Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-08-27
Our Town Government.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND
THE SERGEANT.
Errors DiscSvered-A Full
Statement for Taxpayers.

At a recent meeting of the Coun-
ell of Martinsburg the following
majority and minority reports were
submitted in relation to the settle
ment with the Town Sergeant.
To the Honorable Mayor and Mem
berS Of the Council.
GENTLEMEN:
| beg leave to submit the follow
ing report. / am sorry that my
convictions of right and my duty to
the taxpayers of Martinsburg, as
one of their representatives in this
council, compels me to disagree with
the majority of the Finance Com
mittee in our report on settlement
with the Sergeant. In submitting
this report it is necessary for me to
90 back over the whole ground and
sum up the whole matter from the
beginning, that the council may
properly understand it and my posi-
ton. 1t has been charged that l
am actuated by enmity toward the
Sergeant, and am endeavoring to
have him removed and Mr.. PitZer
put in his place. There is not one
word of truth in this. Mr.. PitZer,
as | learn, does not want the posi-
ton, and would not have it under
the circumstances. | have no enmi-
ty against the present Sergeant, and
only demand of him what my duty
as a councilman and member of the
Finance Committee would compel
me to demand of any man in the po-
sition, viz: that he discharge the
duties faithfully, and that his books
and reports must show it. Now let
us examine all the facts in the case
and see whether | am not justified
in my course in refusing to sign the
majority reports, which have been
submitted by the Finance Commit
tee-in fact, whether under my oath
as a member of this council, | could
with these facts before me, sign the
reports which have been submitted
here.
In the beginning of our settlement
with the Sergeant, it was discover
ed. after several weeks of patient eX-
animation, that he had put in as
vouchers, old bills to the amount of
$500. which had not been given to
him by the Finance Committee, and
with which he was not charged.
The Committee was instructed to
investigate the matter. They sum-
moned witnesses, heard testimony
and then submitted a report, which
refused to sign, setting forth in
substance that the Sergeant did not
know how OF where he got the bills,
that he was not to be blamed for
having them and putting them into
his settlement as vouchers to the
amount OF $400-and that no one at
all was to blame for such, to say the
least. gross carelessness and incom-
potency. | thought that transac-
ton like that, subjecting the corpo-
ration to possible loss of $500, was
too grave a matter to be whiteWash-
ed and dismissed with the report
that nobody was to blame. Some
body was blameable, and | refused
to sign the report. The committee
next took up the matter of Bank
taxes. In the examination it was
found that the Sergeant had receiv-
ed from the Finance Committee four
tax bills two on each Of tile banks
the amount aggregating about
$2400. He then made out separate
tax bills against individual stock
holders, and collected on the tax
bills made out by himself. | refus-
ed to sign the majority report on
this matter, because it contained no
word of reproof for such palpable
violation of an ordinance. The Ser.
geant had no right or authority to
make out any tax bills. The FL
nance Committee should have made
them out, turned them over to the
Sergeant and taken his receipt,
therefor. This would have prevent
ed any complications of the matter.
AS it was, the Finance Committee
had no means of knowing how much
of this tax was collected, except as
reported by the Sergeant. After my
objections were made, the majority
report was withdrawn and another
report made, to which | made no OBJ
jections as to amount reported col
lected, &c, but did object, and do
still object to the fact that the com
mittee gave the Sergeant a receipt
for $3.50, amount of bills made out
by himself, when in the final settle
ment he gets receipt for the origi-
nal bills, thus having two receipts
for the same amounts represented
by the original bills and the spurious
bills made out by himself. Again,
in our settlement with the Sergeant
for old bills placed in his hands, it
was found that he had kept no ac-
count Of interest collected and the