Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-26
THE DEFICIENCY SHOWN.
An Open Letter In Reply 10 ihs ciiy Audiler.


M. Edgar 5. Turner, City auditor.
DEAR Sin: l have read with . moiety
Of interest and considerable degree of
amusement your communication in the
DAILY KESxEBEc JOURNAL of the oath inst. ;,
wherein you claim q criticism upon your
(.'my") method of keeping accounts" and
/ regret to notice high degree of nervous
ness under the assumed criticism. Ner-
vousness in q certain degree has been de-
fined by eminent authority a. akin to that
bsshfulness which arises in = person from
a seioutness of weakness under the
thought or impression that he is the central
figure of observation. or criticism. Permit
me to quiet your excitabili.y, and to assure
you that your "method Of keeping &C.
counts" 10 not Of the slightest consequence.
and that neither you nor your "method'
were thought Of in writing my Zone Item
in the DAILY KESNEBEc JOURNAL of the
22d. Give yourself no uneasiness; no one
will trouble himself to even think of your
methods" except from the humane motive
Of saving you from an attack Of nervous
prostration, unless your own egotism should
provoke q rebuke.
Asa sworn public officer it 10 to he as
sumed that your official statements are cor
rect, and thank you for your communica-
ton in the JOURNAL of the 24th. 1t shows
exactly what claimed regarding the state
ment in the New Age of the 10th,
"Mat if .Jalse in one point the whole
is false." The New Age said: "nstead
Of being overdrawn the auditors report
shows that the net unexpended balance OF
appropriations for the year almost closed is
$2G, 4s5 49,"
called attention to the only item in your
report which on its face showed the state
ment to be false in one point, that Of abate
ments. Seven hundred and fifty dollars
were appropriated, S793.7l of that ap-
preparation manifestly could not be I'M
expended. I could rot know that S5S3.52
of overdrawn discounts of 1892 were in
cluded in your Sc ,944 SO discounts stated
in your report. But you have come to my
assistance in proving over your. official
signature the falsity of the claim of the
New Age.
You say, 1.-THE balances of other &C.
cd in ho
the balance of Attachments and discounts
Very good, the statement is accepted.
What is the result? March l, 1898, you
found undrawn balances amounting to
SIG, 1858 "a; you found overdrawn balances
as follows
Discounts, $3.50 81
Deficiency, 81 # go 96
Or you found net uldrawn
balances of, % $lG,231 rs
Th, sum left undrawn March l, 1898,
you placed to the credit of the appropria.
tons of 1898, and yet on Feb. l, 1894,
you have only an undrawn balance of $780,
4s5.73. Deduct what you brought for
ward, $l6,237 80, and you have undrawn
of the appropriations Of 1898, S10,247.75.
Only SlO,247.75 remaining unexpended
Feb. LIST, 1894, with Sl7.438 Sc of liabili-
ties as shown by your report, not to men,
ton abstements, salaries, snow bills, fire
department bills, lighting streets, police,
and all the various outstanding accounts
amounting probably to $4,000 90 more,
all to be provided for, making an aggre-
gate Of not less than s34 900 90 to be paid
with net une1pended balance of the ap-
propristions of 1898 Of S10,247 20.
Now don't get excited, Mr.. Auditor. keep
in view the fact, that / am not criticising
your accounts, or your methods, or eren
stating rhether or not they are susceptible
of criticism, am simply demonstrating by
yow report, and yor communication
that the claim of the New Age is not true.
One other item, that of Deficiency. You
report that account overdrawn $l59.Gs.
OF that sum You brought forward from the
previous year $37.44. 1t then appears that
Sl,l22.24 of outstanding bills of the pre-
vious year have been paid instead Of ST.
1865. The estimate of the auditor, see
pages IS and 81 city reports, was $1,000
l sincerely hope you will be able to make
as close an estimate for the next city gov
eminent.
might reply to you closing paragraph,
in the same spirit in which it was evidently
written, but you are the officer whose duty
it is to render correct statement of the
city's financial affairs, if you do that, the
process by which you arrive at the facts, il
the facts are gicen, will not be of the slight
est consequence.
with malice towards none, with charity
for all" even for the New Age. whom you
have mislead, though am bound to believe
Internationally,
remain very respectfully,
OBSERVER.
Republican Caucus Tonight.