The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-07


 read the call. In addition to those named, these were present: Harley w. Tripp, Major w. Judge, Charles B. Jackson, John A. Hayden.
 Bond renewals for several officials were referred to the corporation counsel.
 MT. Rowland rises.
 Mayor: "Sit down, MT. Control Ter. This is an informal meeting.
 MT. Rowland smiles at board members, the mayor. Sits.
 Rowland Proceeds
 MT. Rowland: "As new controller, I want to render as efficient service as possible to the city. During the last four or five weeks the office of the controller has been conducted so that came in Monday to find 50,000 invoices and items scattered all about. There are two warrant books missing, highly important rec ords, all recounting the city's trans actions for 1886 and 1887, except December. Additional items were paid after the last meeting of the board of finance without its approv- al.
 Mayor Queries Him
 Mayor: Whats irregular about that?
 MT. Rowland: It is my duty as controller to pass upon all transac- tionS coming through my office I was delayed in setting out the pay roll yesterday because there was no stamp. I had to sign checks by hand, hundreds of them. was busy all the evening. There are new sheets add ed to the accounts approved by this board in December, some of the items have here are marked paid, some are not.
 (The controller rises to thumb through about a dozen yellow sheets, looking at one, then another of the finance commissioners for com- ment0
 Mayor: New sheets?
 Controller Continues
 MT. Rowland: I desire to render as efficient and complete service as am supposed to as controller. I find that items of considerable amount are marked paid here. There are items showing combined service by trucks and drivers in the street department. In the fire department there are three items showing that firemen who should have been pen stoned were receiving full pay. Be- cause of this and this-(The tall, bushy-haired controller pointed dramatically to the two baskets of papers, all colors)-I appeal to the board for a sum sufficient to audit all the accounts in the controllers office, as the charter makes manda- tory the duties of the controller under section 108. appeal for this in view of the missing records.
 Commissioners Query Him
 Commissioner Dalton: Are the certificates of deposit credited in your office correct so far as money in the banks?
 MT. Rowland: Yes. I've only been controller four days, I beg the in dulgence of the board
 Commissioner Olsen: Perhaps you don't understand. Are the state ments showing money turned over to you correct? Is the money there in the banks?
 MT. Rowland: I presume that it's there. don't see what bearing that has.
 Commissioner Olsen: MT. Mayor, do understand right that an audit is now taking place?
 Mayor: Yes. The first eleven months of last year are complete in the audit by the firm, Kingsley and Company, which has made the city audits for as long as I've been in office. The December accounts will not be completely audited until the first of February.
 MT. Rowland: MT. Dalton asked if there was a separate audit, didn't he? I'm only trying to comply with the charter which makes it manda- tory for the controller to conduct an audit. In view of thiS-(Here, the controller once again pointed to the two baskets of papers)-In view of this fact, I'm asking for an audit. I asked previously. I'm asking again.
 Personal Accountant
 (Controlled Rowland, when he took office, announced that he had en- gagged the services of a personal accountant who would be paid out of his own pocket, not by the city. This man, MT. Armstrong, is en- ployed at present by MT. Rowland and is representative of Grifen- hagen and Company, the firm which made the charter commission au- dits several years ago)
 Mayor: When you asked this board last month, and the board of aldermen, didn't the corporation counsel give ruling that the mayor had the right to order an audit and that the controller was to audit his own office accounts twice a year, after six months in office and at the end of the year?
 MT. Rowland: Yes, there was.
 City Clerk Again Reads
 City Clerk Fitzmaurice reads for the third time the long ruling of Corporation Counsel Charles s. OConnor, which the mayor sum- marized, to the effect that the char ter does not provide that the con- troller shall conduct special audits.
 While four reporters from the Republican-American poised their pencils over paper, there was Q minute of silence.
 More Repartee
 Mayor: What is the pleasure of