Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-22

4 IN
ne had always regarded Mr.. Grymes not 40
much as clerk az an officer clatbed v.;st ~
equal authority as himself. "''N
THOUGHT HE WOULD DO HIS Dirty uoxvur, =
IL was the duty Of Mr.. Gryrnes N koor
one OF the desk-books and in Tho ef,e,poelp' nocp
70 make up the Treasurer's daily renoTt
eo ane treasurer asserted that he had sunh
eonndence that Mr. Grymes would ner-
I3rin honestly his duty that no had moi
thonght he was called upon every dov to
Veflly his report, but that he had on some
occasions compared the report with the
general cash-book, but did not claim that
the desk-books and cash-settlement boots
Mr; Childrey further declared that no
lelt that as the Auditor made daily exani.
nation OF his books, together with the
uaily reports sent by the Treasurer. he
was SAFE IN relying upon the fidelity of the
Auditor to detect and report any errors
that might be discovered in his accounts.
WHY THE EnRoEs WERE NOT CORRECTED.
when the Treasurer was asked WHY the
errors noted by the Auditor on the Treasu-
rers books wtrs not promptly corrected
he replied that rs Mr.. Grymes kent the
books he had presumed he would make the
needed corrections. and that he had no
recollection of the Auditors ever HAVING
called his personal attention TO these die
crepancies, but that if he did he felt conf.
dent that he had promptly directed MIR.
Grymes TO make the needed corrections.
ana he naturally assumed that they had
been made.
Mr.. Chlldrey further insisted that the
Auditor should not have simply noted the
errors by pencil-mark on the books. but
that ne should have given notice TO him in
writing of any discrepancies.
WHY TIE PENALTY WAS NOT DEMANDED.
next called the Treasurer's attention 10
the fact that 1t appeared from his books
that large number of gas-bills had been
pald upon the day subsequent to the last
day allowed by law without the addition of
the penalty prescribed for the non-pay-
ment of bills. When asked by what an
thority he had remitted such penalties he
answered that whilst such would be pro-
per deduction TO be drawn from the dates
on his books, yet as a fact the bills had
been paid during the last day allowed
10y law for such payment, and he
then proceeded TO explain that on
these last days of payment the crowd
OF people IN the Office was so great
that it would have been impossible for
him TO have entered all these bills and
stlll had time enough left to make out his
daily report to the Auditor. SO that in
order to perform this aforementioned duty
he had found it necessary TO close his ac-
count on these days at 3 o'clock or earlier.
after which time all entries were made on a
new book, which bore the date of a subse-
quent day, so that the delinquency in these
cases was seeming but not real, and that
the money entered on the new book was
not reported to the Auditor until the next
day..
LONGER OFFICE HOURS.
was informed by Mr. Boudar that du-
ring the term Of Office of Nh Greenhow il
was proposed in the Council to require the
Treasurer TO keep his Office open every day
from an earlier hour in the morning until a
later hour in the afternoon. But the mAt-
ter was not pressed upon Mr. Greenhowb
giving assurance 20 the Finance Commit
tee that if the ordinance was not changed
he would on the last day on which gas and
water bills could he paid keep his office
open until 3 O'Clock in the afternoon, and
that this promise had been kept. But.
Notwithstanding this late hour of closing.
Mr.. GreenhOw was in the habit of ac-
received on that day.
COULD NOT EXPLAIN ANY PARTICULAR BILL.
next called Mr.. Childrey's attention to
the many cases reported by Mr.. BOudar, in
which It appeared upon the TreasuTer's
days after the last day fixed by ordinance
for the payment of such bills, and that in
these instances no penalties had been
charged He replied that he could not
now explain any particular bill, but that
he had never Intentionally remitted any
penalty of his OWE authority that in every
such case he had been authorized so to do
either by the Auditor. the Gas-lnspector,
or the Gas-Bill Clerk in the Auditors
&C a. n
the different excuses offered by the con-
sumers that in nearly all cases one or the
other of these gentlemen would author
iZe him to receive such bills without the
penalty bv redatinP the bills, and by en-
dorsing the same with their names or ini-
tials so as 10 show that five days had not
elapsed since they had been presented to
such consumers, that in some few cases
when the Auditor or Gas-lnspectoT was
busy he had been authorized by one or the
other Of them TO receive payment without
the penalty, without the bill being re-
dated.
WHAT THU. AUDITOR AND GAS INSPECTOR SAID,
When rhe Gas Inspector and Auditor
were asked by what authority they had re-
dated these bills, or had authorized Mr.
Childrey 10 remit any penalty they both re-
piled they thought they had authority I'M
der the ordinances and that they had only
done sowhen 1t was fair to the consumer
that il should have been done; and that
they had no recollection of ever having
authorized the Treasurer to remit pen
atty, except by redating bill ana attach
ing their signatures TO II.
CALLED GRYAIEs's ATTENTION TO THE ERRORS.
MIR. Turpin, the Auditor, was next asked
10 explain why in his examination or the
Treasurer's books and daily reports ne had
never discovered any of the several hun;
dred errors, which bad been since found
to exist in the accounts Kept oy MT
Grvmes. He replied that he had dls,
coyered many of these errors and had
noted them in the usual way on the Urea,
surer's books; that he had not only called
MIR. Grymes's attention to these errors,
but that he had on many occasions
called the attention of Mr.. Chlldrey 10
them and he remembered that IN regard
to Ave or six errors he had not only noted
them Us they occurred on the DOCKS anu
called Mr.. Childrey's attention TO them
frequently, but had many months later
taken a written memoranoum oi tnent "
Nr Cbildrey. but that with the exception
~ the last item they were still uncor-
rected. Mr.. Childrey declaring that 700
ronch time had elapsed since the errors
were noted, and that he would not correct
them.
7Uv TRE.sURER's REPORTS WERE TARDY.
The Auditor further stated that there
were many errors and discrepancies IN MT.
Grvmes's accounts which he was not aole
70 detect because the daily reports OF the
Treasurer were frequently not sent to the
Auditor al the time the desk-books were
b,onght in. as they should have been, SO
that there was no opportunity Tor tne pro
ner comparison of the reports with tne
II sometimes happened that these re re-
norts which should have reached his once
IN the afternoon of each day, were not
sent in for several days atterward.
thereupon asked the Treasurer Why
,bese reports had not been sent IN. whe5
be renIjed that hehad never been informed
That Nr. Grymes Lad failed to SEND IN re-
ports promptly.
MR.. Z. J. wARnEN's STATEMENT.
NJ, + J. Warren. clerk in the Auditor ;
office was positive that for seyerai lilohths !il
Drevious TO Mr.. Gryme3's suspension @ tne
6a;ly report and books from the treasurer st ;
office were never sent TO the Auultor on tile
came dav. He had frequently INSISTED tna'
such omissions Of duty should be correG.-
ed but he had never succeeded during tns
,,eriod named in securing the DOCKS anu
the reports on the same day.
...,s,ie tytpu,S oS THE INQUIRY.