Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-05-03
= From Washington.

: swAsH1sGToN,A April -.
TIE CHARGES AGAINST ARCHITECT HILL.
The charges preferred by ex-Representa-
tive Murch against. Supervising Architect
sHill have been made puhllc. The pa
pers are drawn up in legal form, and are
quite voluminous The charges are classed
under five different heads, substantially az
follows: frs.t- -3s-,p -is.E
/. General charges Of corruption, fraud
and extravaganza against ring in the Archi-
tect's office, composed of Assistant Secreta-
ry French, Architect Hill, Assistant Arehi-,
tect Jacobs, A. G. Thompson, w. NJ. II.
Powers B. F. Little, Cannon, Church, JoT'
dan, Bartlett, Robbins & Co., and others
: 2. That Hill corruptly administers the
patronage of his office against the interests
of the United States. , .....r.--.. .t......
3. The contractors known to be gnilty OF
fraud are especially favored by the super
wishing architect, having been largely over
paid by many thousands of dollars, and
otherwise corruptly benefited. fose"s ta5H
= 4. That sunskiled and incompetent per
sons are knowingly employed III the archi.
tects office, and paid at rates due compe.
tent persons, and hold sinec,res and dc
other work for which they are paid.
S. That contracts have been let in viola
ticn of law to persons not the lowest bidders,
and that prices have been paid for laborand
material known to have been extortiOnate and
excessive; that vouchers have been paid ior
labor and materials never furnished, and
that vouchers, bids and contracts have been
1mlawfully and corruptly altered to the adj
vantage and benefit of contractors. .sa.
Among the contractors alleged to have
been improperly favored are the following.
Cape Ann Granite Company, Dix Island
Granite Company, Bodwell Granite Com
pary, Hurricane Island Granite Company,
Old Dominion Granite Company, Wcstham
Granite Company, Collins Granite Company,
and Bartlett, Robbins & Co.
One of the specifications alleges that the
persons named In the" ring" and their as
sociates, have exactha fees, commissions,
percentages, per cents, 'shanes, etc. from
contractors. Another specification is that
the sempioses in the office have used the
Government time and material in tile de
signs and construction of private dwellings.
> . Among the witnesses named are ,Secrszs
tafy Folger, Senator Dawes, 4. Is. Null
M. Wilbur, Joseph WARNS, j W. Barton,
Michael GiIlen, L. L. James, andu f.. II.
. Murob-3 - .ffES@kI .51ar
THE CIvIL-sERvICE COMMISSION.
Judge Thomafa~ said" hast night that the
rules drawn up by the Commission differed
somewhat t-riias. material y,r1rom Those
employed'by the former. Civii-Seryice-Go Com
mission. Until they We're laid btferefthe
President and Cabinet Ire would say nothing
further regarding them, except that, in his
opinion, they would fairly test
the qualifications of those competing
for office. On being igterrogated as tc
certain statements credited to- him, that the
wholesale discharge of Government EN-.
ployes OH Me incoming of Il new Admins =
tlaton was not forbidden by law, he assert
ed that what lie had said was that the Civil
Service law had nothing to fdor with the !
removals., that the power TO dismiss from
office was not abridged by the bill, but that
all appointments to office must be made
from among those found competent withom
regard to party. -yf.