Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-02
Callahan
Replies to
Curtis on
Finances
Former State Auditor Deals
Good Naturally with Cover
nor's lll-Advised Essay into
Field Of Figures

Waterville, Sept. 1--(SpeciaN.-
What? Finances again?r ejacu-
lated the Hon. T. F. Callahan Of Lew
iston, when the kennebec journal re-
porter showed d morning edition in
. front of him Wednesday and demand
ed the former State auditors opinion
Of Governor Curtis latest dabbling in
the official record of the Maine ex-
chequer. SO the Governor continues
70 worry away at that large surplus
left over by the Haines administra-
, ton"
Mr. Callahan a candidate for the
republican gubernatorial nomination,
was on his way TO the Central Maine
Fair. He had just stepped from the
Lewiston train at Waterville when he
was confronted by the tenth page of
the Journal carrying the table of fig
ures compiled by the Governor and
purporting to disclose that the Re-
publican administration had falsely
plucked a 100000 credit where only a
$15,1S1.64 deficit grew
Mr.. Callahan's duties as a member
of the management of the Fair We're
most imperative-but he can't resist
, - IL - any iilbIc IMAM TIE I1IONHTDldI
duck can resist water He frowned:
he scanned the items and the totals;
his face frightened; he looked at his
watch.
Come down to the hotel" he in
vited, and Well attend to Mr. Curtis
little misunderstanding, Directly
/ Mr.. Curtis table of figures is intro
duced by the directions See auditors
report of Dec, 81. 1914. Page 1Os"
+ That may be where Mr.. Curtis found
/ his figures but in the State auditors
report at the end of last year the in
J formation from which Mi Curtis con-
/ veys the new interpre1a Gon is found
on page g.
/ Took Eight Months to Find IT,
In his inaugural address," recalled
Mr.. Callahan, Governor Curtis used
four columns in constituting the Haines
administra ton record according to his
own lights. Now, after eight months.
! he's coming out again. II | remember
correctly, during July and August Of
the last campaign prominent Demo-
cratic speakers made the statement
that our administration was doing
business on borrowed capital and
they told people there would be def
cit Of $4,000 when the accounts were
closed and the books turned over to
the hands of the Democrats. When
that end was finally attained. the
books showed the administration of
! l9l3-1914 instead of being $3.50, 900 be-
hind was nearly 100000 ahead. 1t
was natural. of course. that this re-
suit would be very annoying to them,
and. as l have stated, the Governor
devoted about four columns of his in
augural address to explanation.
And now" continued Mr.. Gala
han, the Governor gives figures
called deficit in current assets of
s75.7S764. Those figures. taken by
themselves, would be hardly noticed,
except as changing the form of assets
and liabilities But, taken in connec-
ton with his statement as here re-
ported. he is placed in rather awk-
ward position, to say the least.
The Governor says, in effect, that
the people believe that the State is
two or three hundred thousand dol
lars ahead, when, as a matter of fact
there is a deficit of s75,7S7.64 and ex-
plains that, inasmuch as the present
administration had been fooled into
the belief that the State was much
richer than it really is, all kinds of ap-
propriations were asked Of the last
session Of the Legislature on that
| ground.
We'll, it's quite an admission to say
the present administration was fooled
= len
shown by the Governors statement OF
yesterday because that gives the net
debt az $1,000. S65.s3, just as reported
December 81. 1914. (See page 70 OF
the auditors report-not 1889.
Problem for Small School Boy.
MF THE GOVERNOR HAD GIVEN
| Continued on Page 4-Column 81