The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-06
AFRFFzF-our ehrrr
Is what Port Warden Hennessey Says
His Associates Are Trying to Play.

His Associates Are Trying to Play.
Port Warden John ". Hennessey, who
was elected over Mr.. John Power at the
last election for city officers. claims that
his brother port wardens. Mr. W. b.
Adams and Capt. Lewis Virgins. are play
ing a game OF freeze-out on him. When
Mr. Hennessey went down TO the port war
denis Office to assume his duties on
the morning OF Jan. !, he was surprised
at the reception given him. lie made
inquiries as TO the duties Of the office
and the emoluments resulting therefrom.
He was told that there were no duties
and no emoluments, or. rather, that
both duties and emoluments were so in
frequent as 20 be really not worth his
time. In short, Mr. Hennessey says that
Alessrs. Adams and Virgins told him to
90 on about his business elsewhere If he
had any. and when they wanted him they
would send for him.
The port wardens Office has been re-
garded by outsiders as d soft berth
where the wardens spent their time with
their feet on the table telling yarns and
occasionally going out TO pick up a fat
fee. This is not Alr. Hennessey's eXper-
fence, however. lie has been in office
now five days and has earned no fees
as yet, he says, to say nothing of be-
ing treated as rank outsider by the
incumbents.
Mr.. Adams and Capt Virgins We're
seen yesterday. They were at their desks.
A bright coal fire was burning in the
CRATE and the room had a comfortable
and cosy appearance Capt Virgins and
Mr. Adams are both venerable gentle
men with snowy heads and flowing white
boards.
I'VE told Mr.. Hennessey," said Mr.. Ad-
ans, that there was nothing here for
him to do, and that there We're no fees
in sight. This is literally true. There
is nothing in the port warden's office
for a man like Mr.. Hennessey. When
ever it is necessary to make survey OF
a ship the consul of the country TO which
the vessel belongs appoints board OF
survey, consisting Of LlOyd's agent, q
representative of the merchant to whom
the vessel is consigned and two ship
masters and q port warden. There is
nothing to require the appointment of a
port warden. 1t is only a matter of Gus
TOM, because Capt Virgins who is
always appointed, is a man of experience,
being an old shipmaster and owner OF
vessel.
capt. Virgins" said Mr.. Adams, sis
always chosen for these surveys 1t is
not likely that Mr. Hennessey would ever
be chosen, as he has no experience in such
matters. Mr. HennesSey cannot expect to
participate in fees for work in which he
had no part. I earn my money principally
as a notary public, witnessing protests
for shipmasters and other papers. l am
| also commissioner for thirty-seVen
states, besides being secretary to the har-
bormaster. None of this work has any
! thing TO 90 with the port warden's office,
! and / am satisfied that / am not going to
divide these fees with Mr.. Henessey or
| any one else. We told Mr.. Henessey that
/ he need not waste his time here. and if
/ we needed him we would send for him.
| He inquired about his share of the ices,
/ and we told him that whenever there was
| any money for him we would let him know
and he could come down and get 1t, though
Z we did not encourage him to believe that
I this would happen very often The port
/ warden's office pays practically nothing.
/ If all the receipts from the office from
1 Jan. l to oct. i of last year had been
/ equally divided between the three port
wardens each would have received just
I 1861 Some years ago the Office paid very
| we'll Every vessel of the ocean Steam
ship Company and of the Baltimore Steam
ship Company that came into port was
| surveyed by the port wardens under a
| contract with those companies. The Ocean
Steamship Company paid over 5000 a
year and the other line a little over hall
/ that amount"
This business was taken away from us
about Two years ago. Several years age
there were five port wardens, but the
number was cut down to three, as it was
shown that the Office could not support
/ over that number. After the steamship
| business was taken away from US Mr.
/ Power stated his intention of resigning
and it Was decided that in case he re-
signed we should ask that the number
of port wardens be reduced to two. Mr.
Power did not resign, however, on ac-
count Of the fight made upon him, per
haps. There is really nothing in the office
for two men, except for our outside
| work"
Mr.. Hennessey viii bring the matter
TO the attention of the mayor. lie pro
poses to see whether or not there is any
thing in the Office for him.