The herald., 1895-12-10
AT the City Hall That Challenge
Criticism
ECONOMY QUITE UNKNOWN
what The Grand Jury Could Find b.
Investigating One Office
Direct Allegations As to One Of the lmportsno
City Officials Of Whom an Example
Should Be Made

The expense of conducting the city gov
eminent during the past year will run oveg
one million one hundred thousand dollars.
The exact figures are not as yet obtainap
BILE, owing to the fact that the city auditor
has not yet completed his report. The ex-
penditures will. however, run higher. this
year than they did last, when 81 ,O8S,.
353.47 was spent, and the receipts onlv
approximated $3.50, OSS.43.
The fact that there has been an increase
of expenditures this year as compared
| with last, when the tremendous sum Of
over one million dollars of the money Of
the taxpayers OF the city went to sustain
city government that was not above
faint, is of itself enough to warrant . close
grand jury investigation of municipal
affairs.
Then there are direct charges mads
against city officer who has the dispens.
the peoples money. Perry A. Howard, the
superintendent of streets, has been 49,
cused by Councilman S. A. Kingery of AZ
tempting to bride him. The grand jury
has, as yet, made no endeavor to inveetis
gate that charge against Mr.. Howard. Foe
the purpose OF refreshing the minds of the
grand jury as to the directness of Mr..
Kingery's allegations, The Herald will re-
print the testimony of Mr.. Kingery taken
at the aldermanio investigation. Mr..
Kingery then testified that on June 22d
the following incident occurred between
himself and Mr.. Howard:
IL arrived home about IL o'clock, took
my lunch, and laid down on the lounge.
About as near o'clock as I can remember
Mr.. Howard came to the door. My
daughter conducted him into the parlor:
then was notified there was a gentleman
lor and found Mr.. Howard there; then Z
went into the parlor and shook hands with
Mr.. Howard. The first thing he said, IL
remember right. was How about this
street swearing, are we going to tolerate
this poor street sweeping? and said, az
mittee had attended to this matter and
were ready to report Monday. That was
all there was said. l could see there was
something more than that, the street
sweeping was not the business. He said
to me then, How about the advertising for
that?' Are you going to re-advertise?'
And ! said, Why, guess so, near as
know Why he says, what is the use
in advertising; Dodd & O'Gara's lots
are the cheapest WE'LL says I, MIR.
lar to that. Mr.. Pitman don't like the
lots and then one thing passed and then
another. Finally remarked that the lots
l thought were too dear, they were in q
hole. Then Mr.. Howard says, They are
to be filed up, Well, then Mr.. Howard
says, Mr.. Dodd would like to sell those
lots, and he would like to pay sometbing.'
don't exactly know what the word was.
And told him would come down and
see you; 1 was not afraid to approa CHI
| you: was not afraid to say something to
you' Well, says I, they dom. suit Mr..
Pitman.' 'Well,' now he says, Mr.. King
cry, here, if you take those lots there is
5000 in it for you.' rs that so,' says [.
Yes sir, these is $500 in it for you.'
II looked at him; says oh no. Why
not he says, 5000 is quite little sum OF
money these hard times.' Well. says /,
Mr.. Kingery you had better study over
that matter little bit. Now, Mr.. Kineery,
here, il you will get up in the council
Monday and cause these lots not to be re-
advertised, and take Mr., Dodd's lots,
there will be 5000 in it for you. and you
need to know anything about it, but the
5000 will be coming all the same.' And
says I, oh no. and that is about all there
was said in regard to it, only he said had
better study over the matter. He was
there about fifteen minutes and went away.
That is about the sum ana substance Of
the conversation as near as can remem-
Der. Of course, if there 10 anything
have left out or got mixed. Mr.. Howard is
here and can straighten it."
There is also at the city clerks Office =
transcript of testimony, comprising 20
closely written pages Of typewriter. which
throw some light on Mr.. Howard's official
career of one short year.
The puolic would especially like to have
the grand jury investigate this Office and
all of its affairs very closely. They want
the city corral affairs. which are kept by
brother of Howard. looked after. Here
is where one street superintendent stole
over $4,000, and it took grand jury to
find it out. 1t would also be good idea to
look into some of the sewer contracts and
into the methods pursued in opening and
WIDENING atreota.