The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-15
Mr.. MERWIN IS BACKWARD.
He Has Not Yet Settled With
the Treasurer.
THE CAUSE OF THE DELAY.
Cash Account Does Not Tally With the
Amount on Hand.
mr.. Merwin Justifies His Delay on the Ground
Of Precedent-What the Supervisors
Say About the Deputies.

The county tax collector, A. H. Merwin,
has not yet turned over to the treas
urer the collections of his Office for the
month of Nov ember, amounting to some
thing like SIS, 900. The law provides that
Mr.. Merwin should have turned that
money over to the treasurer on the first
Monday in December. The HERALD has
heretofore announced that Mr. Merwin has
not complied with the law in this particu-
lar. Because this fact was pointed out
Mr.. Merwin considers Himself muchly
abused individual.
Yesterday some further light was thrown
upon the operations of the tax collectors
office which tends to show why that official
is behind in furnishing his report of his
collections for November. From clerk.
in Mr.. Merwin's office it has been learned
that there is a discrepancy between the
books of the cashier and the report clerk.
and this discrepancy, however small II
| may bs, must be Strengthened before tn
report can be submitted to the auditor.
OF course, it has been stated that the cor
respondence had delayed the report also,
but the discrepancy in the books, it is said,
has been matter that has caused far
more trouble.
This statement became noised about
during the afternoon and created decid-
ed sensation. reporter for the HERALD
called upon Mr.. Merwin and explained the
rumor that was current concerning the at
fairs of his Office.
: Mr.. Merwin Is gentleman who is by
| nature not overly cordial, and yesterd ay
afternoon he was exceedingly chilly in his
conversation with the HERALD representa-
tive. He had previously stated that he did
NOT hat tIAr caid nd nd
that he would turn over the money when
he got ready. This frigd remark was
brought out in reply to polite request as
| to what time he intended to make his set
Element with the treasurer.
When asked IL it was true that dis.
anything to do with his delay in making
his final report Mr.. Merwin promptly
stated that he did not care to relate OF
show anything, as he knew that he would
| be misrepresented and lied about.
In this Mr.. Merwin was mistaken. No
about him. The facts concerning his
| delinquency and failure to comply with
the law speak for themselves. Misrepre-
sentation is not necessary.
The tax collector can obtain every dollar
of his collections on moments notice.
There is in the Los Angeles National bank
$500, 523.O4, and in the State Loan and
Trust company $349, 14s.4O. Both Major
Bonebrake and Mr.. Woollacott announced
yesterday that they were and had been
prepared to furnish the coin on demand.
There is in the tax collectors cash
| account an item of about $500 marked
under the heading 'tickets." Mr.. Wade
explained that this item was not for cash
taken from the drawer by anyone, but
represented sums that we're to be charged
by the proper clerk. He added that the
cash represented by these tickets was in
the tax collectors hands.
The supervisors Indignantly deny that
they have not furnished Mr.. Merwin with
all of the help he asked for. They stated
that his every request in the matter of
deputies had been granted. Supervisor
Hanley said:
"Mr. Merwin can make no complaint on
the score of help. He had more deputies
assigned him than any tax collector has
ever had before. We allowed him all the
help he asked for"
Mr.. Wade, his chief deputy, was, how
ever, more courteous. He said that there
was no discrepancy in the books, and that
everything was straight. He exhibited a
cash statement showing that there was
| $715,4749l on deposit in local bai.ks
and the books called for only S7l5. l50.O5
The reason why there was more money on
hand than the books called for was be-
cause of the fact that number of stubs
had been held out for correction. Mr.
| Wade furthermore added that there were
number of checks on hand at the tax
collectors office that had been sent in to
pay taxes. The receipts which had ac-
companied them had, lie said, been lost in
the office. The result of this was that it
was necessary to send to the parties who
had sent in the checks and get another
description of the property, and then new
receipts would BIZ made out.
The little Discrepancy in the case in
e.. l. III Al.
Discrepancy referred to by Mr.. Merwn's
| clerk 1t may have had the effect of
holding the report back little while, but
Mr.. Wade says that it is not delaying any
thing now.
Supervisor Hay said: "The tax collec.
tors every wish WITH regard to deputies
was granted. He had all he asked for, and
we could not give him more"
Mr.. Merwin in conversation stated yes
terday that in not making settlement as
required by law he was only doing as his
predecessors had done This is no de-
Tense. The law points out Mr.. Merwin' 8
duty, and that IL his only guide post. One
of Mr.. Merwin's predecessors. Ell Ham
mond, the vacquero of San Fernando, de-
parted suddenly from the county, taking
with him $l1 900 of the peoples money.
He has not been seen since. Yet that is no
valid reason why Mr.. Merwn would be
justified in following the precedent.
IHE HERALD mas called attenuOn to the
fact that Mr.. Merwin has failed to obey
the statutory commands simply to show
the people that the business affairs of his
county, generally speaking, are conducted
without any regard for the laws of the
state. Things are done just as officials see
fit to do them. If it is not too much
trouble the law is obeyed. But if it is an
Inconvenience the law is set aside, and the
official does as he sees fit. Mr.. Merwin
has had all the help he asked for, and if
the proper effort had been put forth his
November settlement with the treasurer
could have been made on time.