The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-04-25
THE IRISH STANDARD: SATURDAY. APRIL IS.
WANTS a FURTHER EXPLANATION
Ex-Secretar7 e. A. O'Bnen Takes E1cep-
tion to Statements Made In Late
Report Of the U. T. a,
Union.

Report of the U. Z. a,
Union.
To the Editor of The Irish Standard.
VEAzIE, Wis, April %.
In your issue of the 1Sthth inst, find
over the signature of A. W. Gutridge,
Union Secretary, a correspondence pur-
porting to be resume of the proceed
ings of the Board Of Government of the
G. T. A. Union, held at Oretin hall, st.
Paul, on Sunday the 18th inst. Pres UNI
ably this means the Archdiocesan Union
OF St. Paul, although not so stated. In
his report MIR. Gutridge makes two short
statements to which desire, most re-
spectfuily and as briefly as possible, to
call the attention of all members of the
Union. They are as follows:
1. s'Ex- Secretary E. A.. O'Brien's &C.
count was charged with $239. Al. beng
amount collected by him.
@. lit was found that some societies had
paid national tax in excess of what they
should have paid, aggregating above
$25."
Statement number one is very blind
Will Mr.. Gutridge please inform the
members of the Union how he happens
to announce that $239. AZ was the
amount collected by Ex-Secretary E. A.
O'Brien, when the books now in Mr..
Gutridge's possession will show that
while secretary, I collected nearly, if not
quite. four tines chat amount? Will he
(or the Board OF Government, through
him) please inform the Union what ex-
Secretary E. A. O'Brien's account is,
and why $3.50 Al should be charged
against it? Off-hand statements such as
[ have called attention TO are not as a
rule satisfactory, unless accompanied by
fuller explanation. There is an implied
injustice in the two sentences quoted
above, which I prefer NOT to pass unno-
ticed The members OF the Union have
an undoubted right to be informed,
through complete and authentic reports,
OF all details connected with the financial
and statistical affairs of the organization.
Soon after my resignation as secretary,
I made and transmitted to President
Mcclure, a complete financial and sta
tlstical report, showing all receipts and
all disbursements, a'ld 6 comparative
statement of the membership Of the
Union for the years ended June, 1883
and 1890, as shown by the official annual
reports OF societies. I am prepared to
prove that every statement and every
figure inserted in that report was abso-
lutely correct. requested OF the Board
of Government that committee be ap-
pointed to examine the report, and that
it be published in full, together with the
committees conclusions thereon. Mr,
Mc(4uire informed me by letter that
such committee would be appointed, and
shat would be notified when a meeting
of the Board was to be held, in order
that I might appear aud make my neces~
sary explanations with regard to the re-
port. J. have never received s::ch Motif
cation. Neither my report, or tine report
Of an auditing committee (lf such was ap-
pointed) have ever been published.
They were smothared. L made the re-
guest for publication Of the report as az
act OF justice to myself. to which I sup
posed I was entitled. For nearly three
years + gave all that was my own Of
money, tirae OF talent ia the effort to adj
vance the interests OF the Union. While
perhaps undeserving in other ways, / fell
! had claim TO Justice on those grounds,
if on no other. L have not received it.
I am earnestly DESTROYS chat every CT
fetal act of mine, especially with regard
to the Union finances, while | was secre-
tary, shall be completely, and in every
detail made known 10 all the member Of
the Union, and shall personally take it
upon myself to see that such shall be
done. In the 1neanrme I can afford to
wait vet awhile aud Learn for a certainty
whether it is the intention of the Board
OF Government to do Justice in this mat
ter.
In regard to statement number two.
i. e., societies paying more national tax
than they we're entitled to, will simply
say it is not true. Societies we're as
sessed for all per capita taxes on the
number of members stated in their Of
fetal reports. No society ever paid more
tax than those reports demanded should
be levied IN accordance with the laws of
the Union. The greatest difficulty found
was that some societies failed to pay any
assessment at all.
The words have written in this COM
munication are prompted by no feelings
of resentment or ill-will towards any one.
I simply aim to protect myself, and hope
shall be able to demonstrate / am cap