Evening star., 1952-11-16


Department. gave this explanation
OF the Commissioners action,
which he recommended.
The reassignment of Mr.. Pill
kerton, 54-year-old veteran of %
years municipal service, does this:
1-Approximately halves his
former duties.
2-Gives him a new title, &C
counting officer. descriptive of his
sole functions. and makes him
subordinate to two other officials,
whereas he once reported directly
to the commissioners.
3. Installs his former deputy as
head of a newly created and sep
arate office of internal audit.
which handles the other major
part of Mr.. Pilkerton's former
responsibilities as auditor.
Retains Same Salary.
Mr.. Pilkerton's salary scale
which starts at $4,000 annually.
remains the same. His former
deputy, Frank M. HALEY, the new
internal audit officer. retains his
old pay grade of $500.
The shifts were part of the
latest reorganization order setting
up a brand-new finance office in
the General Administration De-
|partment. Assessor James L.
Martin heads the new Office and
retains his assessor functions.
Tax Collector Guy w. Pearson
keeps that status in the shift
into the finance Office, as does
Joseph j. Krohr, disbursing OFF,
Ger.
All the pay grades remain un-
changed, from Mr.. Martins
$4,000 to Mr.. Krohr's $500.
All the Office heads. including
Mr.. Pilkerton, in the Finance Of
flee, report to Mr.. Martin, who re-
ports to Mr.. Lowe, who, in turn,
reports to the Commissioners.
Reached at his home last night.
the former auditor had little to
say.
"The powers that be have acted.
as they have full authority to do,"
Mr.. Pilkerton said. II have tried
to do the best I could. I have
never shirked my duty"
Lowe Explains Shift.
Mr.. Lowe explained the shift as
having boiled down to a question
of deciding. between two people.
who would fit in best"
II worked out what in my own
mind would be the best solution
to an organizational problem" the
administration chief said. He felt.
he added, that Mr.. Pilkerton was
better qualified" for the account
ing post. and Mr.. HALEY better
qualified for the audit job.
"The action" Mr.. Lowe said.
'is no reflection on either man."
He added emphatically that per
sonalities didn't enter into the
decision for one moment"
He said he has had long discus
sions with Mr.. Pilkerton on the
subject. The former auditor, Mr..
Lowe added, moreover, was very
cooperative in working arrange
mentS out"
The fact that Mr.. Pilkerton
takes a doubly subordinate Office.
while his former deputy becomes
only once removed from the COM
missioners. is ian unfortunate
connotation," Mr.. Lowe went on.
But he repeated that no reflections
are intended on either principal.
Became Auditor in 1941.
Mr.. Pilkerton became auditor
in 1941 at the same time Walter
l.. Fowler became budget officer.
both men dividing the Jobs once
held simultaneously by the late
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan. Previ-
ously, Mr.. Pilkerton had been
principal assistant auditor under
Maj. Donovan.
"AA AhCA OOAA . VCIluIS d0 duQltOT
has been marked by a number Of
concentrations, although it is
known that his fatty adverse
rulings on several requested de-
partmental expenditures ruffled
some feelings.
During his service, improve
ments have been made in account-
ing and procurement procedures.
His Office has uncovered several
instances Of irregularities in city
fund disbursement. Notable among
these was the screening CT 400
relief recipients in 1916 to discover
that 10 per cent of the reliefers
were getting up to 100 per cent
more funds than they were en-
titled.