Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-16
TOO MANY BIGSECRETS
Cause Much Trouble in the Ale
gheny Auditing Committee.
HENRICKs LEFT OUT IN THE COLD,
Leaders Confess to Withholding Some Of
tine Information,
FURTHER SURPRISES ARE PROMISED

swords last night, and the latter got the
worst of it. There has been hard feeling in
this committee for some time, and last night
it eliminated at the organization of the new
Auditing Committee.
Mr.. Henricks orffered resolution to dis
pose of the subcommittee and have the
auditors report direct to the entire commit
tee. His idea was for every member of the
committee to personally supervise the
work, and, as he was on the general COM
mittee, he felt sure of having a
finger in the pie. His motion was
talked to death. Then he offered
to withdraw it provided any member would
be given the right to look into the work of
the auditors as it progressed, but before he
could get action on this the meeting was ad-
journed. Then Chairman Gilliford leaned
back and composed his mind and the sub
committees. He, however, became so lost
in his silent reverie that he forgot the ex-
istence of one Henricks and his name does
not figure on either of the subcommittee.
Some Important Admissions Made.
Henricks, however, claims victory for
himself, for, in the process of talking his
motion to death, Chairman Clifford ad-
mitted that last year he withheld facts from
the general committee, but when the ball
was tossed to Henricks he was forced to
plead guilty to the same ofense.
In the course of the quiet talk across the
committee table DR.. Clifford intimated
that the end was not vet. and that books
and stubs had also been burned in the Office
vet to be investigated.
The meeting opened with the approval Of
bills and the auditors salaries, and then
Mr. Henricks offered his motion to abolish
the subcommittee, and in support of it
said the work for the year would not be
much like that of last year, when there was
a necessity for keeping portions of the pro-
ceedings secret. He said il had caused re-
flections to be made on those conducting
the audit, and he did not want it to occur
this year. Last year, he said, the members
of the general committee would hear re.
port of the subcommittee read and would
be called to act upon it before they had
time to digest its contents. He believed
the minor work of the audit should be given
in detail at the meetings Of the whole COM
mittee.
Many Meetings Without a Quorum.
Mr.. Gilliford-That would multiply meet
ings and you could not get quorum. We
need subcommittee to arrange the work
of the auditors and to explain it to the
other members. Unless overruled I pro-
pose to appoint two subcommittee of five
each, one on the audit and the other on
remedial legislation.
Mr.. Henricks-We have been criticised
in and out of Councils for just such work
and have been charged with delay and with
being too secret.
Mr. Eshelman-The auditors were a trife
chilly about giving information to people
not on the subcommittee last year and for
that reason manv of the members were not
anxious to make inquiries.
Mr. Henricks-One man has as much
right to know as any other, but last year
there were facts that it was not wise to give
out.
Mr. Parke-If facts were withheld by the
old Chairman of the sub-audit committee
frpm the general body must say it was not
right. s1
Mr.. Henricks-That was not done.
President Parke insisted on the necessity
of subcommittee and Simon Drum agreed
with him. Then Mr.. Gerwig declared that
as the committee was organized for only one
purpose there was no need of sub-com-
mittee. "We only have to examine" he
continued, ''the books of the Controller.
Treasurer and Delinquent Tax Collector,
and there have been no books burned or
records destroyed there"
''That's where you are mistakeB," broke
in Chairman Clifford.
Wants a Strong Light Turned On.
Gerwig again continued and said all the
light should be let in, no matter who it
strikes, and no one should be protected.
Mr. Lewis then said that he had often
visited the auditors, when the Chairman or
some member of the subcommittee would
come in and whisper to them, and he felt he
was not wanted there.
MI. Gilliford-I can explain that. We
had many charges brought to us and it was
not wise to make them public until in
vestigated. Some proved groundless and
were never investigated. You have the
same privilege, and if any charge is made to
you you can have the auditors investigate
some bogus warrants had been issued, but
we could not find any proof of it, and of
course it would not be right to tell such
matters to the general committee.
Then another talk ensued as to what the
auditors were to do this year. Mr.. Gill; |
ford said the street department was to be
"But it was," remarked Henrcks.
"And it will be again" replied Gilliford. |
Then Mr.. Henricks offered to withdraw
his motion on the conditions named above,
but the ruling was adjourned, and then
Chairman Clifford announced the follow |
ing subcommittee:
ub-Auditing-Drum, Chairman; Lewis, |
Paulin, Armstrong and Frienstein.
Remedial NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Chair |
man; Boutwell,, Henderson, John A. Born |
and Gerwig.
PROSPECTS OF A CHANGE