The Portland daily press., 1886-01-01

his annual report OF follows:
PORTLAND, Dec. %, 1885.
To the Officers and Members of the Citizens
Mutual Relief Society of Portland.
AS your Secretary, | beg respectfully to
report that have received during the year,
viz:
For deposits for admission fees.........$ 208.0O
For annual assessments. 80. ............. $4,000
Making my total receipts for the year SIS, 117oo
which amount have paid to the treasurer.
There were at the commencement of the
year 1047 members, and admitted during the
year 50 members, making total of 1893
members.
There have died during the fiscal year 10
members. and dropped for nOn-payment of
dues 10, leaving the present membership
1861, not including those admitted this even
ing.
The death rate has been 3-5 per cent for
the year.
Two death claims are in process of collec-
ton. Respectfully submitted,
nj. n. RICH, Secretary.
1t was moved and seconded that the re-
port of the secretary be laid upon the table
and the motion was carried.
President Kingsbury announced that the
next business should be the election of Off
GERS, but if the members wished to hear the
report of the expert, Mr.. John 0. Rice, it
would be read. The question was put and
carried by large majority. Mr.. d. orc.
O'Donoghue rose to question of privilege
and demanded report from the directors
the employment of an expert not
being provided for in the rules of the So
ciety.
Judge Kingsbury explained the circum-
stances attending the employment of an ex-
pert. An auditing committee examined the
books every three months and made an ex-
animation at the time Mr.. Brown assumed
the office of treasurer last August. Subse-
quently, the examination by the auditing
committee not being considered sufficient,
Mr.. Rice was employed. In concluding
President Kingsbury said that the society
had voted to listen to the report of the ex-
pert, and unless motion was made to recon-
slider that vote, he should invite Mr. Rice to
read his report. Several members expressed
a desire to hear the report, and Mr.. Rice read
his report as published in the PRESS some
days ago.
Mr. ODonoghue renewed his request for
the report of the directors. He said that
there was evidently wide discrepancy be-
tween the books and the funds of the asso-
citation, and again demanded report before.
the business was proceeded with.
President Kingsbury explained that the
report of the secretary and treasurer had al
ways been regarded as the report of the
board of directors.
Mr. Cannon wished to ask few questions.
He said that the association had been swim
died, and wanted information as to who
were the responsible parties. In concluding
he moved that committee of nine be nomi-
mated from the floor to nominate officers.
Mr.. Cannon subsequently withdrew his
motion.
Hon. Byron D. Verrill said that before
Mr.. Gammon's motion was put, he would
like to ask question or two. He said that
from the reports published he did not know
whether the association or the secretary had
been swindled and would be glad if either
the secretary or expert would make some ex-
PLANTATION. Mr.. Verrill did not understand
whether the living members or the dead
members and their heirs had been defrauded.
If the association is owing death claims, the
members want to know it.
Mr. Rice said that every death assessment
had been offset by payment to this date,
but that an examination at any previous
time would have shown that an amount had
been taken from the permanent fund to off
set the amount stolen from the assessment
fund.
Mr. John M. Mitchell asked how the mon
ey could have been taken from the perma-
nent fund if that was kept-by the treasurer.
Mr.. Brown said that the fund was held by
the treasurer, and Mr.. Rice explained that
the permanent fund was kept with the
death payment fund, and not as a distinct
fund.
Mr. M. G. Palmer said that the treasurer's
account had been found to be correct. He
understood the money stolen to have been
taken from the amounts received by Mr..
Rich's clerk He said he thought the expla-
nation was not clear. Going little outside
his line of argument, Mr.. Palmer thought
some means should be devised to put the in
stitution on a firm basis, without drawing on
the permanent fund. The society was worth
saving, and its preservation depended large
ly upon its permanent fund being allowed to
remain intact. Mr.. Palmer mentioned as
means of overcoming the present difficulties
a contribution from the members, and as his
own plan, the speaker recommended an as
sessment varying in amount according to the
age of each member, and payable in ten
payments.
Mr. Donohue said that before proceeding
to the election of officers, the members de-
manded an accurate knowledge of the
account of the deficit and where the respon-
sibility for it rested. There must be no
lid ic H.
must come to the line. The expert has made
his report to the directors, but the society
looks to it's officers for an account of their
trust
Mr.. L. A. Cloudy asked, as the first step,
that the exact amount of the defalcation be
stated.
The treasurer said that the deficit on four
death claims was about $3650, and there was
$491 on hand applicable to the payment of it.
Mr. Goudy then said that no assessment
should be levied, in his opinion, but that the
Indebtedness should be liquidated out of the
permanent fund, after which the association
would still have $1,000 to begin anew with.
In reply to question from the floor Judge
Kingsbury explained that the secretary had
bond for $1,000 which was good.
Mr. Donohue asked for an explanation by
the secretary.
Mr. Rich then said that he received money
and paid it to the treasurer, paying no bills.
He said his reports had been correct. He
had been secretary for nine years and had
devoted as much as possible of his time to
the work. The members must have an idea
of the extent of his labors. He had received
a yearly salary varying from $500 to $3.50 and
had employed a clerk in whom he had implic-
it confidence. The books had been carefully
examined by Mr.. Rich from day to day and
the clerks work had been carefully super
vised. Mr.. Rich said that every business