The Portland daily press., 1897-11-08

| oAuer 10 De ready in season, he did MAKE
use OF two teams of his own to complete
une MorK. but made no charge Therefor
whatever to the city.
Eighth-Item eighth of the charge IL
wholly denied.
| Ninen-He AYERS that for a period OF
nVs OF SIX years prior to his appointment
" ms present office in 1896, he had been
contractor for the construction of roads
anu highways and had accumulated q
t tarse sCook Oh tools and implements suited
IoI salcn work, which were his own pri-
Yaee property; that since his said ap-
poin1ment and until the fall of 1895, he
was accustomed to borrow more or less
Soois and implements for city work from
III us own stock without charge to the CITY
snereIor. In exchange for this, but only
III a lew instances. he has used in his
prIyate business which has been very
tiinlteu, cart and jigger belonging to
une CITY; except as herein admitted, the
nim1h item of the charge is hereby denied
Ienth-The tenth item of the charge il
hereby denied.
Eleventh-The eleventh item of the
charge is denied.
Iwelfth-The sale of the pair of horses
10 the city mentioned in the twelfth item
OF charge was In the year 1884,, before
his appointment to his present ONCE and,
therefore, he respectfully submits that
the subject matter OF this charge is Who'll
" beyond the limits of the present inves-
tigation. He further AYERS that said
horses were purchased In behalf of the
city by Adam P. Leighton, John L.
Brackett and George N. Fernald, then act
Ing as a commission of public works, and
We're well worth the price that was paid
Tor them. Other parties were ready to
give the same price for them at the time.
Thirteenth thirteenth item of
charge is hereby denied. .
| Fourteenth-T The said Staples denies
that he has ever, during the period OF his
holding the Office of superintendent of
| streets under commissioner of public
works, entered the hire of his own horses
in the books of said commission under
the name Of John D. Murray or under
any other name.
f'ifteenth-The fifteenth item of charge
| is hereby denied.
| Sixteenth-The sixteenth item of
| charge Ii hereby denied.
| Seventeenth-He AYERS that of the two
paved wharves in the city, Central wharf
and Franklin wharf, he has been aocus.
| toned, during his holding Of his present
office, to sweep Central wharf about once
year for the accommodation of the pub
lilo, and he understands that this has been
the practice of the street department.
since that wharf was paved. The other
paved wharf, Franklin wharf, being the
| wharf at which the Boston and New
| York steamers arrive and from which
| they depart, Is subject to constant public
use, place at which strangers, visiting
| the city, arrive in large numbers and
from which they depart, and in the in
terest and for the benefit of the public,
1t has, Tor many years, been the prac-
tise of the street department to sweep the
wharf about once week This practise,
he AYERS, has simply been continued by
him during. the period Of his present
holding of office.
| Eighteenth-He denies that he was
guilty Of any personal negligence In the
matter referred to in the eighteenth item
! of charge, and says that the fact of the
excavation on Newbury street being left
unguarded and unlighted at the time re-
ferred to, was dueswholly to negligence
and disobedienoe of orders on the part of
Frederick McGowan who has appeared as
a witness against him in this proceeding;
| that it WIS the duty of said MCGOWAN TO
call regularly at the office Of the commits
sioner OF public works in the afternoon,
to ascertain what new places in the
streets required guarding and lighting at
night and that said Staples supposed
said MCGOWAN had conformed to his duty
| in this respect and had ascerts ined the
fact of such excavation, and would at
| tend to the lighting and guarding of the
same. according to the orders which had
| been given to him.
| Nineteenth-The nineteenth item of
| charge is hereby denied.
Twentieth-The twentieth item of
charge Is hereby denied.
Said George s. Staples respectfully rep
resents that at different times he has been
| in the employment OF the city for period
OF fourteen years; that from 1878 to the
year 1883 he held the Office, by repeated
annual elections, of assistant commission
er of streets, and from the year 1883 to
| 1888, the office of commissioner of streets,
( having the entire charge of all the NUM-
cipal work done in that department.. In
| the year 1894. he was reelected to the
same office by the city council. and in
the spring of 1895 appointed superinten-
dent of streets by the commissioner of
public works; that in every position which
he has held under the city government of
Portland, he has endeayored faithfully to
perform his duty as he understood it; that
| hesshas been guilty of no intentional
wrong; that he had supposed his methods
of work and administration met the ap-
proval of the city government, but if, in
any respect, they required amendment,
and the city government Or its commit.
| tees or the commission of public works
had go advised him, he should at all times
have been ready, as he is now ready, to
obey the orders or to meet the wishes of
the CITY council or of any superior in
office to whom his administration is prop
erly subject; that to hold such an office IS
that of superintendent of Streets neces-
sarily brings one In contact with a great
number of men, some of whom are not
efficient in their work and not disposed
to obey reasonable directions; that GER
tain amount of discomfort and disgatis-
faction is sure to arise from these and
similar causes, and that a large part OF
the evidence which has been introduced
against him In this investigation is OF
this character and comes from these
sources. But he respectfully submits to
the Honorable; the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen, that after all that the i'll will
of dissatisfied individuals and the malice
Of those who, from interested motives,
seek to accomplish his removal from
office, has been able to bring against him
during this long period, as manifested
IN this evidence, has been considered
there is nothing in the case to show any
malfeasance in office or any disregard OF
his duty as such officer, or of the interests
OF the city.
| A notice is hereby respectfully given
| by said Staples that he desires a hearing
| upon the charges which have been pre-
sentcd.
Dated November 4, 1897.
(Signed) GEORGE S. STAPLES.