Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-14

| the Auditor Generals oflce, and q, IA
to Auditor General Thomas McCamant. TIL
kilograms show an appointment of Giraffe
with Bardsley on May 81, 1885,
On June 2, 1890, Auditor General Thoma
McCamant approved the bills for the mel
camille advertising which he and job
Bardsley had conjointly directed to be pub
lished in four Philadelphia newspapers
These bills aggregated S42, 865 90 and Johl
Bardsley's memoranda indicate that he go
S17, ,O76 from the publishers of the news
papers and paid 81, ,10S IS of it in '1arge'
bills, to some person unknown. The stu1
of the check on which the money was draw
is missing. 1t was paid on June II, 1890
In letter dated June 6, z 0, Auditor Gen
eral Thomas McCamant made an appoint
ment to meet John Bardslev at the office o
the latter at $50 p. M, on the 11th of June
On July 6, 1890, Auditor General Thoma
McCamant directed John Bardsley to inves
$40, 900 in railroad bonds for him.
On April IA, 1891, Auditor General
Thomas McCamant approved the bills o
the Philadelphia newspapers for advertis
ing the mercantile appraisement lists They
aggregated $46,656. They were paid b.
John Bardsley out of the State funds in hi
hands on April 10, 1891; and on the sam,
day he made a deposit in cash to his owl
account Of SIT, 1876; on April 18 he drew
check to the order of himself on this funt
for IS, 064 4Gand made an entry on its stub
"Mc myself in full, $S,064 40"
On January l, 1891, referring to an in
quiry by A, then, member of your body a:
newspapers for this advertising, Auditor
General Thomas McCamant wrote to JohI
Bardsiey that he had withheld the informa
tion desired and advising Bardsley before
going to first consult the newspapers that
made the publication.
ENORMOUS EXPENSES.
1t further appears that the five mercan.
tile appraisers for Philadelphia, appointed
by 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 advertise
ment and appraisement large list of ficti-
tious names, of persons not residing at the
places it designated, of persons from whom
they had reason to know no taxes could be
collected, persons whom they themselves
had, from year to year, exempted, and per-
sons against whom, again and again, the
Commonwealth, at enormous cost. had
brought fruitless suits for collection; so
that out of a total appraisement of
S529, 799 for retail merchants, brokers,
auctioneers and eating houses, billiards,
ETC., for the years 1889 and 1890, the de-
ductions for uncollectable taxes, half
the cost of publishing the list (the other
half being charged to the liquor icenses)
and the costs paid to magistrates and con-
stables in cases in which the Commonwealth
recovered nothing, amounted to nearly
$3.50, 900, or about half the entire assess
ment. Indeed, for the years 1SS5-1S90 in
elusive, the costs of advertising the mer-
camille appraisement lists in Philadelphia
alone were about S270, 1000, although the
Auditor General testified that no public ad-
vantage whatever resulted from this publica-
ton, and that it was an utter waste of public
For the same years the cost in de-
linquent cases aggregated over 100000 for
which not dollar was realized to Common
wealth; and the credits given for uncollect-
Ible taxes footed up S425, 000
The Auditor General in his testimony has
admitted, in substance, that no effort has
ever been made to determine the accuracy
Or the honesty of these returns. These
bills of expenses have been
and unquestioningly paid out of
he State treasury. Yet a searching inves-
igation, begun and in progress under the
present Treasurer of Philadelphia city and
county, has already disclosed wholesale
,adding of the lists for the purpose of de-
rauding the State, and endless ramifca-
ions of corrupt system.
THE STATE DEFRAUDED.
Indubitable proof is furnished that the
State has been defrauded out of its Just
evenues. The mercantile appraisement
looks of the past three years present evil
ence of this on their face; while those of
he four preceding administrations have en-
irely disappeared from the office; and the
Auditor General and ex-City Treasurers re-
ort utter ignorance of their whereabouts
So-called ''suits" to recover delinquent
Mercantile taxes appear to have been SIM
ly schemes to raid the State Treasury. By
ontrast. under improved methods, insti
uted this year under direction of the
treasurer of Philadelphia, thousands of
ollars have already been saved by not en-
aging the State in costly and fruitless liti-
alton and by honestly pressing to recover
Judgments against persons who have been
eretofore permitted to evade their debts
0 the Commonwealth. More has already
cen collected in this way for 1891 than in
ny previous year, though less than one
enth of the cases have been heard.
Ii view of the relations which are ad-
lifted and shown to have existed between
nc dppIdlbCIS, bnC lSJIdlCby Iu0 OlLy
reasurer and the Auditor Generals de-
this condition of things becomes
significant import.
Proceedings are now pending in the GRIM
lal courts against the mercantile apprais-
rs of Philadelphia, charged with conspiracy
, cheat and defraud the Commonwealth of |
In this connection, careful inquiry should
e made to ascertain whether there is "reas- |
nable cause" for the removal of any of the
Magistrates or constables of Philadelphia,
ecause of faithless or dishonest conduct in |
lie performance of their official duties.
81, 1866, ,37S SO EMBEzzLED.
From the testimony given by Thorn as Nc |
amant, Auditor General, and by Henry |
:. Boyer, State Treasurer, before the Joint |
legislative Investigating Committee, it ap- |
ears further that of the moneys collected |
Y John Bardsley for the Commonwealth of |
he has failed to pay over the |
flowing amounts:
srsonal property tax Gss9| ss9| .......s sssols Il
cense taxes Qs9O 9O................ 1904 Is
unicipal loans sta tax Gsso1 ~ So soso os5 80 90
Total. '............Sl,36 1856 37S SO
OF this total no. portion has been secured |
the Commonwealth except S12O, 900, the
tire amount of the license tax bond given
Bardsley, leaving due to the State about
$50, ZOO. In addition to this sum, there
Is paid to John Bardsley out of the State
easury, on December 30, 1890, 1920, 900 for
e public schools of the city of Philadel-
Tia. no portion of which was applied by
m for that purpose, and for the whole
lount of which the authorities of Philadel-
ia claim to have legal and moral obli-
tion against the Commonwealth. In
nat proportion the losses of these public
oneys shall be divided between the city
d the State is the subject of litigation not
t concluded. But, in any event. it ap-
ars that a total of 81, 7S6, 37S SO of money