The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-17
duties of both. 1t is scarcely necessary
inform the Council OF the
REFUSAL TO OBEY THE ORDERS OF rHE

duties of both 1t is scarcely necessary to
inform the Council OF the
REFUSAL TO OBEY THE ORDERS or THE
COMMITTEE,
their reference of the matter to the Mayor,
and the Superintendent's reply to the same.
Subsequently Mr. Adams. having asked per-
mission, appeared before the committee. and
having acknowledged the impropriety of hs
conduct, expressed regret for the same and
requested the forgiveness of the committee.
lie was rcistated aud the duties heretofore
performed by himself and Mr.. Bell assigned
to him.
sR. BELLS PLACE.
On the payroll Mr.. Bell is set down as
"clerk, !" at 800 per month, and the impress
sion has been created that he was put in this
place by the Council, and that the committee
had no right TO interfere with him.
The following extracts from the records of
the Council and the committee will give a
history OF this appointment, and the commit
tee proposes to show how little attention
las been paid TO the requirements of the
Council:
at meeting Of the Committee on Light
held January %. 1866, tho following rcsol,i-
ton, which had been adopted by the City
Council, was read and ordered to be spread
upon the records
"ResOiced, That the Superintendent Of The
Gas Works be authorized to employ IN agent
| to receive and weigh all the coal received at
the Gas Works and receipt for and keep an
account of the same; also to sell and deliver
all coke ut the Gas Works and to enter the
same in book, with the name Of the pur-
chaser, and the money received be paid over
ID the Superintendent of the Works at the
end OF each week, and to perform any other
duties required by the Superintendent: Pro-
vidtd; that the appointment be approved by
the committee, who shall fix his compcnsa-
ton"
1.-The Superintendent having nominated
Mr.. George Bell, the agent, as specified in
said resolution the committee approved of
the appointment, and fixed his compensation
at 500 per diem. Subsequently Oh the 1st
of October his pay was increased to 50 per
diem, but the most careful examination of
the records of the committee fails to reveal
any authority for his being relieved of his
duties as agent" and his title being
changed to that Of " "clerk.h and the iiact Is
apparent that
WITHOUT ANY SHOW OF AUTHORITY
| he has been relieved of his duties, and others
have done the work, and his pay has been
increased to more than $3.50 per d,y. In addi-
| ton to this man il paid g per day to weigh
coal. one Of the duties assigned to Mr.. Bell,
and servant at Sl.25 per day is employed to
wait OH the clerk. 1t will thus he seen that
| the duties assigned All "agent at 81 per day
actually costs the city for each working day.
For Mr Ruh clrrk q
Fir tUal-wtlglicr 90
Being totul of es
| These duties being divided between three
| persons, and the original appoiutec perform
| ins Il small portion of the work for which he
was employed; and further, instead Of COM
plying with the resolution. and reporting
a1ouiit Of sales. and laylhg over tile tliotinr
received repkiV, hr settles only tiHce month.
| III addition to this wC have been informed
| by the superintendent who nominated him
for the position. that during his adnlnistr,-
ton the sale Of coke aud other articles WIS
made under Il
| SYSTEM or CHECKS
by means of duplicate tickets. by which. the
money being Elid to the agent, hi writer,
order was given to the cmployGp delivering
| thu articles, which urdpr, he held for unr
week. and thrp delivered ther' Is the Stiper-
| iutendent. that he might know how much
money had been collected by the agent. In.
stead of this. Mr.. Bell has, until the present
time, sold and delivered and paid over to the
| Superintendent once n month what he could
reyurt. and the Superintendent has no means
! of Chrck BIZ which is correct errors OF Omis
scnS. which must occur with the most care
| full salesman. With this view of the I:lctS as
above stated. i'm regard to the duties OF the
agent, we huvc assSltcd Mr.. 3dar's tb t,er.
| fOrul the DUTIES M,ely performed by foreman
and clerk, thus eilectihs
SAVING OF ABOUT $1,000 tER ASSuM.
| In regard to Mr.: Dean. the committee or
I!ercd bis discharge for the reason that hi,
connection with the Works was an entirely
useless and improbable expenditure. Hi.
nav. according to the payroll, is 81 per day
| Sundays included, or 81 AGO perannum; and
yet, while thus receiving full pay; he re.
cciyes additional tothtGHsatlbh thriiis. tlt
same time for making street lamps, for which
he receives IS each, which we ure well as.
sured could be obtained in this city for %
or 80 per centum less. We Gun fnl no evi
dence of bis doing any work to 8 fy Iii
receiving 81 per day, and we sat SIZED
that all the work he Is required t. d. can bt
done at less than half his wages, without tllC
extras.
The committee being we'll aware Of lhe rt
forts which liatc been made to
PREJUDICE THE MEMBERS
of the Council against their action, are fully
satisfied that their report will not meet witt
the favor it deserves; but believing that The
citizens at large are not only Interested II
this matter, but that they will be Sratited &c
find that some of the members OF the ColIh
ell are disposed to look after the interest %
the city, and, If possible, to check abuse
and to save useless expenditures, they sub
init their statement OF facts and rely upon I
sound popular opinion of their being ap
proved.
HAVING GIVEN A FAIR STATEMENT OF ALL THE
| FACTS
which have come to their knowledge, W,
make the following brief sumunar, Us II repI.
to the resolutions ..
The committee required the resignation o
Mr.. Melton for reasons which they presume
are satisfactory to all who have heard them
Mr.. Melton appeared before the colrini ,es
and made his ercuse he bad iJ d.trmr
Mr.. Whites case was 80 plainly proved ht
| Mr.. Melton and others IN the Inspectors
Office that he did not deny the clIaroe anu
therefore, was not called on to make any de-
fence. Messrs. Melton, White, and another
whose sad and untimely tate render unne
cesSary the mention of his name, Lelng re
moved, the committee filled the thee vacin
cies by employing MeSSrs. Wood. Page. ant
Dcnegri in their places (Ir. Pr,de being in
Structed to act Us Inspector temporarily. no
only without adding to the nLlulHr oI EN-
ployes or increasing their pay, but RETAINING
from making one OF them assistant inspector
| the eypenses were reduced SIS per month