Daily Republican., 1879-09-02
rn.s ese,oee.

ris's evident mutilstion Of the accounts
of the city finances. The REPuBucAS
has plainly shown from time 70 time
and backed up the assertion BY figures
that could not lie, that there were &C., :
600 odd dollars used by the chairman
Of the Finance Committee for placing TO
either the credit Of current expenses OF
the city or to the account Of the Board
Of Education. We would not say that
this amount Of money has been squan-
dsred, for it has not, but on the con-
trary it has been used for Legitimate
purpose, has done its work and there
fore is not in the bank TO betransferred
and retransferred back and forth to the
different accounts and made to do double
duty. We have always accepted the
weekly reports made to the City coun-
oil by the City Treasurer, certified to
by the City Auditor and presented by
the chairman Of the Finance Committee
as the true refOrts Of city accounts.
This Ia supposed to embrace every item
which the city controls and there is not or
at least should not be any other fund
than embraced in the weekly reports.
Those who have read these reports in
the reported proceedings Of Council
could not but have noticed how careful,
" the different items were separated.
There was 80 much to the credit Of the
Board Of Education, and there was so
much out Of the fund for the building
Of Cool Spring Reservoir. These were
Ineligible reports, and everybody nm.
derstood them. There could he no
mistake. When on the 18th Of August
the report to the City Council showed
"a, 264, 90 in bank to the credit Of the
Board Of Education everybody believed
II because it was officially made BY the
proper ofiesrs, and when ono week
afterwards, 100000 was taken from
that amount and transferred to the
account Of current expenses thereby
reducing the amount credited to the
Board and increasing the current ex-
psnss account $1,000, everybody un-
derstood that transaction. The transfer
was plainly set forth. When therefore
another week afterwards the week.
ly report showed ss1,0O0 to the
credit Of current sxpsn ses and $4 ,O36.-
So to the credit of the Board Of EducA-
ton, everybody understood that. Both
items footed up in round numbers
$lO6, 900 in bank. There was no mis-
take about that, nobody disputed the
correctness Of the report. But Mr..
Guthrie had declared beforehand 10
often that there would be 100000 in
bank by the first Of September that he
found that he had to do something to
make good his promise or his reputa.
ton as financier would suffer. Then
came his supplemental report. 1t was
then that presuming upon the ignor-
sncs of the people Of city finances that
he conceived and put into operation the
little thin political trick Of trying to
make his word good, thinking perhaps
that none would discover and expose
it, at least before the election, by which
time he expected to be elected City
Treasurer. 1t was then that he conceived
the brilliant idea of making it appear
that, after all the report that was made
to City Council on Thursday last, there
were still 100000 in bank additional
to what had been reported to the credit
of the Board of Education. This amount
Mr.. Guthrie found, would make up the
deficiency and more. Added to the
$106, 900 reported it would make $780,
600. But then there had been orders
drawn by the City Council the week
before, about Sll 900 Of which had not
been called for, and should it be called
for it would still reduce the amount to
below Mr.. Guthrie's predictions. 1t
was not likely, however, that the
whole Of this $l1, 200 would be paid
out before the first of September, but
still it was best to make some provision
against it in case it should bs called
for. Then comes in the other happy
thought of Mr.. Gu:hries: "Why,
there is 81 900 in the hands of the COL
lectors not paid over yet, 'apd there is
81 500 paid to that fire company before
it was due, why cannot those amounts
be counted as in bank TO the credit of
the city ?" Certainly, Mr.. Guthrie,
why not Desperate cases need des-
perate remedies, so $500 more are
trumped up and added to the
total, making the sl2s,OOO odd dol
lars which Mr.. Guthrie reports. Now
then it is all fixed. 1t was not likely
that these creditors for whom orders
had been drawn amounting to $1l,-
900 would all come for their money,
and even if $4,000 were to be paid out
there would still be s120, 900 left ac
cording to Mr.. Guthrie's calculations