The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-15
derstand, did not desire to respond to the
statements Of the Committee on Light affect

ueTSthnu, ulu not ueSlIe W Eeopohu " tho
statements Of the Committee on Light Affect
ing him.
Both here and at the lower works the
as the Council is advised, had
already required the discharge Of sundry
hands, and I have no reason to suppose
that the interests of the department has
suffered any detriment therefrom. Indeed,
l think there is at least one employee toe
many still at the upper works, no necessity
appearing for two men in the night to do q
lighter duty than is assigned to n in the
day.
THE LOWER WORKS.
The tn rec charges made by the Commit
tee on Light, as to this branch Of the de-
partment, were /: First, that in the con-
struction of the large holder at this point
an exorbitant price was paid for the use of
carts. The evidence, / think, sustains this
charge, and the permission given to Mr..
Bell, the party who did the most work
with the carts, to keep the time of his own
as well as the other carts, while another
man kept the time of the laborers, was UNI
doubtedly r~eprebensible, especially as Mr..
Bell was an employee at the works. Sec
ond, that the yard was used by Dir. Bell,
Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Cavedo for private
purposes-stabling their horses and hous-
ing their carts-and lighting their stables
with city gas without compensation.
This was admitted ; but it was a matter
too trihing for much remark. 1t was tes-
tilted by Mr.. Knowles INT Mr.. Adams
that, at city rates, not above $40 worth of
gas was consumed in q year in this manner.
| question, however, the propriety OF max
ing this constant daily use of public proper
ty for private uses and it would probably
be well for the committee to prohibit this
as we'll as to revoke the privilege, which
seems to have been long enjoyed by some
of the employees, to use coke without pay
ing for it. Third, that there were several
hands employed more than were needed
for the public work. The best evidence of
this is found in the fact that the works ap-
pear to have got along as satisfactorily since
as before their discharge. There is some
question whether the duties Of foreman and
clerk can be performed by n person.
The present incumbent, Mr.. Adams, pro-
fesses himself unable to discharge them.
Of course, if no one can be found who can
do better, two officers must be provided.
This is a question which can only be decided
by experiment.
/ may add as to one of the employees,
the carpenter, the Committee on Light We're
in error in supposing that he was in receipt
of constant pay. He was employed by
the day, and paid for the time given.
Whether this is more economical than pay
ing for each job separately, the s%uperinten-
dent is the best judge.
This, in q few words, is the substance OF
a long, tedious, and, | think, complete
examination. During its progress at the
lower works | invited the Subcommittee
of the Committee ON Light to be present,
and availed myself Of such service as they
were able to render.
With respect to any corrective power
which l may have in the matter, beg. to
observe that under the State Constitution
and the city charter, which, in this respect,
is a transcript of the Constitution, the
power reposed in the Mayor to correct
abuses, by the suspension or removal OF
individuals, is confined to " officers" and
the charter and ordinances of the city de-
fine who are officers. In the gas depart
ment there are two-the superintendent
and the inspector. As to the s%uperinten-
dent. | see no cause which would justify
his removal, and no useful purpose which
could be served by his suspension. The
late inspector has been removed, and the
present inspector, having been appointed
by the Commute on Light, with full
knowledge Of the charges against him, l
am bound to presume that they-the APP
pointing power-did not regard them as
warranting his exclusion from the office.
Since he has been inspector. | am aware Of
no dereliction chargeable to him.
1t remains for the Committee on Light.
to whose vigilance these disclosures and
the consequent reforms are so largely due,
to determine whether the public service re.
quires the dismissal of others than those
already discharged. If SO, they may rely
that | will use the power vested in me by
law, as / have already done, to second and
secure a full compliance with their desires
in every such particular.
/ have the honor to be yours, very re-
specially,
(Signed) A. NJ. KELLEY, Mayor.
| THE GAS REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
ON RETRENCHMENT AND REFORM.
Mr.. Starke, from the Committee on Re
trenchment and Reform, submitted tn
following report on the same subject:
In obedience to the resolution adopted BY
| the Council at its meeting On the 10th 0
September last, the Committee on Re
trenchment and Reform have attended
from time to time at the investigation
which has been recently going on by virtu,
of said resolution, into tho affairs an
workings of the City Gas Works. Th'
result is already known to your body, tn
evidence having appeared in tn,
daily newspapers of the city. Afte
the report of the Mayor, which
by his courtesy, your committee has beer
permitted to inspect, there is but it'll
left to the committee to do except to ofe
such explanations as appear necessary to
full understanding, and to make such re
concentrations in the premises as al
u~nprejudiced review of the testimon,
would seem to indicate as proper. w
therefore deem 1t unnecessary to procee'
regularly to review or reproduce the evi
dence which was adduced on trial, OF t
attempt to fix the exact measure of gull
or culpable negligence which may attach t
the several persons who have been foun,
to be more OF less implicated, but shal
~conflne our remarks only to such points as
in our opinion, need the careful attention
of the Council, to which no special refer
erence has been made heretofore.
Referring to the appointment Of Mr.. Jno
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