The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-24

eliminate the possibility Of any po- litical enterprise"
 Kimbail Absent
 Attorney Chase Kimball, Control Ter Rowland's mentor on a recent occasion when James P, Purcell, an accountant, was absent, had con- cured with board members that Rowland was not responsible fol matters of the city before he took office."
 The audit Of the tax collectors office for last year was undertaken to quote MT. Rowland, "by my lim- tied staff" and the audit was "very limited MT. Goss enquired as to a report on this audit, saying that he failed to find 1t ill the minutes oi the board,
 The controller countered with While you were away, MT. Goss. But this failed to satisfy the manu- facturer, when the controller, his accountant was away on court chores. read and re-read Section i07 of the charter which. in effect calls upon the controllers office to make audits Of city departments every six months.
 Although various of the commits sioners, particularly MT. GosS and Commissioner Major W. Judge urged that the controller read back" to the other sections which provide that the finance board is the city's financial directorate and superviEes his ofiice, the controller, for the same unexplained reagon failed to find more than the Section l07 for his alleged contention.
 Political Enterprise
 Mention Of political enterprise" by the commissioners recalled that the controllers office was responsible for various political releases" to his Republican guardian on Leaven- worth street. This angle of the con- troller,s design was not elaborated, however.
 Thereafter, acknowledging defeat of his scheme to control the audit, Controller Rowland urged that "lo- cal accountants" be engaged to con- duct the eight-year enterprise.
 It then was explained to the con- troller that the audit, in reference, would be no simple affair; that there was question of installing a different system Of checking on tax deIinquents and devising modern methods'so that the condition Of the city'g accounts receivable would be available to the board at all times. This. the commissioners agreed. was no criticism of the present handling of the office of Tax Commissioner William 4, Ennis came in for praise for his work and efficiency of col- iections throughout tenure of office.
 Harry Livingston. representative of the International Business Machines Corporation, attended the meeting on behalf of Commissioner Judge, chairman of the economy committee Of the board in charge Of tine audit arrangements. After re- port from E. O. Griffenhagen, of Griffcnhagen & Associates, had inc formed the board that cost Of the proposed audit would run from ST. 500 to S1S,O0O, depending on how much detail tine city required. Mir. Livingston demonstrated how machines could undertake much of the work Of the audit by card- punching system.
 Commissioner Judge explained that he had queried Mir. Griffenhagen as to whether his company could work collaboratively with the machine firm and operators. Commissioner Goss suggested spot check audit" of two or three years to determine the geenral accuracy of the accounts in reconciliation with charges against the tax collectors office as devised by the board and held by the controller.
 "C0mpiicated"
 Accounts dating back q years are involved in the project for the au- dit and commissioners. with the controller. agreed that the matter is "complicated". Plan is to have back taxes as well as the current included on every tax bill in the fri- ture. thus eliminating check of de- iinquents who might claim to have paid their accounts by fuIfiIlmeDt of current obligations. overlooking past due bills.
 MASSES
 EUSN DURHAM--A months mind