The San Francisco call., 1896-01-16
HASTE WAS DISMISSED,
He Admitted Having Received
Commissions From State
Contractors.
THOUGHT IT WAS LEGITIMATE.
The Harbor Commissioners Thought
Differently and Appointed
Captain Brown.
THOUGHT IT WAS LEGITIMATE

dreQgerS ana Tow poatS, was yesterday dis
missed by the Harbor Commissioners for
| accepting commissions from contractors
who supplied the board with material.
Haste did not deny the charges, but said
it was custom and that the other heads
of departments were as deep in the mud
as he was in the mire. The only person
he mentioned by name was S. ]. Westlake,
the purchasing agent for the commission,
but the charge was Indignantly repudiated
by Messrs.. Cole and Chadbourne, who said
that during his term of office Westlake had
saved the State thousands of dollars.
Chadbourne called Haste sharply to
account and told him he was doing his
! own case no good by trying to besmirch
the character OF honest and honorable
men. The taking of commissions he char
acterized as a species of blackmaiI.
When President Colnon called the board
to order the only witnesse present We're
L. {. Marshutz and t. G. Cantreu of the
National | ron Works, where Haste was
ormerly employed. William Deacon of
the Main-street Iron Works was to have
been IN attendance, but an urgent call to
Vallejo prevented him.
Cantrell was called upon for a staten ent,
and protested against beiEg made scape-
goat. "Other people were to be here as
witnesses" said he, ''but they have failed to
show up, and now my partner and myself
are left in the light OF prosecutors. We
were led to believe that others would be
here, aud don't think it is fair
This commission has no power to COM
pei any man to testify" said President
Colnon, land as far as 1 am concerned 1
do not think there is any necessity for an
investigation"
"Well, / can't take back the staten ents
have made to you (Colnon) and Governor
Budd," said Cantrell. 81 did pay COM
m missions to Haste, and it is no new Gus
| tom. We fully realized that if we did not
pay up to Haste we wouldn't get any work
from the Harbor Commissioners"
At this point Haste jumped up and
asked: rs it not common thing to re-
ceive commissions on State work, Mr..
Cantrell?"
THAT don't know" was the nswer; !;
"but do know that it is a common thing
for us to pay them"
This answer did not help Mr. Haste very
much, so he asked: "Did tie State ever
lose anything by the payment of these
commissioner" and Cantrell answered en-
phatically, "No; it did not" Haste
seemed satisfied, and sat down with a
| triumphant look on his face.
To President Colnon Cantrell said that
his firm had not done any work until
lately for the board. Eighteen or twenty
years ago there was no such thing as COM
| missions. and those times he character
lied as The good old days"
"Were these commissions paid volun-
tarily or demanded?" asked Chadbourne,
and Cantrell answered that as far as his
recollectlonS went it was demand, as his
! firm was not in the habit of paying such
| things voluntarily.
| Haste was then called upon for an ex-
! PLANTATION, and he at once admitted having
received the missions, but asserted
that it was legitimate business. cit was
| all fair and square," said he ''and the
State did not suffer by it. | was only fol-
| lowing custom that all the other heads
of departments follow. When Superinten-
dent Kruse was in office Mr.. Deacon told
me he paid him per cent on the profits of
| all work turned IN. "
Cole interrupted him and said: Hold
| on a minute. You are making a misstate-
ment. Deacon told me that he had never
! paid kruse Scent piece"
''What do you mean by only following
custom established by other heads of de-
partments? asked President Colnon IN
an angry tone. Haste hesitated for mo-
ment and then said "Well, l can't prove
my ass ertion because my witnesses refuse
to be mixed up in the matter, but know
that Purchasing Agent Westlake has been
! getting comm issions from the Payne bolt
works." This angered Commissioner Cole
and he said 'pll bet $1,000 that what you
say is not so, and I'll bet another $1,000
YOU hayn't q title of evidence to prove it."
President Colnon called Haste to order as
he was going to reply, and Commissioner
| Chadbourne told him he was doing him
self no good by making statements to be-
| smirch other people when he cou Id not
prove them.
"Wel, all 1 can say" answered Haste,
"is that the taking of commissions in the
circumstances was legitimate, and L have
! always done it"
Then my opinion is that such trans
actions are nothing more or less than a
species of blackmail," retorted Commits
| sioner Cole.
There is always commission paid
when there is q middleman, and Haste was
your middleman, gentlemen" interposed
! Cantrell.
President Colnon and Commissioner
| Chadbourne now conversed in low tone
for few seconds and the president said
II move that the office of Superintendent
of State Dredgers and Towboats be de-
clared vacant" 81 second the notion"
said Commissioner Chadbourne and it was
carried unanimously. Haste looked on
for moment or so in dazed manner and
then left the room. The worst he ex-
pected was reprimand and an order to
refund the $46 so he had received from
| Marshutz e. Cantrell.
The question of filling the vacancy then
came up and Commissioner Chadbourne
nominated Captain Philip I. Brown of
| State Dredger l. Cole seconded and it was
| carried, President Colnon refraining from
| voting. Captain Brown had never sought
| the position and knew nothing at all about
| his appointment until Haste handed him
F, the keys and told him he was to take office
at once. Brown has been six years in the
employ of the commission and is one of
the most popular men on the water front.
| He has saved the State thousands of dol
lars by his careful management. and it
was purely and simply on his record that
he was promoted. As soon as the news
spread he was besieged by friends all eager
to congratulate him upon his appoint t