The herald., 1896-11-06
Another Session Devoted to In.
vestigatiOn
NO NEW FACTS BROUGHT OUT
Fire Commissioners Meet and Talk Over
Discrepancies
But One Case in Which Chief Moore Ad-
mits That He Was Indiscreet
in His Action.

Fire Chief Walter S. Moore spent an
unpleasant hour or two before the fire
commissioners yesterday afternoon.
The board met at 2:30 o'clock to continue
the investigation of the alleged discrep-
ancies between the pay roll of the de-
partment and the house reports as SUBJ
mitted by the foremen. Mayor RAIDER
presided, and all the commissioners were
in their seats.
All the facts have been printed in
The Herald heretofore, and nothing new
was brought out. Chief Moore insisted
that there was nothing wrong in his
action, except that he might have been
negligent in not assigning the men to
duty. The Seelig case was the only one
in which he would admit that he had
ever been indiscreet. In this case the
man had done two months fire duty,
during May and June, when he had re-
signed from the department. His resig
nation was duly entered on the books,
but the name was carried on the pay
roll for four months thereafter, war.
rants were drawn for the monthly
amount Of $25, and these warrants were
sold to a broker, to whom they We're
assigned. This was the most Migrant
case.
Commissioner Order, when the matter
first came out, stopped the payment Of
the warrants for the last months pay OF
Seelig, Tighe and Montgomery, AMI
these are still i'll the auditors office,
never having been called for. The COM
missioners, as board, sustained Mr..
Orders action, after which further ac
ton was deferred.
After the examination of Chief Moore
had been concluded, Assistant Chief Ed
Smith asked to be allowed to make
statement, which request was granted.
Mr.. Smith said that a day or two ago
Mayor RAIDER, with one of the commits
sioners, had come into his office and, in
the presence of Electrician Francis, had
asked him if he knew that the men
named were being carried on the pay
roll. He had told his honor that he
knew that they were. He had consid
cred the mayors action as a reelection
on him, and for this reason he wished
to make his statement. He did not
think that he had been appointed as
sistant chief for the purpose of carrying
tales about his superior officer, and he
had not done so. OF course, If he was en-
ployed for this purpose he presumed that
he would have to do so, but he did not
think that this was part of his duties
He had always been loyal to Chief Moore
since he had been in the department.
and would continue to remain so, but
he was always ready to answer any
questions that the commissioners might
wish to ask him.
1t is probable that final action by the
board will be taken at the meeting We'd
nesday. At the session yesterday Com
missioners Vetter, Order and Bolts
were at times quite severe in their criti-
cisms of the chiefs methods in keeping
the accounts of the department which
are, to say the least, very crude, and it is
very easy for just such Irregularities TO
occur as those under investigation.
Chief Moore freely admitted that some
of the criticisms were well founded, but
excused himself on the ground that he
had not been furnished with the proper
help. AS matter of fact, the growth
of the department has been so gradual
that many things have been neglected,
and In many instances the methods of
the old days when there were only two
or three engines in use are still in vogue,
1t is conceded that the present commits
sion Is the most business-like of any that
has ever administered the affairs of the
department, and, under the leadership
OF Mr.. Vetter, many reforms have been
instituted. What further recommends
tons will be made remains to be seen.
At any rate, it is more than proba BILE
that report will be submitted that will
clear UP everything to date. Mayor Ra-
der and Commissioner Kuhrts at yes
terday's. meeting seemed to favor the