
A. would furnish the samo articles. The
on were sheeting, shirting, prints, t'ckin
II. towelIne, cassimeree, Aanuels, cotton-battin
Bix md woolen mitta. Tho county paid from
nd TO 1o5 per cent more for overy ono OF the
prs articles than the current price. It ID on
ull fair to nssu1ne that, II the investigation b
for been extended to tho other contracts held
Of Mr, Prn1o1Ar and his partners, the same
md suits would hnvo been ascerta'ned. At
the events, the Committee estimate TINT frt
lac $50, 900 to $l0o, 600 which has been robb
!, 10 nigh, have been saved to tho county.
&C. 5. Tic SuppAes.-Ths Investigations Of
zen Committee crente strong suspicion that
aon county does not receive even the full amo1
the Of the supplies for which it pays such es
the bitaut prices. In one case there was ab
The lutte proof Of this. Tho Warden Of the Po
RED House and Insane Asylum professed an ut
put ignorance as to tho amount Of supplies VII
,un. no Ind received, and said that no books
rac. been kept! A subordinate said that he
! OF checked OF receipts on sheeta Of paper
title ciyeu them to tho Warden, but ths latter
tue unable IL to produce them, or said TO-
the only department in which any account co
be found wa TINT Of the dry-gooda In
chill. Insane Asylum, presided over by bliss i
d Of Yoap. This lady had kept IN account OF
and foods she Ind received, and the most surf
ears ing discrepancy was found between the ]
ONT a. they were paid and the actual reeei
gesal There was discrepancy in nearly 81
artale furnished, aud thors IVES
.,os, totA aAak aaossA9e q el,7o2.S8. II