The Newtown bee., 1907-11-29
Saturdays Town
 Meeting HEARS REPORT OF F. E. S0ULE. EXPERT AC-
 C0UNTANT, On Condition of Accounts of
 Town Officials.

My instructions from the select
 men" ]" said MT Soule. were to exam
 inc back two years. ]"
 Did you ask the treasurer for his
 book of original entriesl" asked Mir
 Marr.
 T did" replied Mir soule. but did
 not get it."
 "Why didn't you get ity" asked Mir
 Mar.
 "I asked him for 1t. but it was not
 forthcoming" said Mir Soule.
 In reply to the question if he exam
 ined the selectmen's accounts in 1907.
 Mir Soule replied. "yes."
 Did you find an entry there: Rent received for use of lock-up from Mir Beckwith. sl6? Did you find one item there: Paid J. A. James s97 for working roads and again s25 to the same gentleman"
 To these questions Mir Soule said they were matter touching the de- tailed report and he could not rem ,m-
 Der.
 "ln the treasurer's report did you find anywhere interest on deposits credit ed,p queried Mir Marr.
 "I found interest credited in the two last years." said Mir Soule.
 Attorney Marr said in part: "Mr Soule has gone into this matter under the instruction of the selectmen to go back two years. But there are cer- tain things yet to be cleared up. The tax payers now want to make one job of it, and go to the bottom. Here is the cash book. Here you make an investigation from a book written up at the close of the year. It ought to be laid before you whether or not it IS a book of original entries. It appears the town has no abatement book. If man has his tax abated you are enti- tied to know it. If you don't keep books as a town you are alone to blame. T his report of Mir Soule has put you upon the road to further investigation.
 Judge w. J. Beecher at this point took the floor and went over point by point the actions of the selectmen. He spoke of the efforts to get at the amount of interest received by C. H. Northrop at the City National bank. How he had called on MT Hough who told him it was almost impossible, owing to the rush of the banks work. He stated that Mir Hough did finally give him the amount of interest for two years, $75.20 and SS5.92. Averag- ing this up for the other years it would bring the total amount up to $1,000. He referred to J. A. Morris examina- ton of MT Northrop's account and of MT Northrop giving the town mort gage on his place amounting to $1, ,888.- 92. November 16, the selectmen called on W. N. Northrop to see about C. H. shortage He gave the town a note for $2, 900, with life insurance policy of $2500 in the Phoenix Life h. surance Co.,, as collateral, MT Beecher said the selectmen were anxious to put dollars in the treasury.
 MT Beecher stated further that Ex- Senator Northrop understood that if there was further shortage found in his son. accounts he would be called upon to pay it.
 Herbert w. Wright said in, part: "I don't think there is an honest tax payer in the room but that desires to see this investigation continued to the end. During a period of 12 years the town debt has risen from $25, 900 to S40,0C0. What has become of the mon- ey and what has caused the increased 1ebt? We are as it were in mid-ocean, and need to continue the voyage of in- vestigation to the end" MT Wright offered the following resolution:
 Resolved, that Henry B. Coger, Ed gar c. Page, Charles E. Beers, Edward Troy and Charles G. Morris are here oy appointed a committee with full power to investigate and cause to be investigated the books and accounts of any other town official which they may 1eem necessary or convenient for this purpose and to employ an expert ac- ,ountant to act under their direction and to report back to this meeting or III adJOurnmenL Jnere0I.
 An amendment was offered by Frank Wright that the names of the selectmen De substituted for those of the commit tee and said he believed that the select nen should be allowed to continue the good work they had already done.
 The amendment was lost and the or ginal motion carried.
 Walter s. Bradley in answer to question of Attorney Marr wanted to lnow if they were going to spend $2, 900 to get $500.
 H. w. Wright said the question was Do the honest taxpayers want to see