The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-30

for Tukey's bridge He replied that the
far as he knew, by Mr.. Hunt.
The plans for the bridge proper
were drawn by the builders, the Boston
Bridge company, in accordance with the
requirement of the commissioner.
Philip Conroy, payer, testified that
in summer he received 30 day, and
in winter 81. 60 day for shoyelling snow.
/ General Mattocks said that he put in this
evidence to show that this man who was
paid high wages was given steady work
while other men could not get work.
In answer to questions by Mr.. Rounds
the witness denied that he had paid
money for jobs OF that he knew of 9TH
ers doing SO.
William r. Murray, a railroad contrac-
| tor, testified that he had teams which he
had offered to the street department when
there was work to be done by outside
| parties. His teams were never hired,
however. He couldn't get any city work
He pays $40 taxes.
Gen. Mattooks said he put in this evil
dence to show that of the large sum paid
out for hired teams citizens who were
heavy tax payers could get no share of it,
| The city auditor had drawn up state
| ment showing that in two years and five
months ending September 1, 80, 0S3 had
been spent for hired teams, and of this
| u. %. MURRAY QdQ r6C6lV0u pl ,OSl.
Mr., Spiller testified to having bought
four years ago two horses of Mr.. Staples,
| then street commissioner The horses
We're lame and Of little value.
/ William Heber, a city teamster, was
the next man to be asked about the Civ
ing of saltpetre to the city horses.
4 Alderman leighton asked the purpose
of these questions and said that it seemed
to be an intimation that city horses were
| bel ng killed.
Gen. Mattocks said that he would fix
that before he got through, adding that
it was poor policy to have the same man
| buy and sell horses.
| 1t was then that Mr.. Dennis O'Donnell
made. the interesting speech already re-
| fe rred to.
| G. S. Fairfield testified that there was
no city dump cart labelled No. I. Cart
| NO. l was an express wagon. This was
| in relation to a Statements made by II. p.
Sargent of the Sanitary company that o
city cart numbered had been lent to
him.
Then ex.Street Commissioner Randall
was called and examined ut length abous
the prices for paving blocks. Mr. Randall
has bought O great deal of granite for
paving in Massachusetts, said that he got
it much cheaper than 1t was procured by
the Portland city government but ex-
planned this by saying that he bought it
|
carting 1t, while the stone used In Port
land Is brought here on the cars, so that
| no comparison could be made off hand.
| Mr.. Randall was asked by Mr.. Leighton
IL. taking into consideration the fact that
the com mission of public works had ex-
pended nearly 100000 and If 1t could
only be shown that about twelve or fif-
teen dollars worth of material had been
lost or given away, that was not an ex-
cellent showing. Mr.. Randall said that
he should prefer not to answer the quest
| tion and after some discussion, the matter
was dropped. Il
| Harry J.. Llewellyn, an employee of the
street department, was called and inter
ested the spectators with his answers to
q uestions as TO the payment of money to
employees Of the department for purposes
other than the purchase of supplies or
for services. He said that he had paid
money in that way once or twice, FIVE
or ten dollars OF time. ii,
| How far apart were such payments2
| About as far apart as election days go.
| Who told you to make such payments?
| | should say that his initiaIs were
George S. Staples.
| Well, that does not answer the question.
1t was George Staples. am not sure
about the IS. -
The assistant street commissioner
| Yes.
r. A. Kent, a city teamster, testified
to picking up sweepings on franklin
wharf
| Bryan Conley, who has Charge of the
city street sweepers, said that Franklin
| wharf was swept once week and that
| he had on one occasion swept Central
wharf. This was done by direction of
Mr.. Staples.
Mr.. Leighton raised the point that this
| might be a proper thing to do in the case
of Franklin wharf which is use by
| thousands of people and is virtually
public place. He asked Gen. Mattocks
what he would advise in such cases.
| Gen. Mattocks replied that if the city
government believed that the wharf
should be swept by the city, an order
| should be passed to that effect. 1t should
not be left to some man who had got
| into power and remained there.
| This ended the evidence, and after the
action mention above the committee ad-
journed.