The San Francisco call., 1896-01-17
Heads of Departments Whom He
Accused Want a Speedy
Hearing.
ALL ARE VERY INDIGNANT.
Chief Wharfnger Root and Purchas.
ing Agent Westlake Exon
Grated.

/ The Harbor Commissioners held short
session yesterday afternoon, during which
ex-Superintendent OF Dredgers Haste was
again under discussion.
CHIEF Wharhnger Root, as Zone of the
heads of departments, Indignantly de-
MED ever having received a commission
from any man, firm or company.
The following letter, signed by Haste
and addressed to the Commissioners, was
read:
The papers in publishing my statement in
reference to the collections of commissions
have quoted me saying that this was the
general custom of the heads of departments.
l desire 10 say that in making my statement
did not intend TO implicete Chief Whartinger
Root in any way.
/ I do not know OF anything connected with
the administration OF his office that warrants
any such statement
The following, addressed to 1.-THE Editor
of The CALL" by Haste, was also read:
desire TO correct statement made in your
paper this morning. did not say that Pur-
chasing Agent Westlake war receiving com
missions from Payne's Bolt Works or commits
sions from any other business mouse or firm.
So far as have any knowledge of his business
/ transaction they are free from any such accu-
sation.
When the communications were offered
to President Colnon he waved them aside
| and remarked that he required no certif-
Gates as to the honesty of Chief Wharfnger
Root or Purchasin Agent Westlake from
anybody, let alone Mr.. Haste. Commits
sioner Cole interiected, But Haste did as
sert that Payne's Bolt Works were paying
a commission to our purchasing agent"
The next one to appear was ex-Superin-
tendent of Dredgers Cruise. Haste said he
(Cruse) had received per cent commits
ciO Moir
all work he sent there. This made Cruise
very angry and he demanded an investiga-
ton. b said his character was his bread
and butter and he could not afford to have
it besmirched by any one.
President Colnon advised him not to
take any notice OF what Haste had said,
but Cruise insisted and asked as favor
that the board question everybody with
whom he had done business while serving
the State as superintendent of dredgers
and towboats.
Cole was in favor of having the mer-
chants heard in the matter and remarked
that he knew personally OF one instance
where commission had been offered
! Cruise and he Immediately stopped dealing
with that firm.
President Colnon agreed to the proposal,
and the merchants whom Cruise, as the
/ States agent, dealt with, will be heard
next Tuesday.
TREY L. Ford, the boards attorney,
asked for leave of absence, which was
! granted. He is going to Washington, d.
! e., to attend the meeting of the California
! Miners Association. During his absence
r. 5. Stratton will act as special counsel,
! the remuneration being q r-atter that the
attorneys will settle between themselves
! The storing of potatoes on Jackson
street W Wharf again came up for discussion.
! Chief Wharfnger Root said that W. r.
LarZelere had been notified twice to re-
move his goods and had failed to do so.
he recommended that Larzeleres bill be
( rot rebated. Wharfinger Stafford SAID
| that some of the commission mercha ants
| had moved their goods when told to do so,
| but that LarZelere and others had not.
| Ihe latter, he said, had re-sacked and re.
marked some of his potatoes, so that it
was impossible to tell whether they were
/ old or new shipments. The Commissioners
decided that Larzelere was entitled to no
rebate. Murray Steinhagen. who are IN
| the same box as Larzelere, asked for a re-
bate on bill for $13 20. The request was
! denied.
The inspectors of hulIs and boilers wrote.
stating that on the report of ex-Superin.
! tendent of Dredgers and Towboats Haste
| they had examined the machinery of the
/ tug Governor Irwin. They practically
! recommended the building of new vessel.
! They wanted a new piston rod to run
through both cylinders, the piston valves
TO be fixed by fitting snap rings to the
! piston mead, new stems of an Increased
dimension for the valve stems, overhaul
the air pumps and generally put the
machinery in proper order. The commu-
nication was laid on the table and the
board adjourned.
The Lux Appeal.