Evening star., 1932-09-13
SHORTAGE CHARGED
IN TAK0MA BOOKS
Auditors Report Discrepancy
of $12,8O9 in Ex-OfficiaI's
Accounts.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


TAKOMA PARK, Md, September 13.
Charging discrepancies and irregu-
larities in the books of the town, the
| report of the firm which audited the
finances Of the town from July /, 1927
! to May 81, 1882, was presented at a
1 special meeting of the town council
here last night.
The report showed that the net short
age in the accounts of Bryan Davis,
! former town clerk and treasurer. to be
Sl2,S0).66. which figures are still sub
| Ject to confirmation. A copy Of the So
| page report has been sent to the bond
ing company and to States Attorney
| Stedman Prescott at Rockville. Md. At
the meeting last night E. Barrett Pretty
man of Rockville was appointed cor
poration counsel for the town. Davis
was bonded for $4,000. He was not
present at the meeting.
Civil Action Delayed.
The council authorized Mayor Fred
! erick L. Lewton. who presided. to ar
range with J. Bond Smith, counsel for
Davis a reasonable time in which to 60
over the report and town records and
recover before filing civil action. A
letter from Smith last night requested
the council to defer action and the
public to withhold judgment until such
time as a final and complete report is
submitted 1t was pointed cut last
night, however. that Davis was present
at a special meeting on July l6 at
which time the report presented to him
showed a difference of approximately
$12 900 Attorney Smith, however, has
Just returned from an extended trip
and has not had time to study the re-
port in detail.
The funds. according to the report.
which are included in a summary In
general taxes show that credits in the
general tax register and which cannot
be found in the general tax day books
amount to s2,365 30 while erasures and
underadditions in the general tax day
books amount to S1.909.79. Cash ac-
count reconciliation from June /, 1882,
TO July 9, 1882, is set at SCI .76, making
4 grand total unaccounted for Of $4,-
33735 in the general fund.
In the special assessment, fund the
| credits on file show receipts amounting
| to S195,000, while missing filing cards
( amount to $4,000. making total of
s2l1,OO0. The recorded collections,
however. show only s2O2 900. leaving a
difference of $4,000 unaccounted for on
the records. This difference added to
that in the general fund makes total
of s13.337.35. The overdeposits amount
| to s527.6e, which have been deducted
! by the auditors from the SIS, 1897 IS,
leaving net amount not accounted for
of s12,e0966.
| Several hundred record or ledger
cards" continues the report, "on which
were recorded accounts with taxpayers
for more than $4,000 or original spe-
cial assessments were missing from the
| files. The transactions between the
town and the taxpayers which should
| have been represented by these cards
must be rebuilt through confirmation
before we can establish final respon-
sibility of the town clerk and treasurer
for special assessment funds.
: Register Is Missing"
| 1.-THE register of collections on ac-
count of special assessments was also
missing. This record disappeared after
the audit was authorized. From COL
lateral data we determined that the
town clerk and treasurer had recorded
collie cctions on account of special assess
ments CT about S202 900 between July
l. 1927, and May 81, 1882. when such
entries should have amounted to over
S21l,OO0''
Mayor Lewton announced that
number of taxpayers of the town hat
co-operated by presenting receiptct
bills, while others had declined to assis
in the audit. Confirmation blanks wer,
! sent to every taxpayer and about 81
per cent of these have been returned
Further effort will be made to caus!
those who have failed to reply to tn,
confirmation blanks verifying their ac'
|
taken if necessary by the town au
thorities.
Those present at the meeting las
night IN addition to Mayor Lewtor
| were Councilmen H. E. Rogers, John r
Adams, Peter Remsen, Royal G. Sher
burne, Martin F. Iverson and Irvine H
Ware