The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-17

rcqu red for some months to come, there /,
no use for these in the coal-shed, and the
servant being an utterly useless addition we
advise that all four of these be removed until
the receipt of coal will Justify tile employ
fnent OF some one to assist In storing it. In
the Inspectors Department we find Mr..
Dean at 81 per day, Sundays included. We
learn from the Superintendent that he re-
pairs metres, which cain he done mt nitlcl.
less cost, and we advise his removal and the
substitution Of a cheaper hand, If one Is at
all necessary. which we do not believe.
We consider the eXtortion prlctiSed by
MIR. Bell In charging 81 per day for carts,
Whlch, OF course, prevented the payment of
less than this to others, as fraud upon the
city equal to any that has been discovered,
and his making an improper use of the yard
and buildings Of the Works as of like char
acter, and we recommend his discharge and
the appointment of some competent person
to perform the duties assigned him, il they
cannot be done by the foreman. We also
recommend an amendment to the ordinance
so rs to require some check to be placed
upon the ttnrestrained handling ofmoney by
the clerk, which renders his position tempt
| ing to n dishonest man and unpleasant to
any other.
II may not be amiss to add, notwithstand.
ing the number of surplus hands, "yard
hands, "coa-shed," "repairerS," and
others. the appearance of the Works is by
NO MEANS CREDITABLE TO THE MANAGEMENT.
Rubbish is scattered about without any at
tention to cleanliness, and there is no one
who visits the Works without being satisfied
Of the justice of this statement.
| In conclusion we have to say that although
Il strict Interpretation of the duties of SlI-
perintendent as they should he, and consc.
quently all that we complain of, should
Justly be charged to him; yet, with
a full Knowledge of the circumstances
by which his office is surrounded, and the
defects in the ordinance relating to the Gas
Works. he is responsible for very little. The
Inspectors Department is made separate and
distinct in all respects practically, and the
fact that the Superintendent's bills for gas
have been rendered and paid regularly, Is
proof that he Is no party to the fraud above
named, though the number Of unnecessary
hands which we find on the roll is no doubt
owing to the pressing demands Of members
IT the City Council and Others who urge the
| claims of many whose best recommendation
is that they have no employment, and the
city works arc considered places of refuge,
and
THE GOOD NATURE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
causes him to yield to such applications
when we have no doubt his Judgment would
callSc him to act differently.
With his report we offer the following rrso
lutions
FIRST. Rcsolrcd. That the Inspector. Mr.
James Melton. be invited to rrsiEn his office
rs Inspector, and that the superintendent be
instructed to afraiige with him for settle
ment Of the claims Of the city for gus bills
| unpaid 10y him and all others which he may
have in his Office. 1888.
;. Resolrcd, That w. +. White be. and
hereby is. discharged peremptorily.
3. ReSolred, That the superintendent bt
instructed to disrllrgC ut once three service.
pipe hands, the hrcklaycr. and the carpen
ter. the men in the coal-Shed and oiie Weigh,
ing tho coaE and the tho rolorpd servants ut
the old and lie New Works. and that in future
the foreman of the Works shall attend tC
weighing coal.
(. RcsoiUcd. That the Superintendent bt
instructed 10 notify Mr.. Otis Dean that hi,
services will not be required after the l>t o.
September next.
). ReSolccd, That the committee instrur
the Superintendent To dispense with the ser
vices Of Mr.. He'll: the llSrk, aid to allow tho
committee to I'LL the vacancy thus made if the,
think proper
q. R.su!rcd. That the subcommittee be
instructed TO continue their examinations
aud to report at such times as may be t.
Them most convenient.
/. Resoiccd, That none of this report bt
spread upon the record ut present except tht
resolutions.
[Signcdl GEORGE BARGAMIS, Chairman.
All of these resolutions welr adopted save
the fifth (relatlng to Mr.. BELLY, Which va:
laid upon the table until the next meeting.
When the fourth resolution was under
consideration SOME Discus sioG arose. and Mr.
Knowles, the Superintendent, being present
was asked hv one Hf the committee if b,
could dihpc:tSe with Mr.. Deans services, ant
ht replied promptly in the affirmative.
Simple justice to Mr.. knowles require
that we should add that he was present du
ring the whole of this session Of the commit
tee, and before the report was read he mad
the most
SATISFACTORY APOLOGIES
for his conduct at the former meeting of tn
committee and before the Subcommittee, ullt
the same was accepted as satisfactory.
should also be stated that the members o
the committee assured the Superintendent
=, that if he would at any time inform then
that he required the services of any of tht
, men whom he had been ordered to dsclarg
TINT they would be returned. The reason
for making these discharges, as given in TIT
report of the subcommittee, we think shoult
be satisfactory, but we will give others as W,
proceed. AT the same meeting some change
were made in the Inspectors department
which will be stated definitely in anothc
part of this report.
THE CASE or Mr.. MELTON.
The Council being familiar with the fact
that Mr.. Melton sent in his resignation ant
then withdrew it, the reference Of his caS'
to the Mayor and his decision thereon, re
ported at the last meeting Of the Council, w
will not 20 into further details in regard t.
it in this communication. His Honor says
Il have not found, nor have l reason to sus
pect, the slightest evidence of d corrupt pur
pose in these derelictions."
BY reference to the report of the sub-com
mittec the statement there made that Mr.
Melton used the gas belonging to the cit,
(Which statement can lie verified by All eX
animation of the books kept in his office
without paying for it., strikes this committee
as hardly 'justitying the mildness Of bis de
cision. This matter would not be referred
to if it were not for the fact that the late In
spector, availing himself Of this statemcn
OF the Mayor. had prevailed upon man.
citizens to unite in petition to the Commit
tee on Light asking them to replace him
which the committee, with all the facts before
them, refused unanimously, and have elected
Mr.. John {. Pryde (who had been in th
office for several years. Inspector.