Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-05
.CHARGESssRE SERIOUS
= snce
Suspension Of Mayor Egozcue
Of San Juan.
A r
A PROFLW ATE REGIME
ATTORNEY GENERAL HARLAN's
scATHINa REPORT.
Declares Taxpayers Have Been Un-
merciful1y Bled and Are Victims
Of Criminal Negligence.



SAN JUAN. January o. 1905.
Bombs continue to fall in San Juan. Yes
terday Gov. Hunt suspended Mayor Egoz-
cue, a republican leader, on the recommen-
| dalton OF Attorney General Harlan. whose
official report to the governor makes star
Ting disclosures Of corruption in San Juan
municipal circles. a..
This means the political death of Egozcue.
and Is body blow to the republican party.
Attorney General Harlan charges the mayor
with criminal negligence, and intimates
worse things. He shows that taxpayers
have been numerically bled and deceived.
Egozcue had just been sworn in for another
term.
Among other things, Attorney General
Harlan says, concerning the expenditure OF
5000, 600 bond issued under Egozcue's d.
rection:
"In his statement Of the necessities Of the
municipality and the objects to which the
proceeds Of the proposed loan were to be
applied there are false items, as the treas
ury examiners report, aggregating the sum
Of $43, 253.47. OF this amount, $32,S20 Is in
cluded twice under different names. 1t is
included in the item to refund the bond
issue Of January 1. 1897. 1894 600, and In
the item to fund the floating debt, includ-
ing interest on said bonds to December /,
1901, Sill, 269.17.' ---.
I'm addition to this false statement Of
facts, there is a further sum of $40. 433.47
| included floating Indebtedness in the
item of Sill, 269.17, when in fact every dollar
Of that amount had been paid out Of NUM-
cipal resources before the bonds were is
sued. These two items together aggregate
the said sum Of $43. 253.47
Finding himself in possession Of that
amount Of money not required by the
municipality, the alcalde requested the mu-
nicipal council to transfer it to the common
fund, and then proceeded to expend it I'M
| lawfully. disregarding every consideration
Of respect for the governor and the execu-
tive council of Porto Rico, whose official
sanction to said loan was required under
the law.
"Willful Deception or Incapacity."
Here, then, is the sum of $43 253.47 i'm
posed upon the taxpayers Of the munich
pality either through the willful deception
| by the alcalde Of the governor and the
executive council OF through incapacity for
| business affairs on his part so gross as to
indicate his unfitness for such responsible
| tiles. But this is not all. The people Of
this community for aperiod of twenty years
will have to Day interest on that amount.
| This makes an additional sum of $51 ,9O4 10.
| The principal and interest together aggre-
gate the sum Of sos. 1877 .63-a heavy price
| for the people to pay for the willful and
| wrongful act or the gross incapacity, which
ever 1t may be. OF it's executive officer.
| THE third item contained in the alcalde's
project was for ss0.oo0 for putting the water
works in proper! condition. according to the
original contract, He has had over year
and half to consfder and formulate plans
/ for that Imp ortant Improvement But at
| this time the fund remains practically I'M
expended while the good people. Of San
Juan pay the interest on it.
| THE last item in the project submitted
by the alealde is Tor the sum Of $50, 297 81
| for paving and repavtng the streets. In
| discussing this item your attention Is called
| to the fact that the project for loan was
submitted to the executive council over
year and three months ago.
| ''If the alcalde of San Juan has any ap-
probation Of the Importance of his official
responsibilities. it seems reasonable to sup
| pose that he took an additional period OF
at least three months, prior to submitting
| his plans to the executive council. to care
| fully examine and inform himself of the
needs Of the municipality in the matter Of
| paving. In other words. he must have
| commenced to consider the question Of paw
ing and repaving at least a year and q half
ago:
| block OF paving has been done: that out
| Of the appropriation of $S3 ,297.31 for this
purpose, as estimated and secured by him,
| the alcalde has permitted to be expended
| for materials and for laying some curb
| stones the sum of SO, 595, leaving the sum
| OF only $3.7O231 available for the payment
| Of the labor necessary to utilize the material
purchased
Disregard Of Law and Duty"
"The result, therefore, in the matter OF
paving, Of the official labors and deliberations
of this official for a year and half on be-
half Of the people whose public servant he
is, has been to involve the taxpayers in
| the purchase Of an immense amount Of ma
| terial which he Is not now able>to make use
of. The appropriation was for the paving
| and repaving Of streets.
| 1.-The expenditure OF practically the en-