The herald., 1895-08-09
Investigation of City Officials
Books Closed
SHORTAGES. DUE TO ERRORS
Labor Claims on the Bear Valley Com.
pany Being Paid Off
Death Of q Prominent Woman = Frult
Cutters Strike -Incplent Fire In
q Residence

SAN BERNARDINO, Aug. 8. : The
Bear Valley Irrigation company today be-
gan paying off the straight labor claims
some time ago, and the payment means
the immediate distribution of between
$4,000 and $4,000 among the people TO whom
1t is due in this city and in Redlands.
Word was received at the office Of the
company .in Redlands yesterday after
noon. and this morning Secretary Il. A.
Psrdee commenced making payment.
taking the names OF the creditors in
alphabetical order, and making out
checks for them. They will be delivered
as soon as the demand is made for them.
The first installment of money, which
was received yesterday afternoon,
amounted to $4,000. The balance, nearly
$4,000, will be remitted within day or
two, and the complete payment will then
be made.
These claims have been owing for over
two years. and the putting of this amount
into circulation will be felt all over the
valley and will bring ease and comfort to
many scores Of homes.
The experts appointed by the finance
committee of the board of city trustees
have reported, and their report is now in
the hands OF the city clerk. Its contents
have not been made public, and are
known only to the experts who made the
investigations, to members of the finance
committee and to other members OF the
board OF trustees who may have read
the report.
But enough has been learned to settle
the matter beyond question that the in
vestigation has been profitable to the
city, and as result over $1,000 has been
paid into the city treasury already, as
shown by the treasurer's report for June,
while it is certainly known that at least
$50U more in shortages has been found, and
it 10 expected that these amounts. dis
tributed among the various Off ces, will be
made good to the city.
The shortages occurred in the city
clerks. assessors and maTshal's offices.
and the experts report that in every case
these deficits are due to faulty method
, OF keeping accounts. They say that the
books have been carelessly kept and are
inclined to the belief that it was to this
that the shortages are due, rather than
to an intent to defraud the city on the
part Of the officers concerned. The method
OF checking up the various offices has
been slipshod; the city trustees have not
required the books to be exported, and in
some cases, when officers should report
once Il month. not more than one report
has been filed in a year.
About Other offices, the report deals
with them as we'll, going through every
account in the administration OF city
affairs for four years, and all the other
officials have been given clean bill OF
health. The methods OF handling city
finances are subjected to severe criticism.
and to this careless manner Of doing
business Is attributed much of the matter
which forms the major part of the report.
Mrs. A. Stanley Dolan. wife OF the tlrst
assistant surgeon at the Highland asylum.
died early yesterday morning of puerperal
fever. and was buried from her fathers
home in Riverside this afternoon. She
leaves baby boy days old.
A small sized strike among the fruit
cutters at Duncan & Amos drier at Rialto
eventuated yesterday morning, and now
the strikers are out OF job, while others
are employed at advanced wages.
An alarm from box at 9:45 this morn
ing called the fire department to the resi-.
dence of Byron Tibbot on + street, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth streets, where a
gasoline stove had exploded, and the
house and Its contents would soun have
been wrapped in flames. The department
made quick run and soon had q line of
hose laid and stream of water playing
on the fire, and it was quickly brought
under control. The damage was about
5000. The building belonged to Father
SJockman.