The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-30
EVERGREEN CEMETERY.
Detailed Statement of the Trustees.

By reference to the books Of the City Treas
urer we notice that the Trusteesof Evergreen
Cemetery on Saturday last turned over to the
city as the result of long and tedious in
vestigation into the accounts and finan-
cial connection of Chas. Ramsay (ate Super
1ntendenD at the time of retiring from that po-
sition, the sum of S813.9O, which from the
statement OF settlement on file, is for defcien-
cies in bills and am ounts collected during a
space of few years past, which have been To-
Gated by the Trustees and assumed by Mr.. Ram
say.
In our issue of November LIST we published,
at the request of the Trustees, card, asking
the public to withhold comment upon certain
statements set forth in the issue of the Argus
OF October 80, rejecting strongly uron the past
management of the cemetery.
In certain statements made by tho PRESS, In
connection with the publication of the card of
the Trustees, we suggested tn t any interfer-
ence with the work of investigation (then in
progress by the Trustees) by any committee of
the City Council, would embarrass rather
than aid the Trustees in the work which they
had undertaken of arriving at, as far as posi-
BILE, the city's just due as between it and Mr..
Ramsay. and further suggesting that the trus-
tees would undoubtedly lay the result of their
labors before the City Council when the mat
ter would be transferred to it, and such action
as was deemed expedient could then properly
be taken.
In conversation with Mr. Small of the Trus-
tees his position in the matter we find to be
mainly that of the PRESS. The Trustees he
says are but servants of the city appointed by
the Mayor and confirmed by the Aldermen
They are entrusted with not only financial
and business trust, but as we'll most sacred
one. That to transfer to an agent or superinten-
dent the charge and control of duties and la
bcrs growing out of that trust was not trans
fer of responsibility or any relief from it as
between the, city and the Trustees. The
Trustees were the only party the city knew
Mr.. Small was one Of the Trustees who voted,
as the record shows, to continue Mr.. Ramsay
in charge, and although Mr.. Ramsay was
shortly retired as Superintendent, yet Mr..
Small's obligation as a Trustee required him,
in connection with the other trustees, to see
thatthe city did not suffer by any act of
theirs Having pursued the matter as far as
possible with the facts in their possession, the
Trustees had at the earliest moment secured
the city by settlement with Mr.. Ramsay.
Mr.. Small objects, and it appears to us WISE
ly, to an investigation of the Trustees BY
themselves. He prefers that the city which
has entrusted one of its important interests to
board of trustees should be the Judge of how
that trust had been handled. If the City Coun-
Gil desired, now that settlement has been
effected, to institute a searching investigation,
while as q Trustee he should regret the neces
sity Of the step he should assist any committee
the of City Council in arriving at any facts of
rublic Importance in connection with the
management of Evergreen Cemetery
Upon examination of the detailed statement
We find the following: