The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-17
WHAT RENDERS THE NEGLIGENCE
MORE REPREHENSIBLE,

| MIME
is the fact that it generally enured to til,
benefit of some one in the Inspectors Office
There was some conflict of testimony
among the witnesses, and some difficulty il
fixing responsibility, owing to the number
of hands employed about the metre book
but I regard the following:
l. That Mr.. VIM. f. White, the clerk
was delinquent as to his own gas-bills from
July, 1870, to the present time, never pay
ing dollar into the city treasury, although
by May, 1871, his bills amounted to ahun.
dred and twenty dollars that from May
Is to the month Of August, 1872, he did
not even pursue the formality of making
out bills against himself, or of charging him.
self in any form that in more than one in
stance he assumed to pay the bills of others
to whom he owed money and neither paid
the bills nor reported the parties as in debt.
2. That Mr.. John c. Pryde, as an assist
ant inspector, paid no gas bill for nineteen
months; nor was there one made out
against him during that interval; tina, his
first payment was made and the first taking
of his metre after this investigation began;
that on account of bill due by him to Mr..
F. Laube the latter citizen was allowed to
USE GAS WITHOUT PAYING FOR 1T
during the whole of the year 1871 and some
months of the current year; that bill for
liquors due b. Mr.. P, Mr.. R. E. Knowles
and the late Mr.. Sweetman was the occasion
of allowing the creditor, Mr.. r. Scanned,
to use gas without paying for it.
3. That MIR. Christian Shafer. another EN-
ployee in the Office, was allowed to assume
the payment of the bills of j. Hack, but
neither paid the same, nor was the gas of
that customer cut off. MIR. Hack being the
creditor of Mr.. Shafer for goods furnished,
and that like indulgences were at various
times granted to other parties on account
of Mr.. S.
4. That Mr.. R. E. Knowles was allowed
to assume bills in like manner.
8. That service-pipe was laid to the
premises of j. Mccarthy, the father of an
employee at the Office, in December. 1871,
but that no charge was made against him
in the seryice-pipe book, nor any bill for
the work ever presented to him.
That certain parties were allowed to pay
their gas bills at intervals of three or four
months as a matter of convenience to them,
whereas the ordinance requires monthly
collections.
That because of the poverty, or the
promises, or the importantly of various
persons, whose names / can furnish the
committee if desired, delays were accorded
and gas furnished when by law its use was
forfeited.
That Mr.. Melton, himself, used gas for
several months without taking his metre or
having any bill rendered to him. though it
is proper to add he has now paid up in full.
And, finally, that none Of these numer-
GUS yiolotions of the law were reported to
the Superintendent in conformity to section
Al Of the gas ordinance.
| may here remark that
GROSS VIOLATION OF DUTY
occurred during the tendency of these in
quiries which | deem it proper to mention.
Among the delinquent bills were three for
the current year april, May, and June)
against Mr.. A. G.. Franklin. Mr.. FPS at
tention was callel to them and he expressed
surprise, and promised to look to his receipt
book, and report whether he had paid them
or not. He failed to find any; but while
the inquiry was progressing the Auditors
check-book, which Contained the evidence
of non-payment, was taken by some one,
and Mr.. Franklin's bill marked off as paid.
The check for the payment consists Of the
figure denotipg the day of the month of the
alleged payment, and the slightest inspec-
ton of these figures shows that they are
not in the handwriting of the Auditor, or
Mr.. John Q. Winn, the only parties autho-
rized to make them. | am constrained to
believe that this
FORGERY WAS COMMITTED IN THE
INSPECTORS OFFICE,
greatly regret that | cannot fix the respon-
sibility for it. Mr.. Franklin has admitted
that he made no payment himself, and an
examination of the Treasurer's books
shows that no one paid for him on the days
indicated.
| Most of the derelictions above noted were
or ought to have been known to Mr.. Mel.
ton his duty required him to know them
and to correct or report them, but yielding
to disposition to oblige and indulge those
with whom he was officially connected, he
permitted the ordinances to be virtual,
violated until 1t seems to have been admit
ted that employees in the inspectors Office
could pay for their gas when and as they
pleased.
While this is true, and while for these
reasons | shall feel constrained to remove
Mr.. James M. Melton from his office as
Gas Inspector, it is due 10 him to say tina
do not find any
EVIDENCE OF A CORRUPT PURPOSE
in any of Mr.. MS delinquences and d.
not believe he has profited a farthing by an,
indulgence he granted or any rregularity o
which he was guilty.
The chairman of the committee, | be
lieve, has anticipated me in recommen
dation that all unpaid bills appearing Oh
the delinquent lists should be made out a
once, when it is likely further facts of i'm
portance to this investigation will be elicit
ed.
With respect to the amount of loss t.
the city from these neglects, it is mani
testify imnessble to speak with certainty
If there has been any considerable negl
gence in taking metres, it may be material
but | see no reason at this time to sus
pect this. So far as the books now dis
close delinquency, it will amount to but
!, few hundred dollars-the accounts {
most consumers being small-but / hay
pursued this investigation and reached II
, conclusion have announced IN the bell
; "a belief shared, | am happy to thinl
by this committeeman the best way
, prevent these enormous corruptions, whiC
> are the disgrace Of municipal administr
> ton in this country, is to visit the earlie
infractions of the laws, framed to secu