Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-13

large losses IN 1870. The Superintend-
ent was dismissed fol corrupt prac-
tices in 1877. Losses were also dis
covered in 1870 at the Denver Mint
and the New York Assay Office The
New York accounts were passed by
the Auditors and Comptroller's Offices
of the Treasury without proper exam
ination of the vouchers, which were
paid by the New York Assistant Treas
urer without the approval of the Off
GERS who should have received the
supplies.
Up to 1870 the Director seemed
never to have examined tho New York
Assay Office, and the Mint regulations
were hard to find there. The report
of the Director OF the Mint for 1877
says Gin tables prepared by Martin V.
Davis of Philadclphia) that the gold
coinage under Director Linderman,
1S74.7 inclusive, was Sl56,000, 900, and
greater than that Of any previous four
years. This was untrue. The coinage
ofl874.7 was sl66, 600, 900 (sl0, 900, 900
more). and that tor 1914 inclusive
was sl9O,O00,OO0 or s24, 100000 more.
The director also fell into this error of
$40, 100000 and understatcd by this
sum the total gold coinage Of the
Mints. He also understated the gold
coinage 1914 by s1,600000. He
stated the total 1928 inclusive at
s233, 900, ,000 but his subordinate, Mr..
Davis, stated it in the same report, Tor
the Philadelphia and San Francisco
Mints alone, at s247 100000, over Sl3,-
600, 900 more. Thus according to Off.
cial figures two of the Mints coined
Sl3, 100000 more than the whole FIVE
| The San Francisco Meters and kefners
returns of bullion above the amounts
charged as delivered to him, S36, 5000,
lS54-77, is credited to that MINT twice
in the same report, thus making the
Mint expenses appear $4,000 less than
the truth.
The New York Assay Office smeter
and retiner, Mr.. Andrew Mason, by
great care and skill saved and turned
into the Treasury in 1s76s $4,000
more than the bullion delivered him
for treatment was charged at. These
returns were suppressed from the Di-
rector's reports, being Jumped with
earnings, and Mr. Mason was instruct
cd to return them as such, the motive
announced in the instructions being to
shield the Mints from annoying inqui-
ries as to why, instead Of return.
ing surplus like Mr.. Mason, they
charged the Government with waste.
Thus Mr.. Mason was denied the credit
he richly deserved, and was in one re-
port made to appear as wasting IS, 900,
in or to hide the misnianagement of
others. The letter ordering this sup.
preston was signed as Acting Director
of the Mint by Robert Il. Preston, who
figures unpleasantly elsewhere in con-
nection with cotton accounts In 1876
Congress cut down the appropriations
asked by the Directors over $500, 900,
but Linderman contrived TO smuggle
in o proviso allowing the earnings
from separating gold from silver, and
from refining both, to be used in melt
ing expenses without going into the
Treasury. The result is that, every
year since, the earnings have been
spent in addition to the sums allowed
J by Congress, and 100000 yearly have
been expended without Congress sus-
pecting it.
! The New York Assay Office receipts
from the sale of blue vitriol and sui
phuric liquor in 1873 were stated by
the Director there at 81 1863 81. -Four
! years latter the anual report stared
them as s2,3O2.5. Both proved to be
. wrong; The amount was $40, 0,360.91.
: The Directors annual reports for
, ls73-4-5 states the receipts aggrega-
ting s2,046,000. The report for 1877
, shows the same expenditures to be
100000, or over $500 1000 more than
: was acknowledged at the time. The
! expenditures are shown by the yearly
reports for 1873.6 inclusive at 5,062,
! 900. The report for 1877 shows them
r to be s5,635,O00 or over $50, 0,00C
0 more s306, 900 Of this suppression was
in 1876 the Presidential election year
I OF more than half this s572,000 sup
preston there is not the shadow of al
4 explanation. III 1876 the items Of ex
Q penditure were suppressed from the
0 annual report.
IRREGULARITIES AT THE NEW YORK
= ASSAY OFFICE.
In the Spring of 1869, 81 400 bari
!, of silver and gold bullion, whose value
= was unknown, were deposited in the
! New York Assay Office and moneys
loaned thereon TO Balling 4 Sarder anC
!, others, by Assistant Treasurer Var
Dyck. This was very dangerous, fol
: gilded bars of lead or iron could thu
: be used to borrow on without interes
or security. AT last one lot of boxel
|. said to contain bullion were deposited
: and borrowed on in 1869, and taker
: away on return Of the loan withou
:, any inspection or test. This practicl
I was broken up in 1869 by George w
;, Edelman, Deputy Treasurer Of th'
: Assay Office but it was revived th'
year after Mr.. Edelman resigned by Di
rector Linderman, concerning "Britisl
= bars and sovereigns," whose genuine
: ness had not been tested and it con
> tlnued till the Glover investigation
:, began, when Lindcrman stopped it.
y From 1866 to 1870 the New Yorl
y Assay Office made 1888 such loans, anI
: in many cases the borrowers returned
=. = the coin and took bars, leaving tn
y Government to pay for coming Tn
y bullion deposited TO obtain the bars.
In 1878 the Superintendent of tn
:, San Francisco Mint sent Il. Won Hoil
y man 4 Co. checks for 81 ,923, 900 unde
/ instructions from Lindeman, when bu
= 5000 900 worth OF their silver had bee
y assayed
- Superintendent Acton of tho NeN
" York Assay Office has beenin the habi
!, Of signing checks in blank and leavin
a them thus in the Paying Clerks pos
/, = session. Last year eighty.two blan
:" checks were found in the Office wit
4 Acton's signature. This is a virtica
a desertion OF his duty by Acton, 70
u u he cannot know his clerks action no
= ! supervise his payments. A rogue 4
~ - tho paying clerks place, or thic
!" getting into the Office, could fill up
y check for a million, and it might b
s es collected and the parties disappear be
- y fore detection. Unnecessary the clerk
a countersignature could be forged
- Superintendent Dunning, Acton'sprcC
- = ecessor, repeatedly got checks made {
!, his own order for sums due publ
NJ \, creditors. Then he indorsod the check
!. to the creditors and turned in the
- receipts with the vouchers afterwart
.,- M. ..l.... 1. L....t