Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-05
From Washington.

WASHINGTON, April %.
TnE CHARGES AGAINST ARCHITECT HILL.
The charges preferred by ex-Reprcsenta.
tive Murch against Supervising Architect
Hill have been made public. The pa
pers are drawn up in legal form, and are
quite voluminous. The charges are classed
under five different heads, substantially as
follows:
1. General charges of corruption, fraud
and extravaganza againsta ring in the Archi-
tect's Office, composed of Assistant Seoteta-
ry French, Architect Hill, Assistant Archi-
tect Jacobs, A. G. Thompson, w. NJ. II.
Powers, B. F. Little, Cannon, Church, lor.
dan, Bartlett, Robbins & Co., and others.
2. That. Hill %corruptly administers she
patronage of his office against the interests
OF the United States.
g.. The contractors known to be gnilty OF
fraud are especially favored by the super
vising architect, having beon largely over
paid by many thousands Of dollars, and
otherwise corruptly benefited.
4. That unskilled and incompetent per
sons are knowingly employed in the archi.
tect's office, n paid at rates due compe-
tent persons, and hold sinecures and dc
CAAS WILL 4ol WllAC blCN GLO phlIs
S. That contracts have been let in viola
ton of law to persons not the lowest bidders,
and that prices have been paid for labor and
material known to have been eXtortionate and
excessive; that vouchers have been paid fol
labor and materials never furnished, and
that vouchers, bids and contracts have been
unlaWfully and %corruptly altered to the I'D.
vantage and benefit OF contractors.
Among the contractors alleged to have
been improperly favored are the following,
Cape Ann Granite Company, Dix Island
Granite Company, Bodwell Granite Com.
pany, Hurricane Island Granite Company,
Old Dominion Granite Company, Westham
Granite Company, Collins Granite Company,
and Bartlett, Robbins & Co.
One Of tho specifications alleges that the
persons named in the ring" and their as
s~ociates, have exacted fees, commissions,
percentages, per cents, shares, ETC., from
contractors. Another specification is that
the employees in the office have used the
Government time and material in the de-
signs and construction Of private dwellings.
Among the witnesses named are Secre-
tary Folger, Senator Dawes, A. B. Null
lett, w. G.. Stinemetz, T. II. Oaksdott, J.
NJ. Wilbur, Joseph Warns, j. W.. Barton.
Michael Gillen, T. L. James, and T. IL.
Murch-
THE C1v1L-sERvIcE COMMISSION.
Judge Thoman said last night that the
rules drawn UP by the Commission differed
somewhat, but not materially, from those
employed by the former ivil-Service-Com-
mission. Until they were laid before the
President and Cabinet he would say nothing
further regarding them, except that, in his
opinion, they would fairly test
the qualifications of those competing
for office. On being Intercepted as 10
certain statements credited to him, that the
wholesale discharge of Government en-
ployes on the incoming Of a new Admins
tration was not forbidden by law, he assert
ed that what he had said was that the Civil
Service law had nothing to clio will, 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 without
regard TO party.