The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-06
Charges Errors to Chief Clerk Allen, Who Put Money in Drawer
 Without Credit.
Not Donnelly,But Alderman Wilson Brought Facts
 to Public View.
Fiscal System in Use in Col lector's Office Defective Uncredited Surplus Be longs to City and Should Be Turned Over.

Is the public entitled to know the
 amount of revenue from taxation
 which remains in the hands of the tax
 collector after his term of office has
 expired?
 in the matter of such a balance in
 his hands, former Collector Charles
 Gotthardt is of the opinion that the
 information is not for the public. At any rate he refuses to state the amount of the balance standing in his name.
 In justice to MT. Gotthardt it must be distinctly understood that he is not doing anything that other collectors have not done. It is probable that the errors that have crept into his ac- counts are somewhat greater than us- raI, but this is all.
 The defecC is in the system of ac- counting that has been used, and in the way in which the ''uncreddted sur plus' has been held.
 Whatever merit the system had, when the collector was paid by com- mission on the total sum collected, is gone now that he is paid a salary.
 A surplus obtained by failure to credit the taxes paid by certain per sens belongs to the city. and under a proper system would be turned over to the city.
 The person who paid the tax has no claim on it. The loss is entirely to the city.
 Even if it is assumed that a sur of an overpayment, the taxpayer wtE have his remedy against the city and not against the collector.
 MT. Charles GOtthardt was Inter viewed yesterday afternoon as he was entering the City Hall to make up the shorta ges discovered by the presenta- ton of the receipted bills. already de- scribed in the Farmer A Farmer re- porter asked him if he had read the article relative to the financial system in the office of the collector. He re- piled that he had, and the reporter asked him what he thought about it.
 Think about it," he replied. Why. it looks to me as though MT. Donnelly was looking for reelection and was beginning to boom himself for the of flee at my expense. Every collector who went out Of the office had a sur plus of money which he was obliged to carry until he found out who it be- longed to. I still remain under bonds to the city"
 Asked how he accounted for the sur plus. the former collector said: 'I owe it to my good clerk, MT. Allen He received the money and put it in the drawer without putting a credit on the books. When the time came to balance we had so much money over." surplus which has not been turned over to the city," asked the reporter.
 'sYes," was the answer.
 -'How much?' asked the reporter.
 'T don't think I would care to tell hat" replied MT. Gotthardt
 The reporter asked again if MT. Gott- 1 lardt would not tell the amount. He 1 'eplied. "I do not think it anybodys l ,usiness.''
 The reporter asked him if Mr. Don- | lel1y, who was his predecessor had any | urplus, which he had discovered when ] l was in the office. He answered, ''if | le did have I would not say anything | Lbout it, just because he has annOunc- | d that have some money on hand"
 Th,. reporter made some enquiries bout the city hall and learned that Ar. Gotthardt is wrong in accusing Collector Donnelly of making it known money in the hands of the former col ector. It was shown that Alderman Clifford B. Wilson brought out the acts, at the last meeting of the com questions about the condition f the office and by endeavoring to earn from the collector if he was ure that some of the taxpayers whose ameS appeared on the arrears book 1 ad not paid their bills.
 MT. Donnelly answered the questions which were put to him. As a result he bill against the Porter estate was Republican. had any idea of putting fr. DonnelIy under fire, and there was o indication that he did have, he rought to light something which appened during the administration of fr. Gotthardt. The general sentiment bout the scity is that there should be
 better system of balancing books in he offices of he collector, irrespective f party lines.
 It is said that no collector has ever cid the office whose accounts at the nd of his term did not show sur lus, due to failure to credit some f the money received to those who aid it.
 There was a very small excess after 1 le first term of Collector Donnelly. he remarkable feature connected with 1 lese errors, during MT. Gotthardt's | ] erm are the size of the bills which | i ere not credited A surplus of s532 in the cash drawer ould be considered by almost any in | :, -itution an important matter from a ookkeeping standpoint. Such a sum ,uld be located with a little effort. ] is such an amount as would usually 1 9. paid by check, and it is thought le error might have been rectifed v running over the checks in the off, t ce on the day the surplus was discov- l