Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-14

| admittedly correct copies are accessible 10
| you, Auditor General Thomas McCamant
wrote, gratefully acknowledging faTors
! received from John Bardsley. His state
ment as 70 the meaning OF these letters Will
be accessible to you.
In like terms Of acknowledgment for IA
vors sent him, at dates corresponding with
John BardSley's checks, William Llvsey
wrote frequent letters to him.
For example: John Bardsley received IN
terest monthly for the State moneys be was
permitted by the Auditor-General ana
State Treasurer TO retain and use, instead
Of paying them into the State Treasury, as
directed by law.
On April l, 1890. John Bardsley drew
check, of which the stub is missing, for
$500. On April ,, 1890, ne sent a registered
letter TO Auditor-G General Thomas Nc
Camant, ana another 70 Cashier William
Livsey, of which they acknowledged the
receipt
On May l, 1890, John Bardsley drew a
similar check for S666. In a letter OF May
3, 1890, Auditor General Thomas Mccain
ant says: please accept my thanks for
favOrs received this morning"
On June ?, 1890, John Bardsley drew
like check for S666. In a letter 70 him,
dated June (, 1890, Auditor General Than
as McCamant says: Your favor OF yes
terday received and you will accept my
thanks"
On July 8, 1890, John Barnsley drew a
check for some unknown person for 500
On July 8, 1890, he received a letter In
which Auditor General Thomas McCamant
says: II have your favor and you Will
please accept my thanks"
On August ,, 1870,
JOHN BARDsLEY'S HECK,
Of which the stub has disappeared, was
drawn for 500. Auditor General McCam-
ants letter of the same date says: You
will pleaselaccept my thanks for favors re-
Ceived." On August D, 1880, Cashier WIN.
Llvsey wrote: Your complimentary note
received. Many thanks
On MAY 81, 1889, Auditor General Nc
Camaut approved the bills Of the Philadel-
phia newspapers for advertising the mer-
camille ADVERTISEMENTS for 80, 122.61. On
the same day, according 70 John BardSley's
memoranda, he paid them and received
SIG 2S9 O4 from the newspapers in which he
and Auditor General Thomas McCamaut
had conformity directed the mercantile ap-
praisements 70 be advertised. On these
J briOes John Bardsley's books represent
that be paid -, 200 10 a. n. Gratfen, clerk
in the Auditor Generals Office, and &, IA %
TO Auditor General Thomas McCamant
The telegrams show an appointment Of
Graffen with Bardsley on May 81, lSS9.
1t further appears that the five mercan-
tile appraisers Tor Philadelphia, appointed
bv John Bardsley and Auditor General
| Thomas McCamant, have, during each OF
! the years in which they have exercised the
duties of their Office, returned for adver-
/ tisement and appraisenent large list OF
I fictitious names of persons not residing at
I the places it designated, of persons from
/ whom they had reason to know no taxes
/ could De collected, persons whom they them
I selves had, from year to year, exempted,
and persons against whom, again and
again, the Commonwealth, az enormous
| cost, had brought fruitless suits for collec-
I ton; 50 that out of total appralse-
ment of S523, TJ9 for retail merchants,
/ brokers, auctiOueers, and eating houses,
/ billiards, etc, for the years 1889 and 1890,
! the deductions for unc0llecta6le taxes, half
the cost Of publishing the list (the other
I half being charged TO the liquor hcenSes)
and the costs paid to magistrates and con-
/ stables in cases in which the Common
/ wealth recovered nothing, amounting 10
/ nearly S25O.OOO, or about half the entire as
| sessmeut. Indeed, for the years 1855
! 1890, inclusive the costs Of advertising the
mercantile appralSement lists IN Phlladel-
pbia alone were about s310,0 although
. The Auditor General testified that no pub
Z lie advantage whatever resulted from this
publication. and that it was an utter waste
of public moneys. For the same years the
costs in delinquent cases aggregated over
500. 600. for which not a dollar was realized
10 the Commonwealth; ana the credit
given for uncollectaOle taxes footed up
S425, 900.
Indubitable proof is furnished that the
State has been defrauded out OF its Just
revenues. The mercantile appraisement
books of the past three years present evil
I 4, .,fA hf m
, the four preceding administrations have
entirely disappeared from the Office; and
the Auditor General and eX-City TreaSur-
ers report utter Ignorance Of their where
abOutS.
FROM THE TESTIMONY GIVEN
bv Thomas McCamant, Auditor General,
and bv Henry X Boyer, State Treasurer,
befor the Joint Legislative Investigating
Committee. 10 appears further that of the
moneys collected by John Bardsley for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, he has
failed to pay over thefollowing amounts:
Personal property tax OS9O) )........s e22 olS II
(lS9D ........ SS9S%S 70
License taxes OS90l ................. S67,60l>lS
" uSgn.................. 1897 81
Municipal loaRs taK................. $1,000 80
AoEH4 Atcsootc 10
/ Ofthis total no lErtiOn has been secured
| to the Commonwealth except Sl2O,OOO.
/ From the testimony Of Thomas Mccain
! ant, Auditor General, given before the
I Joint Legislative Investigating Committee,
I and from an examination of the books Of
I the State Department in the Treasurer's
Office Of Philadelphia city and county ii
I appears that nearly all the moneys collect
/ ed for the Common wealth, on account of
/ personal property tax are received by the
/ City and County Treasurer, and were in
I particular received by John Bardsley, be-
/ fore the first OF August in each year. The
+ act of June l. 1889, Up. l, 421), under which
/ these taxes are levied, prescribed that the
/ several counties and cities collecting them
\ ION the first Monday of September shall
pay into the State Treasury all such sum
\ or sums.
| OF the taxes collected for 1890, amount
/ ing 70 S5S5, 56321, no portion was paid on
\ the first Monday Of September, nor on the
! second Monday of November following On
| December 81. 1890. $3.50, 600 was RENTED TO
/ the Commonwealth by John Bardsley, but
/ on the same day thiSwas returned TO him
I by the fiscal and auditing officers Of the
I State. On January lS, 1891, il was again
\ paid into the State Treasury BY BGrdsley,
/ and after that time no portion of the per-
SOnal property taxes collected for 1890 were
! paid into the State Treasury, and 1882,
/ or II Of public moneys have on this account
been embezzled, stolen and lost.
AMONG TIE PAPERS
/ Of John Bardsley is found a letter from
/ the state Treasurer, Henry k Boyer,
/ dated Harrisburg, December %, 1890, in
I which that official says: II lind can get
along without any money this month from
vOu" Bardsley having in his hands at
/ that time, Of State moneys, 81, ,456, SIS 96
nearly all of which bad been collected BY
/ him prior 70 August l, 1870, and most of
/ which has been embezzled, stolen and lost.
II a letter dated November "a 1890. Au-