Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-05-24
MOrgenson's statement fol-

MIR. Morgenson's statement fol-
lows:
Before any controversy is en-
tered into over the comptroller's po-
sltion in reference to the finances of
the schools, i wish to state briefly,
as matter of information, that the
city comptroller keeps no records OF
accounts for the schools, as the ac-
counting for the finances of this
scnools, according to law is entirely
outside of the jurisdiction of the
comptroiler's Office Nor are any re-
ports or requests relating to the
scnoois budgetary requirements or
its finances ever filed with the city
comptroller by the school board or
the board of estimate.
Therefore. under these circum-
stances It is difficult TO understand
why anyone should try to say thar
II is up to the comptroller TO fol-
low up the school boards request
Tor the teachers bonus appropria-
tlon which was not taken up in the
lSZ2 tax ordinance, when such re-
quests are not reported TO his office.
and 1t certainly would be resented
should the city comptroller busy
himself with the affairs of any de-
partment over which he has no jur-
isdiction.
''The annual budget compiled BY
the comptroller and which is usually
taken up in December is for local
purposes other than schools the
matter OF the appropriation for the
schools being entirely in the hands
OF the school board and the board
OF estimate, the meeting of the lat
ter board which mnst--bc- freftf--0e
later than February Is. for the
adoption of the school budget for
the ensuing school year, and such
school budget when adopted by the
board of estimate becomes manda-
tory on the city council TO be taken
up IN the tax ordinance (not budget3
from report made TO the council by
the clerk of the board of estimate.
As TO who is TO blame. this is not
up 10 me to determine but one
thing is certain it cannot rightfuIy
be charged TO my Office for the rea-
son tnaf these matters are not ham
died through my Office.
In the interests of the citizens
and taxpayers of our fair city. it
would seem that more Performance
and less talk is what is needed"
Mr.. MorSenson also took exception
TO the headline Audit Shows Big
Error in City Accounts" which ap-
| peared in yesterdays Evening News.
I He claims that the headline reflects
upon his ofhce and gives the public
/ the wrong impression. The city's ac-
| counts, he said this morning. are in
| excellent condition as can be veri-
/ fed by inquiring from the state com
/ missioner of accounts at Trenton.
The $4,000 item of unpaid taxes. he
/ said, covers the period from 1914 to
( 1921, more than $4,000 of which
was traced back to the years 1914
/ 1915 AID 1916. Former aadits have
/ failed TO reveal this failure to re-
/ port abatements owing to the in
I complete records available for those
/ years.
The $4,000 second class railroad
Z tax which the city thought was due
I II from the state was matter past
| the control OF the city. ne said. his
| information from State Comptroiler
/ Bugbee that none of this amount
/ could be given the city as it already
/ had its share coming too late to get
/ in this years budget
An item Of considerable import
ence which should be brought en-
! phetically before the public, the
/ comptroller said. is the fact that the
city has a $50. 900 surplus of which
$4,000 was appropriated in the
/ 1922 budget. This leaves $4,000 to
I be applied against the amount
which the city must raise by taxa
| ton in order 10 again straighten out
! its financial condition.