Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-14
A1EyANpR1A, VA. March %, 1898.

ALEXANDRIA, VA, March %. 1898.
Hon. Geo. l.. Simpson, Mayor, aud MIR. Z.
Price, Auditor:
Gentiemen-Acting in accordance with the
order passed by the honorable the lily Coun
Gil upon March s, which older directed m'
ito examine aod report upon the condi ion o
the books in the ii y gss office for two yta''
p ior to Juue /, 1897, etc ," have the honol
to report that | have done the former, and
herewith hand you Z report, showing ihs re
suit, in the form Of tv o accounts numbered
and ., AID of niue EXHIBITS lettered q, II, l
J, X, !, NJ, n and ~. in order u make a re-
port which shsl! strictly comply with the or
der, it becomes uec. ssary for me to add, that
[ find tie books covering hat pegi d i'll such
| 8 ve y bad condition, that 1t will require con-
siderable timo and effort to place item III
pop; IT order.
AS the accounts, notes and exhibits show
the operations of the gas ciiice dlring
the aforementioned period, in great detail,
it will only be nc esssry for me TO rccapitu-
la;c the result in a genAral way IN this 'ett.r
The accounts aad exhibit It's show tie follow
ing facts:
First-That there is no entry upon the cash
book, showing any money collected, dullug
the month of June, 1895
secondly-That there was 81 293.03 col
lec!ed for g's, etc during the period from
July /. 1895, to May 81, 1886, which the
records show has never been accounted for.
Thirdly-That there was $2,596.41 col
lectod for gas, &c, during tae period from
june l., 1896, to Hday 81, 1897, for which
there is no record 10 show that it was ever ac-
counted for.
Fourthly-That the total amount unac.
counted for during the two preceding periods,
namely, July 1, 1895, to May 81, 1897, ag-
gregates the sum of $3.50 SO.
Fifthly-That the amount collected for gas,
ETC., during the month of juno, 1895, and for
which there ia likewise no record to show
that it was ever accounted for. approximates
the sum of not less than $457.9 s.
sixthly-1hat there was collected for gas,
etc, during the two years comprehended 10
the order OF Council, namely, June L 1895,
to May 81. 1897, an amount aggregating the
approximate sum of $4,347.49, for which no
records can be found showing that it has ever
been accounted for. As has been previously
stated, there is no entry upon the cash book
to show the collection of any money during
the month of June, 1895. But under dato of
May of the same year, there are many entries
which appear to me tG represent sums which
were really collected in the month Of June.
These entries have been included in Mr..
Cooks report for the year ending May 81,
1895. But it appears clear to my mind, after
a careful examination, that a portion of these
sums should form q pant of his report for the
year beginning June 1, 1895, and ending
May 81, 1896. But the accounts are in such
a condition that it is very difficult if not al
together impossible, to determine which do
and which do not belong to the latter year.
NNTLs1o - - tl,,s lo- ~ rAge;h1a ~ ont
aud determine the particular items which be.
long to that years account, namely, fiscal
year from June 1, 1885, to May 81. 1886,
yet I think that il can be satisfactorily demon
strated, that they amount in the aggregate to
the approximate sum of not less than S457.99.
When we add the collections for the month
of June, 1895, thus R p~roximately ascertain
ed, to the amount collected, but unaccounted
for, during the balance of that fiscal year Jas
shown by the accompanying account), we find
that the amount collected, but ulRccounted
for during the year from June 1, 1895, to
May 81, 1896, aggregates the approximate
sum of 81, 751.O2. While this amount is all
that can be satisfactorily demonstrated l do
not believe that it represents tho full shortage
for that year,
In order to demonstrate how 1 obtain the
sum of 81, 1910 as the approximate short
age for the before mentioned year, and also
to point out my reasons for believing that
the shortage exceeds even that amount, l
have prepared the following statement:
Unsettled bills on hand of
which part are god" as per
Mr.. Cooks report for tho year
ending May 81, 1895, S Lila IS
Amount of gas sold
from June1 !, '95,
to May 81, 90,
3,600,300 feet
at SOC 5,4Oo AZ
16,4O4,400 feet
at 4Oc 21,566 16
(As por exhibit "K")$26,966 81
Less 3 per cen. 1.34S SO S25,61S 2S
Coke receipts as per exhibit @. 1890 2s
Tar " Z" 1912 OO
Lime 36 23
Total, $29,601 OF
CR.
By amount deposit.
ed in treasury
from May 81, '95,
to May 81. 90,
as per Mr.. Cooks
report $4,000 O5
U%ncollec ted gas
bills on hand as
per Mr.. Cooks
report, T5S 90 $27.S5O %
Balance unaccounted for S1,751 OF
/ would observe, in passing, that in the