The Cordova daily times., 1915-03-31

A STATEMENT OF FACTS.

Since the beginning of the present campaign, many inslnuations and some direct accusations have been made against Captain Lathrop. He has been charged with graft in var. ious forms; with using his position as councilman and chairman of the street committee to further his own person- al interests.
 During the three years that Mir. Lathrop was member of the coun. GIL had charge of the. books and records of the Alaska Transfer Com pany and made out all bills. am. therefore, personally familiar with the Alaska Transfer Company's account With the Town of Cordova. The statement made in the Daily Alaskan that Capt. Lathrop has received
 
 thousands of dollars. from the town for work of his men and teams. and that the street work during his term of office was done at an exorbitant expense to the town is so far from the actual truth as to be Imaginable.
 It is true that at times the men and teams Of the Alaska Transfer Com pany were employed on street work, but it is also true that many days work was done by both men and teams for which no charge was made. and of which no record was ever kept It is further true that during his three years service on the street com mittee, all work on the streets and walks was done under MT. Lathrop's personal supervision and direction. resulting, at times, in neglect of his own business, but no charge has ever been made for this, nor has he ever received one cent for the time he de- voted to the interest of the town.
 In 1911, 1912, and 1913, the work on the streets was given to old-time resi- dents of the town. preference being shown as far as possible to men with families. The records for 1914 show that IA out of the IS men employed on street work were newcomers without families, and had never been in the town before. What qualifications were required and whose o. K. was necessary to secure a street job in 1914?
 During the fall of 1911, considerable work was necessary on the streets. and MT. Lathrop made a proposition to the council that if the work could be done at time when he had noth- ing else on hand, he would donate the use of his teams, charging only for the actual time of the drivers. The charge of Oct. 5, 1911, covered 52 hours labor by men and teams, per formed during September. This was charged at 50 cents instead of $50 per hour, the regular rate, or a say ing to the town in this one month of $52.OO In the June and July, 1913, bills, several items appear for dis tributing lumber" This was mater ial from the old walk which was used when building the new one.
 Exclusive of coal, which is not charged through our ledger, the fol iN"ihS 10 dh CAdCA COpS Ol every Dlii rendered by the Alaska Transfer Com pany, or A. F. Lathrop. against the town of Cordova, and of every cent received from the town for material or work done, during the three years that MT. Lathrop served as councilman. Included in the to- tai of $S5S1S is $79.55, cash advanced by the Transfer Company in behalf of the town, for telegram, and labor, leaving a net amount received during the three years of $77S.63.
 And this $77S.63 is the thousands" of which Capt. Lathrop mulcted the city. Councilman Goodall received $36O for S6O hours overseeing" and the Daily Alaskan's printing bill for the past year will be almost as much as the Alaska Transfer Co. received for three years work with teams.