The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-08
A BASELESS FABRIC.
Not Enough Smoke to Veil the
$500 Exporting Job.
The END OF A SENSATION"
County Commissioners and Experts
Tell the Facts About .'>hortase
No Dishonesty Charged.

I84afuE AID EistEELs ~ - EAPFreat -
abatement Of ". II. White. attorney Tor
the board OF education, printed IN the
Post-InteIligencsr yesterday. MI. F" ms;
who yyrofe the letter. which started al
the sensational talk. saidt
II have no idea that either MI bheipS
OF DR. Mitten was dishonest IN MS dsai-
fngg with the county. Neither does any
one believe that they would have per
mitted any irregularities knowingly u -
vet 10 be shown whether there are any
DISCREPANCIES between the tax receipts
received by people living at a distance
ana the amounts as indicated pad py the
tax Soiis and stubs Of the receipts
The irresponsible and untrue state
suente that have been made arr eTectualiy
k@nsed by the following Interviews with
COUNTY Commissioners Heaton Atcker-
son and Gasch and Expert j. W. Bowen.
Expert +. Christman himself GENES ne
truth Of part. and the most important
mart Of an alleged interview with MIN IN
The Times.
County Commissioner Heaton. in an in
tervlew yesterday said:
My only apology TO the public is that
was not successful in my attempt to
have that expert committee dismissed I'M
mediateiy after II had submitted IT'S re-
port covering the period that DT Mftten
was treasurer That report shows. JUST
what Douglas Young claims he ~ the nrst
and only discoyefer Of namely, that Tax
receipts were dhteD HiteF uAtF W ittttPt
of money without including penalty ana
tnfereef. though the date Of receipt was
after the day Of delinquency. Mr. Christ
man made the same explanation 10 tAe
commissioners for this difference in dates
a. Or Mitten and Byron Phelps have
made. that Is TO say. that II was because
Of the large amount Of moflg5 pals IN the
last few days before delinquency ana
the inability Of the clerks. by reason OF
the rush 70 issue tax receipts therefor
until later date"
you stated that YOU wanted the ex-
pert committee dismissed after II had
handed ia It's report covering Nr. Nit
tens term. Mr. Heaton." was suggested.
so / did. and for the reason that was
satisfied n was "A useless expenditure OF
public money To c6ntinue its employ
ment. | was fully satisfied after reading
the report Of the committee. that both
Byron Phelps and Or. Mitten had ac-
counted FOR every dollar collected by
them as treasurers Of this county. II You
Will examine the Seattle Times Of August
q you viii see In interview published
therein that put myself on record as in
favor Of the dismissal Of the committee
and for the reason now assigned.
did the commissioners instruct Mr.,
Chrlstrnan not 10 embrace in his examna-
ton of the tTeaaurer's books under
Phelps an inquiry into the matte Of pen
atty and interest upon taxes receipted for
after date Of delinquency. although ac-
tually paid before date Of dolinquency2'
''No Mr. Christman advised the hoard
that IL was not necessary TO 20 into that
matter for the reason that he was salts
fed that such receipts bore "A subsequent
date because the treasurer hy reason Of
the rush in the payment of taxes Just be
fore the delinquency was unable 10 issue
receipts therefore until subsequent date
thereto. To make this Investigation he
stated would require a great deal OF time,
and II y as not necessary. In his Judgment.
10 put the county 10 that expense"
What of Addison Smiths statement as
20 the payment Of tax hy ex Sheriff Wool
cry and others2'
Ellis statement in last evenings Times
was the FIRST lntmation had Of what he
alleges he discovered. n occurs To me
that 1t was his duty TO report his diseov-
cry To the board AT the time the commit
tee submitted It's report"
"Do you believe there was any misappro-
rriation of funds under Phelps or Nit
ten?"
mo, and an emphatic no ! would oh
serve that the present treasurer followed
IN the footsteps Of his predecessors In the
matter Of receipting for taxes. less
penalty and interest. after date of delin-
Quency."
What do you think of the suggestion
that misapproprittou ~ funds RENTED
by nonresident taxpayers may have been
made by employees In the treasures office
under the system now in vogue I'm the mat
ter OF dating receipts after day Of del.n-
ouency. when the tax rolls showed tho pay
rnent hal been made prior % date OF delln-
ouency7''
That idea has no proof 90 support il
Men who are acquainted With the workings
of the tTeasurer's office viii give II no
Thought The idea or suggestion may be
advanced hv those Who want work * the
public expense. whether their services ere
used or rot. hut VIII he given m credence
by the thoughtful. who have the bills 70
pay"
''why was the expert committee not dis
missed NJ the time YOU wanted it's dis
rlssalq''
simply because Of the clamor for SIS
continuance by tho same fellows who
would complain Of its work In spite o.
the clamor was IN favor ~ asmissinE the
committee. 7 can say ia conclusion thar n
Mr.. Chrstman has made the staterpents
imputed 20 him. after signing the report OF
the expert committee he ls an ass"
Expert + Christmsn who IS nov a Shel-
ton. this state. was asked Yesterday II TIA
Interview With him IN tire Seattle Times
was correct. Tie said Dee had not seen IT,
bur when Il was read 60 him over the trle-
phone ~ said that parts OF n were cor
rect. and other statements credited to him
were false particularly the paragraph in
which NJ is made So say fNat De toia pr
Mitten that ne was discriminating against
the poorer taxpayers. ana also thlt Treas
urcr Mitteu hal made the stafewtnt - .httn
that the corporations AMI heavy taxpayers
We're a credit ana benefit to the cnruutuni-
~. and that poor people were nor "a benefit
a. the community.
Nj Christman sai5 ENpcrt n W F,-ver
could tali, ou the subject as he WnIfI ami
Air RoW,1's Interview is printed hollow
I am satisfied IRA my own Wtai 3hat Mr.
ChriStman was mi>quote1 20 the Times