Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-28
THE EXPERTS REPORT.

Apparent Discrepancies Of Seven
Hundred and Forty-Four Dollars In
Ex.Clerk Waldron's Accountability |
the Department of Sewer Permits |
Investlgated-The Examination to |
be Continued and TO Embrace All |
MISUNDERSTANDING of the Board
of Public Works Yesterday. ---
AT special meeting of the board of
public works held yesterday afternoon at
2:30 o'clock all the members of the board
were present except Commissioner Brown.
The meeting was held for the express pur-
pose of hearing the report of the expert
accountant who at the last meeting of the
board was instructed to investigate the
books of the department in reference to
the alleged discrepancies In the account of
the late clerk, Frederick d. Wsldron.
When the meeting was called to order
only four of the commissioners were pres
emit. Commissioner Sullivan not arriving
until after 2 o'clock. The expert account
ant, A. n. Morse, who Has examined the
books, was not present but Commissioner
Todd had written report from and signed
by him, which he read at the meeting. Mr..
Waldron was also present, as was his
counsel, Andrew J. Ewing of Birmingham,
who represented him in consequence of
tho inability Of Attorney Williams to be
present. Prior to the meeting the contents
of the report were made known to Mr.. Wal
dron.
After the report had been road q gen.
eral discussion followed. after which the
following vote was passed with view to
continuing the investigation. The vote
was as follows:
Voted-That the partial report of the COM
mittee on investigation Of the accounts of +. H.
Waldron, late clerk OF this board be referred
back to said committee, and they be authorized
to employ suitable accountants to continue said
invest'gatiou and report to the board when in
dition Of said accounts during the connection of
said clerk wi the department. to report not
later than four weeks from December q, 1892.
The report. presented to the board for
| the limited tins the experts have had Is
apparently very complete. In 1t no al
| fusion Is made to any other account than
| that of sewer permits. If discrepancies
| exist in other departments of the public
| works, they have not been ascertained, for
| all the available tins was necessary to
probe the sewer department, which was
that in which President Todd found nine
instances of apparent alteration.
The discovery of the discrepancies in the
accounts of one department makes it pos
sible that they exist in others. The clerk
of the board receives money for other mat
tiers as follows: For discharge of liens,
for cobble cutters, for removing snow, fol-
sale of materials. for walks and curbs, for
making connections with gas aud water
mains, for making repairs with steam
pipes and setting poles.
For this reason it will be necessary fol
the board, in order to fully ascertain the
extent of the manipulations of accounts
to continue the investigation In every de
partment. 1t was for this purpose thai
the vote above referred to was passed.
The report of the investigation, as far a.
made, is as follows:
NEW HAVEN, Dec 26, 1892.
Messrs. Todd and Maley, Committee of tn,
Board of Public Works:
Gentlemen: The limited time allowed
for report on the accounts of the late clerl
of your board has permitted the exsmina
ton of only small portion of his accounts
In order to be enabled to report oonclu
sively on some portion I have mainly con
the sewer permit stubs. Commencing
with stub sol of September I, 1884, ant
continuing to date, making a comparison o
amounts show n by stubs with the amount
| shown to have been paid to the collector o
licenses and permits as per his receipts
Preparation has been made for simila
examination of receipts for discharge O
liens, but thus far no work has been don
on remaining sewer permits (prior to Sep
TENDER I, 1884, nor on his accounts o
water and miscellaneous permits, cobbl
gutter accounts, walks and curbs, remove
of snow and various other accounts, and
! | is evident that with the volume of entire
1t will be matter of some weeks time +
complete such examination.
On making request for the cash book
covering the period of Mr.. Waldron's CLERK
ship, I am told that with the exception @
one covering the period from December {
1890, to March 8, 1892, inclusive, they car
not be found; but (assuming that receipt
from liens, cobble cutters, etc. have bee
correctly credited to the parties maxim
payment on the other booke) the absenc
of the cash books will be no particula
hindrance to comparison of those account
and discovery of any possible disorepar
cies.
The errors thus far disclosed In the CON
parison of the permits with collectors re
ceipts are as follows:
. 1sss-July to July IS, stubs 7s8 to s15
amount to. .........................S SOL
Collectors receipts for payment for
same lb. lS I