The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-10
INV ROCHELLE UPSET AGAIN.
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IIvas9sHsa ,geetiHa Sgiers tteld ~
nav RocastGs, n w. htoe s.Nevet
eaos tho Hspnatfe N corruption snd etntt
In Inc fHilsh administration fglf vests
aen has therc brrn snch = e1usbble w nv.
tasn ~ II nv eolnf % evef tnahieltss
aHalfs and The msanef IN witch ths public
btahrps NJ the dty Ia trlna cHttied on
tlte fHlion's The administration " Mayor
Henry \ Cttfsc haa bcen savs sely attached.
tbe oely difference bcine that thefs u no
sllsst,lon ~ eithst graft u dishonesty
In IN, form In tho present chatess Alsos
Hke Inc tdlon ~uphaval, thu present con-
troysrsy Ia the result n an investigation
Of tho accounts n the dty mads by espeft
accountants NJ the eSpensc u Columbus
O'ponnell ieelih. one of the Weath'ese
man In Manchester county.
The report n ,heae accountants says IN
effect that tho financial affairs 81 the city
are admlnistes . In y ooee and estravaeant
manner. that there ls no proper system OF
bookkeeping and that O large amount Of
unauthorized debt haa been created which
The city has no fneRns ~ hquidating ezcspe
By bond lssue Of by increased taxation.
This report has been used 40 q fallying
cry for tho opponents Of tie administFa-
zion, who declare that II q radical change
IA not made In the msthod Of carrying on
the government the city will ultimately
DO bankrupt. They point 70 the fact that
The tax rate II now 400, or nearly double
chat of New York, and say that II any more
unauthorized floating debt 10 piled upon the
otty this rate will 60 10 q figure that property
oannot stand.
Mayor Clarke and his friends assert that
the report Is misleading, that the Offset for
the floating debt Is much larger than esti-
mated by the experts. and that. while Mr..
Ieeln's motive was entirely honest and
nonpartisan, the result OF the investigation
10 being used for political ends.
The whole matter eliminated In O meet
ing Of taxpayers that was held last Monday
night to discuss the report and to devise
ways and means to better existing condi-
lions. This meeting added greatly to the
bitterness OF the situation, because, its pro-
tectors allege, a deliberate effort was made
TO keep the announcement OF 1t from the
citizens who we're invited to attend.
Notices to the number OF nearly 5000
were mailed in New York on Friday evening,
June /. at the General Post Office, and al
though they reached here early on Satur-
day morning none of them was delivered
until too late on Monday morning to reach
the commuters who start early for business
In New York. In addition to this, 1t 10
charged that one or moro Of the envelopes
were opened at the post Office long before
the delivery, so that the nature OF their con-
tents was known, and that fully 90 per cent.
Of the circulars were never delivered at all.
In the meantime. the opponents of the
Clarke administrator say, all the other
mail from New York and other points was
promptly delivered in New Rochelle. They
refuse to make q point blank charge OF hold
ing up the malls against the postmaster.
but a letter has been written TO Postmaster
General Cortelyou reciting the facts and
asking for an investigation;
Among those who signed the call for the
meeting were Democrats and Republicans.
The names included those OF 9. b. Lewis,
Benjamin E! Smith, D: E. Dealy, Walter +.
Vernon, George r. Roberts and j. Warren
Lawton. Mr.. Lawton made a very bitter
attack on the administration; The fact
that John F.. Healy, chairman OF the Demo-
cratic city committee, also raped the ad-
the Democrats were trying TO make a politi-
cal issue of the affair. Mr.. Healy, however,
says that he took part merely as a citizen,
and that what he was looking for was not
political advantage but the good OF the city.
The chairman was empowered to appoint a
committee Of five to investigate the city's
books and report back to a future meeting,
and there the matter stands.
The present trouble had its inception in
the last municipal campaign when MIR.
Clarke was elected Mayor for a third term.
He succeeded. Michael Dillon and had been
president of the village several terms before
New Rochelle got its charter seven years
ago. HE opponent the last time was George
". Sutton, IAN independent Republican,
who had been Endorsed by the Democrats.
Mr.. Sutton also had the active support OF
George I. Roberts, who was a member of
the Republican county committee and chair
man Of the Republican city committee.
Mr.. Roberts retired from both committees
and the Republican Club and g now said to
be a member of the Democratic Club.
The contest was a hot one, and in the
course of the campaign Mr.; sutton charged
from the roetTum that the Clarke gov
the accounts of the city were badly kept
and in immediate need Of overhauling.
There was some talk Of graft on the plat
form. 1t WIS these speeches that led Mr..
Iselin to write a letter TO Mayor Clarke
after election saying that the charges were
grave enough and specific enough to war
amt n investigation. He offered to pay
the entire EXPENSE Of the examination of
the city's books and, The offer was accepted.
The firm of Faskins 4 Sells! certified
retained. They reported that they found
that certificates Of Indebtedness had been
issued for $4,000 more than the total of
the uncollected taxes.from which they we're
supposed to be paid, that there was a deficit
Of 81 1852 in the sewer outlet and school
bond account and that the city had no cash
on hand available for general purposes.
In the NINA of the report which Mr..
Iselin sent to the Mayor he said that in addi.
ton to this it would appear that the aggre-
gate amount of expenditures in excess
OF appropriations Tas Sl3l AIS. so and that
there was a floating Indebtedness, estimated
at s25 900, which had not been recorded
In the books up to December 81, 1908. The
report also criticises severely the book
keeping system used by the various de-
partments. On this subject 1t says:
The method Of accounting OF the city OF
New Rochelle is one which permits the head
of each department and each officer TO keep
such records as he MAJ wish and in his own
way and without regard TO the records kept
by others. Pay rolls. bills for supplies, con-
tracts and other claims against the city are
not properly audited. and the department
accounts are not checked in detail. There
are no complete general books OF account
and no means Of providing for central account
Ing control. WI lie nominally auditor, the
Comptroller Of the city is neither auditor,
general bookkeeper nor Comptroller, In 30
far ms he perforns any administratfy func-