----------
Middletown's Mayor Reports on Water Department's Affairs
Mayor Russell, at a meeting of the common council tonight, presented a report showing a shortage of nearly $6,000 in the accounts of former superintendent of Water Works P.T.W. Hale. Owing to the tangled condition of Mr. Hale's account it has taken nearly a year and a half to ascertain the exact amount of the shortage. The mayor says that during the latter part of 1907 it became common knowledge that there was a shortage in Mr. Hale's account and his resignation was practically demanded. An audit of his books proved a miserable condition of affairs and a lack of oversight on the part of the board of commissioners. The exact amount is $5,436.76. Mr. Hale admits his shortage of nearly $2,000 but alleges this amount is all covered by cash payments made by him for labor and supplies furnished by the board, the vouchers or receipts for which he lost or never received.
The board, however, could not take cognizance of it and charged against his account the sum named. The board found upon investigation that certain conditions attached to Mr. Hale's bond made it impossible to recover anything from the bonding company. The mayor says that the water commissioners maintained a peculiar attitude in the matter and their reports presented at the city meeting were incorrect, in that they made no mention of expenditures of various amounts which could not be accounted for. There was also a misappropriation of funds, but still no investigation was made, although the affairs had become common report.
The water commissioners at the time were Thomas Kelly, W.J. Trevithick, F.P. Burr and W.C. Jones. All this occurred during the administration of ex-Mayor W.C. Fisher, and if he gets the nomination for mayor it is likely that the shortage will be one of the live issues of the coming city campaign.
Mayor Russell, at a meeting of the common council tonight, presented a report showing a shortage of nearly $6,000 in the accounts of former superintendent of Water Works P.T.W. Hale. Owing to the tangled condition of Mr. Hale's account it has taken nearly a year and a half to ascertain the exact amount of the shortage. The mayor says that during the latter part of 1907 it became common knowledge that there was a shortage in Mr. Hale's account and his resignation was practically demanded. An audit of his books proved a miserable condition of affairs and a lack of oversight on the part of the board of commissioners. The exact amount is $5,436.76. Mr. Hale admits his shortage of nearly $2,000 but alleges this amount is all covered by cash payments made by him for labor and supplies furnished by the board, the vouchers or receipts for which he lost or never received.
The board, however, could not take cognizance of it and charged against his account the sum named. The board found upon investigation that certain conditions attached to Mr. Hale's bond made it impossible to recover anything from the bonding company. The mayor says that the water commissioners maintained a peculiar attitude in the matter and their reports presented at the city meeting were incorrect, in that they made no mention of expenditures of various amounts which could not be accounted for. There was also a misappropriation of funds, but still no investigation was made, although the affairs had become common report.
The water commissioners at the time were Thomas Kelly, W.J. Trevithick, F.P. Burr and W.C. Jones. All this occurred during the administration of ex-Mayor W.C. Fisher, and if he gets the nomination for mayor it is likely that the shortage will be one of the live issues of the coming city campaign.
------------
According to later articles in the Courant, Hale was investigated by the Prosecuting Attorney, but no criminal charges were filed.
No comments:
Post a Comment