The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-03-26
An Open Letter


Glasgow, Montana, March 25th, 1915.
To The Honorable Mayor and City Council of the City of Glasgow,
and to The Publc:-
Greeting:-
During the past sixty days various rumors have reached me
to the effect that the City of Glasgow was claiming a shortage in my
accounts while acting as City Clerk. However, a none of these reports
came from a n official source, and none of my informants were willing
to go IN record as to where the information originated, it looked to
me like the cowardly means usually employed by character assassins.
who lack the manhood to come out in the open, and were using th;
means of trying to injure me.
Knowing that these statements yer false, and that there was n
justification for anyone making them, l have ignored them, but am
making the following public explanation of the situation in justice to
my friends, who have stood by me o loyalty, and that the public
The statement that a shortage existed is false, and any member
of the City Council will, if he is honest and fair-mnded, bear me out
The books, and necessary figures for computing and extending the
Special improvement Taxes were not turned over to me until many
days after the same should have been extended and ready to collect.
Starting in with this handicap, l was required to enter and extend
the taxes, obtain the names of the property owners, send out the no.
tees, for both delinquent and current taxes, and collect and account
for the money, the latter item having always been attended to by the
City Treasurer heretofore; thus placing me under twofold incon-
venience of being placed at a disadvantage for lack of time to collect,
and the proper books in which to keep a record of my collections.
Between December goth, 1914, and January 4th, 1916, l collected
approximately $12JoooOo Special Improvement taxes, also made out
and mailed the water and light receipts for the month of December.
On January 9TH, 1915, l turned over $11,24261 Special improve
ment tax money to the Treasurer, this being all that I had checked,
and was able to designate as belonging to that fund at that time; on
January 9Th or 9Th, the Treasurer advised me that he wa at a loss
to know what bonds to take up with this money, as he had no way
Of determining what certain Special Improvement District the money
belonged to, and Notwithstanding the fact that I was not in the en-
poy of the City at that time, I proceeded to ascertain how this bust
ness had been handled in the past, secured the book used for that
purpose, which up to that time had neve been turned over to me,
entered up the amounts to the credit of the several Special Improve
ment Districts, of which there were twenty three at that time, and
turned over to the Treasurer a statement showing the amount due
each district.
The bill for $112.42, interest, which certain members of the City
Council were 81 concerned about in putting themselves o record as
being in favor of having the City Attorney take steps to collect from
me, and which they were equally anxious to have other members Of
being placed on record as opposed to, notwithstanding the fact that
I have met promptly every demand that has been made m me in
connection with the settlement of city business, was arrived at by
charging or attempting to charge me $112.42 for not turning this mon
ey over on Dec. 81, and which those in favor Of the motion consider is a
fair rate Of interest for the failure on my part to turn this money
W O the date named. In other words thew feel that r hon1d nav
for the citys failure to provide a proper set Of books with which to
handle the business, and that should be able to do two mems
work in less than half Of the time usually consumed by them, and
that in the event of my inability to do this, the city of Glasgow
should collect $11242, (why the $l12.42, and not $1,242.42), no one
can logically explain.
The fact Of the matter is that had the City Council understood
that this money was turned vel O January 4h, do not believe that
any intelligent member of the council would have considered for a
moment the absurdity of charging me that amount, and that the or
iginal action taken was occasioned by the fact that the situation was
not fully explained to them at that time.
In conclusion, wish to state emphatcaly, that l have met every
just clam made by the city promptly, and without the necessity of
he'll calling m the assistance of the City Attorney, and that l stand
ready, as l have Informed the council, to make good any error or
omission that may be found to my debit, regardless of the final report
made by the Special Auditor, that I think that the action taken by
the public to ne by insinuating that it is necessary for them to call
in legal assistance in order to obtain a settlement with me is unfair.
and uncalled for in view of the facts.
will appreciate a careful perusal of the foregoing, and am
wiling tt abide by the verdict of any fair-minded person.
Respectfully Submitted,
w. B. SHOEMAKER.