The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-27

Before the association ADJOURNED lhe ioiiO"mS
Reson was psss ya;e ofthanks be rendered to
the reporters OF the daily papers Tor the faithful
reports Of the proceedings Of this session OF the
association
PRocE&DrNes OF SEIEor COUNCILS Gas "a.
INvEsrIsAEIoH CoBlMIFTEE.- This body T,et issS
evening, Messrs. Page, Barlow, apd iaSntnad
being present. Only one witness was eE nO
james Peoples SAID, in substanoe'DDtt nj an ani q
Iah4ioreri nave been EMPLOYS e, IS 1s5. left there
on the I'd of February, 1861 was ulsGntrged'
Witness went on to say that ne was employed as
a laborer for n time, and at last was made
foreman in the retorthouse; was promoted ir
1874. uss at Point Breeze Gas Works; Mr.. John
Murphy was in charge of these works; Mr.
Roberts became foreman in 1852; he was fore
man when was discharged; Mr. Roberts dis
charged me on account of polItlcs my duty as
foreman was to look after the men and report
TO Mr.. Roberts; the men, so far as ] knew, were
equally divided as to politics: / am Democrat;
my dlscharge was the first made at the works
on account OF politics. couple of weeks after,
all the Democrats were discharged; know some
OF the who men took their places.
Witness described the duties of "stoker,"
also OF "helper" know Charles Macready; he
was foreman of the night gang when was there;
he was discharged and reappointed; his duties
at the works are not such that he could not be
spared for a short time if it were necessary;
witness said that it is important to have expe-
rienced men in the retort-house, both as regards
the quantity and quality of the gas and the du-
ration of the retorts If the fire be too strong the
retors will be soon burnt out. Macready was
in the practice of absenting himself from the
works when hls duty required him to be there;
when he was discharged, Mr.. Wilson, Repub.
lican, was appointed in his place; the gang dis
charged with Mr.. Macready were OF mixed poll
tics; "a majority of them were Republicans; the
men manifested opposition TO Mr.. Stewart, and
interfered with the drafts ne made.
In answer TO Il question py Mr.. Barlow, wit
ness SAID he did not see the men do it, but it was
impossible for any ole else to do it.
In answer to Mr. Page, he said that retort
will last for seven months if there be proper
management; ii there be not, it may burn out in
four months; the introduction of politics he
thought injurious to the works; Mr.. Stewart,
when Chief Engineer, did not discharge men on
account of politics.
To Mr.. Barow-Mr. McCready once said that
Mr.. Stewart asked HIM about his politics.; that
was short time before Mr.. McCready's dis
Charge did not think IN 1t the discharge was on
account of politics; he (wltness) was a Whig
the first time he voted, and then he turned
Democrat.
To Mr.. Page William McManus was at the
works when was there, Henry Buttery also;
they worked IN Macrea6y's gang, and all were
discharged, as ! believe on account of politics.
To Mr.. Barlow-Some rctOrts while / was at
the works, burnt out very soon which | attri-
buted to bad IRON; have known a few to go down
in two or three weeks; there is difference in
the iron.
The Committee adjourned, to meet on We'd
nesday evening next.