The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-07-12

AZ TIE Sun tea lately IIbI'elIeo ~ nrtl-
ED. aHn0peia ~ which IS pR0llaneQ
under kh6 had o1 News from Talla-
haeoee "a Foar paper 81 Sunday last,
and - the Metropolis, ~ this CITY, nan
alsD copied The matter, nn ok when
ccinmUnicatlote are niaIeadl1g ana DO
not state the facts, AK space ~ your.
paper - make the eofreetlcn-
Personally am fe9dg 70 stand any
egiticisIh upon nay 0ilcigi nete, feeling
amply able 10 defend them, and would
rot answer this matter 81 tdlH time,
bat that e reflects On the other mem,
bers At the COMMITTEES through me, and
the flrm Of HasginB e Sells, certified
public accountants. Of New York, which
Is not fair % them.
INC nrtielea ia question state that an
error has been diBcoVefed Ia the ac-
count 81 tho public accountants en-
ploy "a BY the committee appointed by
the Legislators % investigate the &C.
tons ana doinRs Of the trustees Of the
Internal Improvement Fund amounting
q SO, and that the account was APP
proved by me as chairman with that
error; OK, IN other words, for 80 more
than they were entitled 70.
This Is not true. At the second meet
my Of the committee, At which all the
members were present, Il was unani-
inOusly voted to employ Haskins y
SalIa, OF New York, who are considered
among the best public certified acc
eountants IN che United States, It be-
ing the unanimous vote Of the commit
tee that no local accountants shout be
employed. for the reason that, what
ever the result Of their examinations,
they wished it 20 be free from local Ia
fiuenee, and by accountants having
such national reputation as 70 give con-
fidonee that the work was properly and
exhauativelY performed
The committee, therefore, made q
contract with this firm by which they
were to employ two men, principal
accountant at $50 per day and an as
sistant &C Sl5 per day, together with
their travelling expenses and susren-
ance and later an additional man was
added BY the committee, IN order 20
facilitate the work. IT $lb per day,
enstenance and expensee
Anyone familiar with the employ
nnent of such accountants viii appre-
ciate that these are the usual prices
Tor experts upon such work, IS any
larEe business house IN the country can
Tbss contract and an he proceedings
are ia the poaaeasion 1t the present
time Of the commission appointed uil-
der the act Of the Legislature TO sue
coed the committee In is work Of ii-
veBtiQation. And had the Suns IN
formant looked St the eontract OK at
the minutes OF the committee, or had
other papers that have copied these
communications Investigated Il, they
would have aseertained that no error
exists.
in making a copy Of the last bin Of
the accountants, the clerk OF the COM
mlttee who made the copy put down
the figures "a instead Of 26, making Il
read s2f per day instead of $26 per day
according TO the contract, but in copy
ling the amount In the total coluLan she
copied It correctly, % days at $50 pet
4 day making $T26. And these are the
| figures that are carried out In the col
ufnn. Therefore, instead of the &C.
count being approved for SO more
than was earned, IL is approved foS
exactly the correct amount, $I25, az
I would nave been discovered by looking
at the contract and calculating the
number Of days
rs the hurry Of the closing days o.
the session the typographical error OF
the stenographer in the copy OF the &C.
| count IS the rate per diem was not dis
| covered until after the report wal
hled.
Az chairman of the COMMITTEES, ! ap
I proved the account for the total amount
\ that was actually due, and that tota
amonnt II correct.
j would not deem It necessary "a
4 have answered this proposition but foI
i the faea that the articles referred x
are using what they assume was ~
I error "a east refec rion upon the worl
81 the accouhtants and the committee
y When the whole Of the proceeding
4 Of tia committee shall be published
&c ~okk done BY them within the time
4 aI.n9 ~ nilI ahow for itself, and ] pre-
stfnst That this viii be done when tn
rrnn ctnnaisBion shaN have finishes
4 les Iabofa AID made its report.
RESPECTFULLY,
n II. II. BUcKMAN
I Iatk hvlIle, Juiy2.
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