Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-09

They FIND hin
SHORT S5,42.V
Citizens Committee Volunteers
toInvestif Fate Mayor Pierce's
Accounts.
His Books Show Sz,Ooo.67 COL
lected But Not Paid to
the City.
Do Not Show $l,3o2.O4 Which
We're Undoubtedly Collected
and Not Paid.
Mayor Calls the Council and
Official Committee Will Now
Investigate.


Mayor Pierce and his Judiciary COM
mittee. Messrs. Henry, Good and Nc
CURE, objected to having the mayors
accounts investigated more than one
year back, but committee Of interest
ed citizens backed Councilman Fisher in
his demand for thorough checking up,
offering to pay the expense themselves.
Messrs. Fisher, I. T. Kirby, Il. j..
Fletcher. L. O. Abbott, H. G. Wilson
and N. "A. Evans called upon the mayor
with their proposition and. after con
sulting with his attorney, he.
decided to give up his books. Mr. Thad
Evans and Fred Wells We're hired to do
the checking, and after a thorough in
vestigation OF the mayors records for
yet due the city from the mayor s., 1892
VI which he should have turned over.
The investigation is, of course unoff-
rial. but was done by competent per-
pons. and is therefore accurate. The
committee is still at work verifying its
figures on certain discrepancies, and.
has not authorized any report, altho the
T.-R. can today give a summary of it's
findings.
The method of checking pursued was
10 first secure from the county treasurer
certified copy of the saloon tax mo-
MEG received in the six years from
April1, 1895, which was s47,1o2.
The saloons pay $3.50 to the county
and 500 to the city every quarter so
that upon the showing of the county's
receipts the city should have received
from the mayor s31. 40l.33.
The mayors books show saloon licen-
pcs received in that time only to- $780,
1920
The records on their face show no
mitigating circumstances. so that there
Is a shortage of the difference between
what ought to have been received by
the city and what was received as
shown by the mayors books, of 81, BOP .04.
Furthermore, the books show receipts
from general licenses of s4.5T7.20, and
from fines on city cases alone of 1888.
(which. with the s3OO99.99 received from
SALOONS make total of license monies
and fines received as shown by his own
books OF $35, 05949.
But the city treasurer's books show
monies received on account of general
4 licenses, saloon licenses fines and
the sale Of maps of only
$32, 993.S2 and deducting from this S25
for the maps the treasurer's books show
actually turned over to the city only
$322,,96S.82.
a comparison of the city's books and
the mayors books then shows that the
mayor has neglected to turn over 10 the
city treasurer the difference between
s35, O59.49 and s32. 1858. SO. or s2090.67. Add
to this the amount Still due the city
from the mayor on saloon licenses
which a comparison with the county
records shows should have been paid in
and 1t makes total which the mayor
has yet to account for of s3,39271.
The mayor admits that $1,000 Of this
amount. the saloon licenses for the last
quarter. due January /. 1901, he has no,
yet turned over, and yet the city ortli-
nances require that the mayor shall
pay over to the treasurer monthly" al
money collected by him. Where has ths
judiciary committee. Messrs. Henry
Good and MCGUIRE, been all this time
Is 1t any wonder that Mr. Mcclure
wrote that insulting letter 10 Mr.. Fred
Wells, prohibiting him as an auditing
committee from investigating the
mayors books more than a year back
10 1t any wonder that Charles Henry, 9
member of that committee, was so wor-
ried about the citizens move that he
5 sent three times in one day To Mr.
Evans demand to see the report be-
fore 1t was made public? On wha1
ground can Messrs. Henry and Coco
ask the voters OF their wards to sent
them back to the council? Because o.
their friendship for Pierce? How quick.
~ the council at called meeting is
now willing to do what Messrs. Kreut
ger and Fisher wanted done ten day!
ago. And lastly will the official com
mittee please expiain why 1t is that in {
city OF $1,000 people only 1858 are re
ceived from fines in six years. about $;
per month We have no doubt the Re.
fector can explain, but can an auditing
committee do 1t?
MAYOR MAKES A MOVE.