The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-05-20
HOT TIME
IN COUNCIL.
The COuncilmen DenOunce the sur
charges Of the Auditors.
SEVERAL ITEMS EXPLAINED
During the Exchanges Of Remarks tn
Language Became More Vigorous Than
Elegant-Auditor Ploppert I'm
pugned the veracity Of Mr.
Boehm During the
Exchange

pugned the veracity Of Mr.
Boehm During the
Exchange.
The Borough Council held one of the
most interesting and enlvened sessions its
members have participated in for some time
The spirit of the occasion hinged ON a con- .
sideration Of the Borough Auditors report /
The matter was brought up by statement |
by Mr. James that the bills submitted by tho .
Auditors for their work were considered, and .
upon motion of Mr.. Straughu the bills were
referred to the law committee and solicitor .
for consideration, and with "a request that .
the bills be itcmized and sworn 20. Auditor .
Ploppert was permitted TO explain that the .
50 charged in his bill in excess Of the bills .
put in by his two colleagues was for sta
tionery and the expense Of filing the report
at Pottsville Council took the position that
SIS demanded by the Auditors each was
piece of extortion, and twice the amount
that other towns pay.
Mr.. James then attacked the Auditors for
extravaganza, in that they gave the contract
for printing the audit out at 500, whereas
| bid had been given the Auditors to do the
same work for Si5.
| Mr.. Straughn said that under the law the
Council had no alternative but to accept the
| Auditors report and, therefore, he would
/ move that the statement be accepted, with
| the exception Of the appendix under the
| head of surcharges and to that part eXCep-
| tions be noted. After the chair put the mo-
| ton Mr. Straughn proceeded 10 speak ON 1t,
and for about half an hour bombarded
the audit and tho Auditors. He
alleged that the statemeI did not
show "a fair report Of the actual running
! expenses of the water works. which were iu
fact less than the amount of the duplicate.
! He also complained that separate bond
redemption statement had not been made
/ that the resources did not show the balance
due from Tax Collector Burke, and that IL
serious error had been made in subtuctiug
the liabilities from the expenditures also
that the report shows that the outstanding
water bonds is Sl41, 100, when in fact
it is but SllO, 100, just $1,000 less. lie
also complained that the water accounts
should not have been audited up to April 3,
1898 but only to March 3, when the fiscal year
and the Auditors report closes; that
the Auditors had no legal right to give
Supt Stout credit after March 3. After calling
attention to these features Of the report Mr..
Staughu proceeded to take up the surcharges
and was interrupted by President Mcclure,
who said, There is lie as to one surchaTge.
The statement was never made before COun-
ell that Mr.. Stout stated that those tools
(wrenchesJ were no good
Here Mr.. Boehm said, Mr. Stout denied
that he said what is in that surcharge" and
Auditor Ploppert exclaimed, Mr., Stout told
me he would make an affidavit to it,
Mr. Boehm took the Auditors remark as
an opening and rotorted, 81, as one Of the
Ia, I L. . L.. 3 10 0.
me, want Mr. Ploppert to prosecute this
Council. Nh Ploppert is the only man re-
sponsibe for these surcharges and l am sorry
for these other two young men, that they are
drawn into this. We are ready. We are
courting the fullest investigation"
Mr.. Ploppert: And if you say l am the
cause of these surcharges you lie ~
This remark caused a commOtion among
the many spectators, as well as the Council
men, and Mr.. Boehm said that if the chair
man did his duty he would have the Auditor
put out of the room and thrown down the
steps. President Mcclure warned the
Auditor, and then Mr.. Straughn was allowed
to proceed He said he believed that
rather than condemn, Council should
give the Auditors vote of thanks for their
report That although the expenses of the
borough for the year were upwards Of $50,
=; 600, after an investigation of two months,
during which every item was scrutinized and
every bill gone over yet they come in
with a surcharge of but S39l.39, or not 1-60
part of the expenditures IF that is not a
record with which to 80 before the people,
he said Il don't know wha
record the people want You car
go from one end Of the state
to the other and not find better one
,.,I g.. .rN1f r.. l..
members of this Council, and l can prove it
but they failed to do it, Why did not Nh
e Ploppert come before Council and give US
!, hearing on these surcharges? Was not tina
proper thing for any honorable man to do
L No man but sneak would do otherwise. w
It can prove justification for every item q
these surcharges. We have a man who vii
90 on the stand and prove that the wrenche
referred to are worth more than $780," Re
ferrng to the surcharge for carriage hire
Mr.. Stmughn said there was not reasonable
e man, if "a member Of the water committee
who would pack his dinner can and wall
- over to the pumping station in the interest o
II the borough; and even Mr.. Ploppert, th
great reformer, would not consent to do that
Mr.. Ploppert so stated that to prOminen
business man whom he called upon for
contribution tUprOsecute the surcharges. Ih
trlp TO MlnerSNllle was nduG because lnlOk
nation was brought to Council that ther
,r was man at that place who could give i'm
portant evidence to defend "a suit for $50
s. damages, and over 5000 was saved by il
l. As to the $40 paid to Mr., Burke, the Boroug
4. Solicitor was away and it was necessary tina
Mr.. Devers' appointment as High Constabl
should be attended to, as there was col
- test, and Mr.. Burke was engaged for th
small sum of $40. On the item
=. charged for trips to Pottsvlle, no membe
of Council could be expected to go down int
| his own pocket for such expenses when tn
trips were made solely tor the borough
| interest. As to the $50 paid John f. Whalel
| who represented the police in prosecuting
suit with consent Of Council, no on
would expect the police to pay the fee out
their salaries. The S25 piece paid to j.
Davis and William Reeves was expended Il
making an audit of the water worl
accounts, which the Borough Auditors failC
to make last year, They (the Auditor
accepted Betteridge's own figures as fact
| without investigation on their part, and f'
| doing that we paid them $40 extra. They su
| charge us for paying men to do work they al
| by law supposed to do, The S4.S0 paid Osc'
/ Betteridge was an amount Councils auditO