The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-08
Finance Committee to
Get Report on Col
lector's Books.
NEW SCHEM e TO
HELP ESTAT E
Lawyers for Mrs. Cunningham
Are Trying to Have Hulce
Split Commissions With
Widow, but Council Must
Give Its Approval
First.


Additional shortage in the accounts
OF former City Collector Frank ".
Cunningham. amounting 10 about 500
lave been unoiiiciaily reported to
Chairman II. r. Pollard. Jr, or the
Council Committee on Finance. Ac-
countants examining the Office have
under scrutiny items aggreg ating about
$4,000. in which there is some evidence
Of rresnlarity. When asked last night
as to the report current among mem
bers Of tho Council since The ineetin.,
last Friday night. Chairman Pollard
admitted that he had been informed
OF the shortaE e, but said that the or
licial report had not been made as vet.
the further examination Of accountants
not having been completed. rhc mat
Ter, he said. would be laid before Tie
Mayor and Finance Committee in due
course The city is amply protected
by the bond Of the former Collector.
which was in the sum OF $4,000. with
the Virginia Trust Company an surety.
Would Divide Fees.
a canvass OF members or the Coun-
ell Is being made by Messrs y. G.
| OFlaherty and NJ. j. Fulton counsel
| Tor the Cunningham family, urging that
the office Of City Collector now operat
y
ifulcc. be continued on a commission
basis until the general election. the
incumbent to divide the fees with tho
widow OF Captain Cunningham
Mr oflaherty said last night that
regardless OF the merits OF the CON
troyersy which led to Captain Gun
ningham's removal and the election
Of Collector ad Interim he thought, tina /
u would be manifestly unfair to cut
oil the Income to his estate from The
once at this juncture. IIe explained
mat following the first of the fiscal
year. there was q large amount of
work In making out thousands of tax
niils. and some cost in the payment OF
deputies, which work yielded prauti-
caiiy no return until lax payments arc
maze on the city assessment in July.
Reap No Bcnc4t From outiny.
is ike sowing a crop that the
other fellow reaps." explained AIr.
ianerty. Previous to his suspen-
sion Mr.. Cunningham had paid tn.
cost OF making out these bills, and
had borne the cost OF tho salaries or
his deputies who had been paid by him
10 April l. In that time. however.
practically no money had been maid a.
throuSh his office, SO that on a com
mission basis he had reaped but Iitttc
return for his work. think the
council should reimburse the Cunning
. ,. estate Tor the salaries of the dspu-
.tes 10 Aprll ], of this year. and tha
extra ., cost of making this wears tan
p.is. an inc benerit Of which will be
'eaped by the incoming official"
CnnnUt Pension Widow.
osNcral members OF the Council In :
iervicwed last night did not See ~.
proposltion In this light, saying thar
me oi',ee was clearly one which ter
minated with the death Of Canaan
Cunningham, and that a bill 10 nension
ms widow was beyond the powers OF
the Council -
Meanwhile conditions In the once
arc In somewhat anomaIous shanc
Following the suspension of Captain
cunningham, Mr.. Hulce was electe1
Soiector ad Interim. a a salary OF $500
per month, and 1t was provided ina
from that date his deputies should re
celve from the city the same compen-
satioh they would have received from
captain Cunningham had he remained
III once. The deputies, therefore are
looking TO the Cunningham estate for
pay from April to the date of his
suspension. when the Office was closed
until the election of Mr.. tTulce.
Fees Lnsi Year SI1,O.7.
Long before the present arita,ion
arose the Council passed bill reduc-
ing the scale OF commissions of tbe
Once from Is TO = of per cent. the
AUDITORS report having shown that
captain Cunningham drew from the
city in commissions last year SHOOTERS
e ne Board OF Aldermen amended the
measure SO tina t, 1t would not take
effect until January /. 1914. When il
ca me back TO the Council last Friday
night for concurrence in the amend
ment. the lower branch tabled ne
whole matter. II may be called up at
any time.
Meanwhile the Ordinance. Charter
ana reform Committee has reported u
resolution. which will come before the
Council 10 might for action, instructinS
the City Attorney to secure from the
next Legislature such amendments TO
tho city charter as will abolish the
Office and place its duties on the city
Treasurer after January l. 1914. The
Ordinance, Charter and Reform Com
nlttee has recently had referred TO it
G resolution fixing the salary OF the
Collector and of the various deputies
IN the Office.
May Take No Action Mt Present.
n Several members OF the Council sug-
sested last night that no action what :
ever was needed al this time, and ii is
doubtful If any will be taken. MIR.
Eulce will serve. under The Law, and
according 20 tho ruling of the city AL
torney, until his Successor is elected
and qualities. EIe is on a salary of $500
per month. in lieu OF all fees. and his
deputies draw the same salaries from
the city as they formerly drew from
the Collector. So that until action is
taken, the office is in effect on u salary
basis u would be necessary to ADOPT
an ordinance permanently fixing 1t on
that basis before the general election.
otherwise the official elected at tina
time would come In as Collector, not
as Collector ad interim, and would
therefore go back to the old scale O.;
commissions on. all money handled
through the Office,