A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN UNANSWERED LOGBOOK ITEMS NOT APPEARING ON THE MAINT RELEASE.

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UPON TAXI OUT; WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY BTWN OUR FLT PAPERWORK AND THE MAINT RELEASE. THE PAPERWORK FOR OUR FLT REFLECTED NO OPEN ITEMS OR DEFERRED ITEMS. WE FOUND A SINGLE CHANNEL FAILURE ON THE AUTO SLAT SYS ON TAXI OUT WHICH DID NOT HAVE A DEFERRAL STICKER NOR WAS IT LISTED ON OUR FLT PAPERWORK; BUT IT WAS IN THE LOGBOOK. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH; WE WERE TOLD TO RETURN TO THE GATE SO THAT MAINT COULD LOOK AT THE PROB. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MAINT RELEASE (WHICH ALSO REFLECTED THAT A LNDG LIGHT WAS DEFERRED -- AN ITEM THAT ACTUALLY HAD BEEN CLRED) WAS INCORRECT AND THE MAINT COMPUTER (WHICH REFLECTED THAT THERE WERE NO MAINT ITEMS) WAS ALSO INCORRECT AND THEREFORE DISPATCH HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE AUTO SLAT PROB. WE REALIZED THAT A MORE THOROUGH COMPARISON OF THE LOGBOOK MAINT RELEASE WITH OUR PAPERWORK MAY HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTN PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THE MAINT PERSONNEL APPEARED TO UNDERSTAND THE NEGLIGENCE ON THEIR PART AS WELL.