Year: 1876

which were returned to the County Treasury


when the Town Collector had finished. The


system of special assessments is such as tt


prevent his taking any money from this fund


without discovery. The demand for the


not have withheld any large portion Of it


without certain detection. But he has had


in his hands the Lists Of unpaid personal
! taxes for several years, and there Is no print
ed OF advertised lists of these which would


furnish a check upon his disposition Of the


money received from that sourca- His Office
for year OF more has been merely perfume


tory, and the only employment for himself


and clerks was to drum up these old collec-


tons This also gave him ample time for


spending tho money SO collected in the


saloons, ut the poker-tablo, and in the faro-


banks. 1t Is IN uncomfortable suggestion


that the people have been paying large


part Of their taxes for the benefit Of gem


blers and 1oafers, but there seems to be no


escape from it until all the bummers are


cleaned out. 1t is also 1ntimated that class


OF non-professional gamblers, among whom


one or two local ofIicials are named, have


possessed themselves Of part Of the money.


The hold-over City Government and the


late Common Council ere chiefly responsible
for VoS Ho11R's defalcation. The pro
pr7ety Of abolishing the Office Of City Col
lector was urged upon the Council immedi-
ately after the adoption Of the charter of
1872, BECAUSE it was useless appendagc and
unnecessary expense. But Voa HoL1ES was
a strong supporter Of the Co1vn ustnpatiou
and hummer rule, and so he and his office
were retained, though the bulk Of collecting
had to be done under the law by the Town
Collectors and the County Treasurer, and the |
collecting of the license-fees could have been |
dono by the Comptroller's or City Clerks
force. All of the money he has taken within
the last year might have been saved to the I
people If the Common Council had dona its
duty, as vow HoL1ES would have been de-
pr1sed of his Office and his opportunities.
It is strange, too, that, while the city has
been SO sore]y pressed for money, ex-31ayor
colEs, Comptroller HAYES, and the Coun-
ii Finance Committee should not have
made greater demands upon VoS Ho11Ey
from day to day for money in his possess
;lon; end it is also strange that, with all the
umors of his heavy losses at gambling-hells
md poker-parties, they should have taken no
teps to Investigate his accounts and bring
i'm to settlement. The immediate occasion
# Vos Ho11ESa fight was probably the
that CoLyN could not maintain
us hold any longer, aud that he would then
ither be legislated out of office or made to
ccount for his money. There is long LIST
+ boudsmcn, Who are said to be able to
over the deficiency, but the city will only
ucceed in compelling them to make it good |
fter long litigation, if at oil. The only DOS /
BILE benefit that can come from the an I
ouncement Of the defalcation at the present !
me is that it will convince tho people more t
ian ever of the necessity for establishing 4
le new Mayor and the new City Govern i
ent in spite Of the desperate effort of the t
oLvN gang to hold on to the Offices. Let q
; have general Strengthening up all E
ound. n