The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-05-11

IL IS NC UISll OOdI AO' Il
in existence in January, 1907, but C
the time for settlement was ex {;
tended last year. as the law al j
lows, and as is done every year, !
until May, at which time the L
0oard Of audit and finance were
actively engaged in their exami- Z
nation.
Fifth: Next, they 90 out OF /
their way to call attention to Ger
tain collections made by Sheriff t
Mcneil which they claim is il
excess of collections made by No. t
from the same schedule. If it is
not their duty to examine into
This account, why have they done
so? And if they can so readily
give statement concerning this
account, why is it they decline tt
De examined, or make any state
ment concerning the general
county fund, the road fund, the
school fund and all the special
tax funds in the count? They
failed to call the attention of the
public to the fact, as explanation
of the differences, that the pres
emit sheriff collects on more suit
jects of taxation than [ did. The
law has been changed since l left |
office. I can say further, that l
have paid in all, if not more than,
the board of audit and finance it
self found l was due on these
schedules.
The foregoing constitutes their
excuses: Are any of them valid?
The question at issue was not
whether your board had the
power and authority to examine
mem Der of the board of audi
and finance, but was simply a
J question of honesty and good
= faith. | had stated to your
. board that 1 owed more thai
! the board OF audit and finance
l, found. Manifestly your board
would not then make set
element with me upon tbs
{ strength of that report. You
z had to have more information
II And so you called upon the
e board of audit and finance, VIII
4 have been engaged about twelve
+ months in the examination of the
- accounts which are now to be
settled. and asked for inforna-
-, ton. What you wanted was
{ simple. All your board wanted
: to know, or cared to know from
: them was How much does ex
r S4eriff Mcleod owe the general
y county fund; how much does he
r owe the school fund; how much
does he owe the road fund; how
i. much does he owe the various
II special tax funds? Anyone
II knows that if the board of audi
= and finance could have answered
10 these questions they would have
n been only too glad to have done
ID so. The information would havt
Or been very cheerfully and readil.
j. given. You would have heart
- nothing about lack of power,
II mot our duty" and other sue
st tommyrot. They would hav
" come out with the goods. It i
K only because they know, now
r. that their report is fullof errors
he that they have given certain
~ funds credit for thousands {
a dollars which belong to othe
of funds; that they have failed t
ed make any proper statement a
tv to any single funds and as to a
he funds com bined: that they no
as Sc K cover and rely upon the
lid alleged immunity from examin
~ ton.
,Ie I want the people to unde
an staud this matter. | am ve1
nv much in earnest about it.
n have made the statement tn
he the report of the board of aud
#? and finance is incorrect; I ha,
tn made the statement that it doc
ne not correctly show the amount
i'm am due the gsneral county funt
,e) the road fund, the school fur
non and the various special tax funC
ev for the years 19O6-19O7. I {
.lD not wish my statement taken /
to itself. l am willing to have an
is body verify it. I am willing
"? take the figures of the board
ic. audit and finance itself, and ca
ev satisfy any ordinary intelligel
N man in five minutes from the
no own figures their report is mo.
ur- erroneous in many respects.
ne will do even more: [ am wi
tv ing that any independent, di
,ell interested com mittee of three
cir chosen by any body and i
ac. them go over the records ar
mt figures of the board of audit ar
is finance and then if this COMM
in tee finds that said board has r
IA ported the correct amounts I a
,e- due each of the various fund
for 1906 1907, l will pay the su
aw of $50 to any charitable organ
Ca zation. the committee may desi,
&C. nate. I will do more. If th
az committee does not fad Tat tt
board of audit and finance hs
ras made errors of hundreds lin tV
7as instances thousands)of dollars
,ur their statements of my accouu
be due the various funds, accor,
res ing to their own figures, then
cir will make the same contrib
lad ton.
ne. Mind you, the foregoing pro
or ositions are based upon the ia
ten ing of the figures filed by tt
boo I'd ne IL .nrI ]