The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-19
THE HEARING OVER.
Church Tells Why He Opened Let
ters---Mr. Cottrell Willing.
CITY AUDITOR NISBET.
He Only Tells Of Ono Time When He
Objected to Bills-They Were Over
the Appropriation and the City
solicitor Advised Payment.

The final public hearing before the
special committee of the City Council ap-
pointed to investigate the methods of the
city property committee was held yester-
day afternoon.
Mr.. Church, clerk I'm Supt. Cottrells
department., who was on the stand when
the hearing closed on Monday, was re-
called when the hearing opened yesterday.
He said he did not know for what purpose
the records had been locked up, He was
questioned by Mr. Read as TO his state
ment on Monday to the effect that the iirm
of Hoppin, Read 81 Hoppin had done most
of the special supervisors work, ana Mr..
Church stated that during the last two
years Mr.. Field had had the majority of
the work, but during the last year alone
the firm of Hoppin, Read a. Hoppin had
got most of il.
Mr.. Read also asked him IL he had
authority TO open private letters addressed
to the Superintendent Of Buildings. lie
answered that as Mr.. Cottrell was absent
from the Office two or three days at a
time 1t was necessary that these letters
should be opened and the business attend
ed to. Adding that anybody with COM
mon sense ought to know that"
Mr.. Church said that he was not an ex-
pert on supervisors and that the opinion
he expressed on Monday that two super
visors could do the work was the opinion
he had heard Mr.. Cottrell express. He
said that since Mr.. Read became one of
the firm OF Hoppin, Read a. Hoppin, that
firm had received much more OF the city s
work than had Mr.. Field.
The first letter to Mr.. Cottrell from the
Smead Heating Company he had laid on
Mr.. Cottrell's desk, the second letter he
had sealed up again and put back In Mr..
Cottrell's private letter box. He could
not say that Mr.. Cottrell had received this
second letter but supposed he did as he
always collected the mail from his letter
box every day. He said that Mr.. Cottrell
was not in the office more than three
quarters of an hour a day.
Mr.. Cottrell stated that he wished to
exhonerate Mr. Church in the matter of
opening letters and said that he had given
Mr.. Church instructions to open all let
ters to the defendant.
Mr. Read stated that in 1889 he had been
paid $50 for giving an expert estimate on
cost of the Benefit street school, He said
that the committee on city property could
not be expected TO do all this work for the
salary of 800 a year.
MIR. Nisbet, city auditor, was next
called. He said that when the bills for re-
pairs on the Benefit street school were
presented they were in excess of the City
Councils allowance. He had referred the
matter to the city solicitor, who had di-
rected him to audit the bills.
Mr.. Little was recalled and asked
whether he Thought Alderman Fuller had
been treated unfairly. He said that he
had never seen anything to cause him TO
form such an opinion that Mr. Fuller had
always had as fair a chance as any mem
ber of the committee. Mr.. Batchelder, the
chairman, and Mr. Fuller had had little
"spat once. but he thought that on that
occasion one was as much TO blame as the
other.
Mr.. Burton stated that Mr. Batchelder
and Mr.. Read did not run the city property
committee as Mr.. Fuller charged. He did
not know Of anybody on the committee
who had not been given fair show.
This concluded the hearing.
ANNABLE's. Is Arcade, will give you comfort in