New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-09

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Finance Department that the expert account
ants employed by Controller Fitch. under Chap
tor No c69 Laws cs 1897 have discovered ~
fin. records and accounts Of what is to Dc ~"
Borough Of Brooklyn 4 serious condition "i
affairs The discrepancies are computed u
reach S5,0O0.000. The experts have con''nSe"
their statement in this way:
rirs,.-Th,. records OF the towns 81 fiatlAniI'
Flatbush NcN--Gots Ncw-utrcch and Hr'Nesemu;
which tho officials Of said towns state were trlHei
over 10 the CoatIocr ana Corporation Couiset o'
Brooklyn. cannot I've found. having som"~ hat ny >
te-ousy disappeared: that the absence o. s,ch re-
ords interfercs materially win proper
tor. ,...o., tho
books al the Controer OF Brookyn and those %, ','
Registrar o. Arrears: mat III We Doi ,% roc
Arrears mere is the utmost confusion III ti'o re-
nrie that tie .dce4s. some TWO hUniici hil tNtHSI
t,-dye IN Lu.aber containing over Two hunuie'
cntlv have never been balanced: tnat while on IAN
uasy /. 1885,. Inc balance - ne d,' 81 t,
was 8 40 l2S - the balance carried by INC
OF Arrear, a. rsple,entns laNes S,i tEe General
ledger shows that arrears ~ taxes PRIOR 10 leS a
been overpaii $l-'S g. the ward Ie IEeiS 5nTSci0,
mems may result from the further INVESTIGATION
OF the ward cdseEs. When VII COUP n'I i fiy
before the exact condition % an1lrs can Do i"'y
and definitely ascertained.
IN TEE CONTROLLERS OFFICE
Third-Tha, the records n tho Controhe. once
show tho following facts IN connecton VIZ NJ t liz
pei',, ,arg.d WIN various issues to date and
credited with bonds cancelled and dScharscd' tnat
tho balance. Of the permanent water loan. AS Lake"
fron, Tie ledger OF tho Bond Department.. agrees
LII ~ T1isnce ~ said loan in the Controller y
n So, forth ir the Bond Department ledger, lnil-
Gates that more bonds have been redeemed man
animation % the bond register ds,oses tnnt N s
payment: that the clerk changed the number on
one to ~ and that subsequently hotn o. me nonns
were cancelled and Two registered hohdS 'doh ''' -
Ike amount were Issued therefor!
Fourth-That many Of tho records o. tiie , 9unIy
missing. ana such as have been found arc OF prac-
ticay little value as records. ne i,heea o. M y
OF H. H. Adams County Treasurer OF s,s.la5 o.
1 a., taG ner n o. NewTtrcch 81 some
q sSi n bonds having or september % lN2 been
,9 or wh 49 d Ga ,s P ~e The Spcrscr
10 whose order The checks were drawn. has charged
gjxih-rbat in he matter OF revenues derived from
franchises to railroads arl other corporations y ap
porccntaros etc which should have been paid. and
that the Controllers Office in brooklyn have iaiiei
seyenh-ThS he books OF account OF the city Of
Brooklyn and of the comfy o, kInss Hto III 40
10, truthsuy Sc, forth the assets and liabilities Of
the city and county.
THE NET BONDED DEBT.
said EXPERT accountants also report that upon i1'
| the net bonded Geo' va on co,,ocr r., Uio"blyo
ONLY sf.i 81, = Jess than the constitutional Unit Z"
tndcbfedncss, ard nat based on The assessed rc,
estate Valuation o. & fr va" Sonds 70, vet issued
! only t9li151 " less iaan Tie consutHtohA mint o.
! Indebtedness.
The accountants who sign the report are D.
| c. Tate. W. H. Hot. Edward j. Cornell. y. W
Teale. Joseph Fitzpatrick aud \. '. Haskins
Controller Fitch said yesterday. when asked
about these statements. that all he knew in th'
matter was what had been reported to him by
| the experte Certain shortages arc alleged. h'
| said but Il Is 10 be hoped and We VIII assuin,
| ,bat tho gentlemen over In Brooklyn Interested
In the outcome viii be able 10 make satls
! factory explanation have NJ cfluclsHS t'
make on the Brooklyn officials. SIMPLY nave
received the experts report When the eAplanh
ton comes ] have no rcison 10 suppose that
| will not be satirfactOry
| Mayor Strong said yesterday: The boys over
| thor. seem to b. a little mixed IN In their ac
| counts We have been afraid al! along thai
| they might spend Il little too much money ovcl
! the water, but we were not prepared Tor ans
| thing like this brooklyn has had good Ma!
since Mr.. Schieren and Mr.. Wursler were
| elected would go bali for either ot them
| Mayor Wurster especially has been a goo'
| Watchdog and has done his best To keep dowr
| the legal Indebtedness. But you know one MAJ
| can't look after everything
WHAT BROOKLYN OFFICIALS SAY.
Som. Of the officials OF Brooklyn yesterda.
were inclined to think that the report Of tn
Finance Department on the findings Of the a.
countants who have been going over the book
| Of tho CITY Of Brooklyn "as rather premature
| and misleading inasmuch as the eXaminatioI
| has not been completed rs yet ana at best ha
| only included a part of the books.
! John II Brennan. the deputy of County Treas
| urer TAYLOR, said that the paragraph relating L
| their department WIS generally admitted 10 b
! correct The shortage. however. were all loun'
| when Mr.. Taylor came into the Office. ana ar
! to be attributed 10 his predecessors. OF tn
| shortage Of SIS. l3G 81. 10000 Is charged NJ
| against the Jurors Account.
The Office of the Corporation Counsel was rex
| visited and an inquiry made as to the accura'i
! of the statement concerning the missing records
| of tvatbusi. Ncw-Lots aud other towns Here