The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-03-31
FINANCES OF SMOKY CITY. Ac-
coRolNG TO AUDITORS RE.
PORT, IN BAD WAY.
MANY ARE involved
City Treasurers, Mayors. Police Judges,
County Assessors and Other Officials
Declared to Be Implicated in Affair
Some Missing Funds Due to CIcr-
ieal Errors, Presumably.

Butte. March 30.--In highly sem
sational report, made public this even
Ing by the Butte Busnessmen's as
sociation. an audit of the clty's II
nances dating back for 10 years, Is
given. Many discrepancies in the ac-
counts OF the various officials are re-
ported. some OF which may bo clerical,
but. In the expressed opinion OF the
auditors, Messrs. Pogson. Pelubet &
Co, in some instances. I'VE are sat
isfied that cash to this amount was
abstraeted."
The auditors make no attempt to
conclsely sum UP the possible short
ages. stating In connection Herewith
that many receipt books are missing
and poll tax receipts and cash books
gone.
The shortages In the entries of
former city Treasurers u. Il. calllns
and Michael i rgor are comparative
ly SMALL states the report. During
the term of former Treasurer Phil c.
Goodwin. several discrepancies occur.
including one for $I.70o"
II IL In this connection that the
auditors express the opinion that cash
was abstractcd
a shortage Of 800 in the accounts
OF present City Treasurer sP +. Me-
carthy. the auditors state. was made
good by n refund OF that amount by
n former clerk named Callan.
Goodwin Failed to Account.
Treasurer Goodwin failed to ae-
count for certain personal taxes dur
ing the years 1907 and 1908. together
with shortages In the entries In
'treasurer's' memorandum of taxes
collected" continues the report.
The greatest number OF missing re-
ceipts appears to be in the poll tax
department. and until some check can
be had on these. II Is difficult To es-
innate the amount due the city trSs-
ury
The officials are scored for their
laXneas In the matter of the city FL
nances and 1t is stated that to meet
100000 bond issue of 1905, matur-
Ing In 10 years, only $4,000 was found
set aside by the auditors.
The city of Butte has exceeded its
legal limit of Indebtedness, the statu-
tory limit OF which Is 8 per
cent of the assessed valuation OF
city property. by s723.245.Ss. tho
sum fixing the limit being sss4.-
6Ss.35. The total Indebtedness Is
81 .407 ,933.13.
1--WE find" says the report. that the
total amount due for delinquent taxes
on November 30. 1910. is $1,000 In
collections and what is due from inn
provements will reduce the amount to
so6,37f95, 50 per cent of which will be
loss, according TO the auditors.
Record Altered.
THE treasurers record of these
taxes has been erased altered. trans
| ferred, etc, To such an extent" con-.
tinues the report. "as to make IL al
most impossible to arrive at satis-
| factory list Of the uneollected Items"
| The balance sheet Of general funds"
shows there is due from city officials.
past and present, the sum of s45.244.11
and from former county assessors the
sum of $35,9ll.01.
These are exclusive OF other items
which have obviously been deducted
from police court fines and diverted
to one or more officials of the police
department. says the auditors and
the amount shown as due from the
city treasurers is subject To the pro-
duction by them of many missing re-
eeIpt books"
During the administration of Patrick