Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-10

HE MAKES AN EXAMINATION OF
THE books OF THAT CITY.
NUMEROUS ERRORS DISCOVERED.
Most Of Them the Result of Careless
ness or Innttentiou to the LAW, and
Some Shortages Reported-Quite n
Sensation.

DANVlLLE, VA, August 9.-(Speci1l)-
A small sensation was caused here 90
night by the report OF Mr. II. B. Boudar.
Of Richmond. an expert accountant re-
Gently employed by the city to examine
the accounts and books of the various
city officials and employees, which report
was made tonight 10 a special meeting
Of the Council, called for the purpose.
In his report Mr.. Boudar makes a care
ful and dispassionate review and sum-
mary of the results Of his Investigations.
and shows that some of the books ana
accounts Of the city have been keps in a
careless and sloyenly manner, and that IN
some cases considerable shortages exist,
which in all cases, or in nearly all, are
due merely to lack of care and system
rather than to dishonesty or intention 10
deIraud.
The report severely crlticises the re-
cords kept by the Mayor and Chief Of
Police, and especially those Of the City
Collector.
THE COLLECTORS OFFICE.
In his report on the books and accounts
of Mr.. William Ayres, Collector, Mr.. Bou-
dar says In part:
The affairs of the office have been con
Quoted in a very loose manner, little re-
gard having been paid TO the ordinances
controlling and defining the powers and
matter Of commissions the Collector has
been charging per cent on all moneys
paid in by him TO the Treasurer without
any distinction as TO any default in such
payments, and, in making up his ac-
counts he has included the warrants is
fnr al
the annual insolvent lists, thus receiving
on large proportion Of his collections
per cent, when the ordinances only allow
IL per cent, and receiving per cent.
on bills never collected, but returned in
solvent and uncollectible. and upon which
he was entitled to no commissions. The
Collector was entitled TO credit on the
proper accounts on the books of the Audi
tor for all insolvent lists. and / deem 1t
but just to say that the manner of max
ing such credits as defined by the ordi-
nanccs, might have been the cause Of the
Collector committing such grave ana
serious error, particularly as his bills
were examined and approved by the Audi
tor without the detection Of such errors,
for the same reason. Schedule X shows
In detail the difference between the com
mission at 3 per cent and the rate hNed
by the ordinance for the years 1876 " "
to be $15i97S. and the commission impro-
perly charged on the insolYent lists for
the same period to be $2O256 making a
total of 81, 1924 to be refunded.
MAYORS OFFICE.
In his review of the affairs Of the
Mayor, Hon. Harry WoOding, the expert
oriticises rather severely some Of the
errors of omission Of that official, and
especially his failure to keep proper and
complete records Of his court and the
fines and costs imposed therein. as re-
quired by the ordinance. In his specln-
cations as to the conduct Of the AFFAIRS
OF their Offices by the Mayor and the
| Chief of Police, Mr.. Green Williams, the
expert says, I'm part:
I'm the trials in his court Of violations
| of the State laws, when lines were IN
posed. costs were added OF $50, made Up
of Sl35 due the State, 80 cents for lssu-
! ing the warrant, and 50 cents Tor tilaL
| The reports of the chief of Police 10 the
| Clerk of the Corporation Court shows that
! only the first item of Sl.3J was pald over
| to the State, and the reports TO the Auul-
| tor show that the two other items %
costs, aggregating 81, were never pad 70
| the CITY Treasurer (althOugh TINS money
! belonged to the city,, the warrant having
been Issued by the Mayor, and the trial
| held by him. The Mayor allowed the
Chief Of Police to retain this money OUT
| Of the collections, without lncludlnS lt
| in his monthly report of collections 10
| the City Council. In explanation, the
| Mayor states that he consulted the city
! Attorney. and was advised by him 10
| continue the course previously pursued
until he notified him 0he Mayor TO the
! contrary. In the fall of 1898 the city At
| torney informed him that he had better
| discontinue the practice and pay such col
| lections in TO the Treasurer. lie required
no bail bonds, but ordered the release OF
| both city and State prisoners confined In
| 1au for nom payment of fines and COSTS
upon the verbal promises of sureties To
| pay such fines and costs. In many In
| stances Of this character no collections
| have been made, although the sureties
were responsible citizens, and no legal
| process can now be had"
OTHER OFFICES.
In regard to the Chief Of Police, the re-
port is especially full, and charges that
no records are attainable by which the
accountant could properly review the
financial transactions of the officer:
The City Sergeant. Mr.. +. III. Boisseau
| is also criticised for loose keeping of
record and inexact entries in those kept
whereby in some cases the city suffers
and the state benefits
The Council heard the report OF MT
Roudar. and discussed it at length, but
| took no action thereon, beyond appro-
priating $500 to continue the investigation
ON THE APPOMsTT0X.