The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-05-14
STATE TREASURER SHORT.
THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE xAEEs
IT'S REPORT,
And Finds Ia. G. 3. Collins Gives the Cen
msawssl.h yii.y-oai Thousand Dollars,
Coupled with . asguss. for Els
Resignation Or Expulsion.


The following IL the text OF the re-
port Of the committee appointed to
investigate the treasurer's Office, re-
ported to the senate and house last
Saturday:
Your committee appointed in pursu-
ance Of senate joint resolution No. 4,
TO investigate the affairs of the state
treasurer, have the honor to report as
follows:
That the comptroller furnished your
committee with q certified statement
Of the amount that Treasurer C. B.
Collins should have had on hand for
general purposes at the close of BUSH
mess on the 3Oth day of April, A. D.,
1897, to-wit: The sum Of 1858, lA.75.
At the close of business on the day
aforesaid, Collins had on hand in cash,
vouchers, receipts, and in bank for
general purposes the sum of sS45,
1879.
Your committee reports that a short
age Of SIC, 0l4.33 exists in the general
account Of the state treasurer. Your
committee accounts for said shortage
by the following manner:
On the 18th day of October, 1896, r.
b. Mcconnell, president of the Mer-
chants National Bank, of ocala, met
Treasurer Collins and ]. N. c. Stock
ton by appointment at Jacksonville,
and endeavored to procure loan of
$4,000 from Collins for the use Of the
merchants National, Of which bank
Mcdonnell was president. Reports
reaching Treasurer Collins that said
bank was In an unsound financial con-
dition, he declined to make the loan.
Mr.. Stockton then agreed with Collins
TO loan Mcconnell $4,000. provided
Collins would advance like amount
10 Stockton, which was done, aud
your committee reports that in their
opinion J. n. G. Stockton owes $4,000
to the state of Florida, aud for which
the state has no collateral security.
Treasurer Collins, in the ordinary
course Of business, sent to the Nation
al bank of the state of florida, at
Jacksonville, for collection aud credit,
checks or items, ON the Merchants
National bank, of Ocala, Fla, aggre-
eating s5l9.49. TIE Ocala bank re-
mitted the Jacksonville bank New
York exchange for said amount, but
before said exchange was paid in New
York the Ocala bank closed its doors,
the piece of exchange was protested,
and the state Of Florida has never re-
ceived credit for said amount. Treas
urer Collins continues to carry said
amount in his accounts as cash on
hand, but your committee Is of the
opinion that said amount is lost to
the state and should not be carried by
the treasurer as cash.
On the 10Th OF April, 1895, one d. c.
Hull sent to Treasurer Collins his
check on the First National bank Of
Ocala for $4,000. Said check was pro-
tested for non-payment, thereby in
ereaslng the amount of the check SD
for notary public fees. 1t has never
been paid, but Treasurer Collins con-
tlnues TO carry and treat such pro-
tested check as cash in hand, which,
In the opinion of your committee,
should not be done. The above re-
ferred 70 items and the $4,000 make
up shortage of sl6,0l4S6.
On April SOth, in addition to the
above-named sum of SS43, l27 40, found
10 be In Treasurer Collins hands for
general purposes, he had on hand in
cash, or in bank. the sum of So, SIS. As,
which said sum is held for specific
purposes, and forms no part of the
general funds and accounts.
On April 30th Treasurer Collins had
In the National Park Bank of New
York $25, s26.SS, for which he has no
security.
On the same date he had In the Ma
tlonal bank of the state of Florida
Ss0. 760.U4, to secure which he held Sc
curities amounting to s74,9S4. On the
same date he had In the Capital City
bank, Tallahassee, sos, 962, sS5, 600 of
which Is divided into two certificates
OF deposit, one for So, 900 and the other
for $1,000, the balance of the deposit
being an open account, and which to-
tai amount was secured by securities
aggregating 81, 900. On the same date
he had on deposit in the Putnam Ma
tional bank of Palatka 5000. State
bank Of Florida 5000, Citizens bank
Of Tampa, Fla, 5000, First National
bank OF Pensacola SIS, $50. 07, First Ma.
tional bank of Tallahassee SII, O94.I7.
Savings and Trust bank of jackson.
vile SIS, 200, and which said several
deposits are secured by collateral In
the treasurer's hands. Your commit
tee has ascertained the value of said
securities, and recommends that such