Evening star., 1935-05-16
$88,S22 SHORTAGE
IN MONTGOMERY
TAXES IS CHARGED
"Preferred" Group Seen in
Report Showing Un-
collected Levies.
REALTY FIRMS NAMED
IN UNADVERTISED LIST
Walker Declines to Surrender
Checks and Refuses to Ap.
pear Before Board.
BY staff Correspondent Of The Star.

BY staff Correspondent Of The Star
ROCKVILLE. Md. May 16.-An
auditors report alleging that the
county treasurer's Office had failed to
collect $88, ,822.78 in taxes during the
levy years, 1928, and number of
other irregularities in county finances
was referred to States Attorney James
H. Pugh for appropriate action" by
the Montgomery County Commis-
sioners today.
The Commissioners early this after
noon sent County Auditor Alexander
Hancock to the Office Of j. Forest
Walker, county treasurer. with the
request that the checks be turned over
to the board
Hancock brought back the message
that Walker desired time to consider
disposition of the checks.
The board then adopted resolu-
ton demanding that the treasurer
Immediately turn over the checks to
Edward Peter, attorney for the board,
for collection.
A representative of q Baltimore
auditing firm appeared before the
board and told the Commissioners that
the s88,822.7S represented levies on
real estate that should have been ad-
vertised for tax delinquencies. Among
the properties on which taxes were in
arrears, but which were not adver-
tised, were lands owned by the county
treasurer and members of his family,
the auditor said.
Walker was scheduled to appear be-
fore the board today to explain the
accounts, but he told newspaper men
late yesterday that he had no inten-
ton of appearing before the Com
missioners
Walker declared he had demanded
copies of the auditors report on three
occasions so that he could study the
findings Of the Baltimore firm and ex-
plain the various items which ap-
peared on the report. He said that
none of his requests was granted.
The auditing company's represent
atives declared that other parcels on
which taxes were delinquent, but
which were not advertised for sale,
were owned by the North washington
Realty Co., OF which z. Brooke Lee.
former head of the Democratic party
in the county, is an official. He said
that two other real estate firms on
the preferred list" were the Blair
Development Co. and Sligo Park Land
Co., both Of Silver Spring.
Checks Return Charged.
The auditors report also alleges
that checks aggregating $12,984.28
accepted in payment of taxes had
been returned because Of insufficient
funds. Included on the list were
checks from Thomas L. Dawson. Sec
retary of State, and Frank L. Hewitt,
Silver Spring real estate operator, and
well known Republican leader. The
report states there were also two un-
signed checks.
Joseph C. Cissell, former attorney
to the County Board, informed the
Commissioners yesterday that the
County Board had authorized Walker
on June %, 1888, to turn the checks
over to the county attorney for col
lection.
1t was said by the auditing firms
representative that a tax bill of the
North Washington Realty Co. In the
amount of $50 1000 had been receipted
on February 4, 1884, but that the
check in payment was not deposited
in the bank until June 20, 1884.
He declared he had questioned
Walker about the matter and was
informed that the treasurer was not
personally familiar with the account.
Interest Loss Cited.
An employe of the treasurer's Office,
the auditor said, declared the check
had been in his desk drawer the en-
tire time but he had not had oppor-
tunity to check the bills. The auditors
said the county had lost four and
one-half months interest on the trans
action as result.
The auditor further declared that
there was "insolvent" written on a
number of items on the treaSurer's
tax list where insolvencies had not
been formally approved by the board.
Among these, he said. were properties
of the North Washington Realty Co.
The auditor told the Commissioners
that his reaction after his investiga-
ton was that the attitude of every
one was that the matter wasn't any
of my business" He expressed a
willingness to cooperate with the
States attorney in the latter's ex-
animation of the report.