The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-02
THE OLD, OLD STORY
OF MUNICIPAL MIsMANAaEMENT.
Frauds that Have Been Prastiesd On the Ta1paI'rs
Of the Quaker City-ThIsVlns Tax COllSsIOrs
Who Aulctsd innocent PsOpIS-HOW
the Rrauds We're Worked.

| IhlLADELptlAI December In re
port made to-day to the City Council BY
John Hunter, Receiver OF Taxes, It |.
stated that although the examination Of the
books in his department OF the city gov.
ernment is not much more than com
menced, md although the examination
has been retarded by the Acting Collector
Of Delinquent Taxes, VIM. J, Donohough,
SO much has been developed as to show
that the city Of Philadelphia has been
largely defrauded. He then lays before
the Council some OF the results OF bis ex-
animation, with the remark that he cannot
ut this time estimate the amount due the
city, but, perhaps, some OF it may be re-
covered.
SPECIFIED FRAUDS.
The frauds, so far us discovered, are d.
vided Us follows
First-Remission OF penalties in viola
ton Of the city ordinance.
Second-Presentation OF bills to tax.pay-
ems fPr amount in excess OF actual assess
ment.
Third-Presentation Of bills and cOIlec-
tion OF taxes on property actually exempt,
Fourth-Fraud by raising, the allow
ance OF the Board OF Revision in "a. In the
Eighth ward alone the Board Of Revision
allowed, in aggregate on assessments,
over $4,000, This allowance was raised
to over 100000. Taxpayers were credited
with proper allowances, but false allow
ances were deducted from the returns made
to the City Treasurer. In the same year
the balances were forced, and commune
cation from Comptroller Pattison on this
class OF frauds is appended,
Fifth-Retention OF moneys from the
city treasury for months and years after
their payment.
Sixtl-Collection Of large amounts OF
tax on personal property paid by owners,
but never paid into the city treasury. An
example OF this is shown by the Trust
COmpanS exhibiting q receipt for over
81, 900 paid, which has never yet reached
the city treasury.
OTHER FRAUDS.
Other kind OF frauds have been discoy-
cred, but the Receiver OF Taxes has not
yet been able to examine them carefully.
Such, for instance, as the drawing OF war.
rants for much larger amounts than were
due for the amount Of work performed,
signing fraudulent names to warrants,
making out bills to taxpayers without the
proper discount, or charging in excess OF
the penalty in each case and pocketing the
overcharge. The communication from
Comptroller Pattison stated that the rec
Ords Of the Department contain no entry
OF the payments Of money at interest OF
the Girard Life Insurance and Trust Com
pany from 1872 to 1875.
In addition to this and other admissions
Of payments, the Comptroller finds that
during "a, in one ward, (the Eighth the
allowances made OF money at an interest
amounted to $0O0,3lS. Oithis sum but $I70,-
4lS was allowed by the Board OF Revision.
The balance, $420, 900, was increased by the
clerks raising the figures certified to by the
Board Of Revision.
The Comptroller adds: In order toaccom.
plish the fraudulent entries there must
have been colusion between the tax re-
ceivers and comptrOlleS department, and
a system adopted by which the treasury
was annually robbed OF thousands Of dol.
lars. The false allowances appear all
through from the entry OF the payment Of
taxes TO the taking Off Of the balance sheet.
The Comptroller at the time referred TO
in the report was Samuel 2. Hancock; tax
receiver, Thomas j. Smith.