The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-19
CLOSED DOORS.
10 Protect Witnesses Who Are
Timid.

10 Protect Witnesses Who Are
| Timid.
Mr.. Rounds Tells why He Wants Star
Chamber-The Alderman Talks About
| That Investigation.
| Alderman Rounds was seen Saturday
evening by a PRESS reporter and was
asked to explain why he had introduced
the order creating an Investigating COM
mittee of the Street Commission and
what his purpose was in regard the to
investigation.
| Alderman Rounds said in substance:
Son March s, 1895, the Governor signed
the act which had been passed by the
state legislature, creating a board of pub
lie works for Portland, and when he
signed the act it became the law. On
June 4, 1895, the city council passed an
ordinance amending the previous old
ordinance relating to the street commits
sioner so that the words street commits
ioner' We're stricken out, and the words
| commissioner of public works substi-
tuted therefor and so that the words
committee on streets, sidewalks and
bridges. were stricken out, and the words
committee on public works substituted
| therefor.
"Now section so of the city ordinances
provides that the street commissioner
shall not expend more than 1926 without
the consent of the city council and the
amended ordinance makes this provision
apply to the commissioner of public
works as we'll as it did to the street
section above referred to provides that the
committee on streets shall not expend
over $500 without the consent of the city
council and in the same way the provis-
| ion applies to the committee on public
works. In introducing the two orders
that I did introduce last Monday evening,
was within the bounds of the city or
dinances and was callingsthe attention Of
the commissioner on public works to- the
ordinances and providing that they
should not exceed their authority in the
expenditure of money. Both of these
orders were defeated by the aldermen,
although as have said, they were strictly
within the meaning of the law.
/ "Now, in relation to the commissioner
of public works going beyond his legal
authority and doing work which had not
been authorized by the city council. At
meeting of the committee of public
works held previous to July I'd of this
year there were only three members of the
committee present out of five. The meet
ing of this committee was not legally
| called as notices of it had not been sent
out in the duly authorized manner. At
this meeting the matter of paving Fore
street between Plum and Exchange
streets was brought up. Two members of
the committee voted to pave this street,
but | voted against paving it as we were
not acting within the law in authoriz-
|
relating to the power of the committee
on public works quoted above. In other
words we were authorizing the expendi.
ture of more than $500 without the con-
sent of the city council and on this ac-
count and because | believed we were ex-
ceeding our authority as laid down by
the ordinances, I objected to the paving
of that street. But two of the committee
voted for it and although as, [ have said
the action of the committee was Illegal
| the order was declared to have been passed
upon favorably by the committee of pub.
| ic works"
Mr.. Rounds also repeated in substance
the statements he made last Monday
regarding the paving of Fore street,
| When asked by the reporter if he had
any charges to prefer against the COM
missioner of public works, Alderman
Rounds said that it was too early to talk
as yet When asked why it was that he
| intended or wanted to hold the inquiry
into the doings of the commissioner of
public works behind closed DOORS Alder-
man Rounds said:
personally I would like to have the
investigation held with open doors and
have all of it's proceedings public, but
when it comes to getting at facts it will
be almost impossible to secure all of the
| facts from witness with the public list
enino TO every word he has to say and
| g 80 xuitnasS knows mt hi,
position may depend on what he says be-
FORE the committee. What / want to Sc
cure in this matter is the truth. If pos
sible every witness will be sworn and his
evidence taken down by a stenographer.
In order to show you more fully what I
mean by wishing to hold these committee
meetings behind closed doors / will re-
| fer YOU back to one occasion when GER
tain committee was investigating charges
made against certain street commission
err The witnesses before this committee
| gave their evidences against this street
! commissioner and some of them have not
| been able to secure a job in the depart
ment of public works since / want to
get at the truth in this matter and | also
wish to protect as far as possible the wit
mes ses who may be called before the COM
mittee. OF course am only one of three
members of the committee and / do not
know what action they may take in the
matter, but these are my reasons for wish
ing to have the investigation proceed be-
hind closed doors''
Alderman Rounds refused to state just
when meeting of the committee on in
vostigation would be called. He said
that he thought it was too warm wealth
er to hurry the matter and there We're
several months more in which the com
inittee could work. The aldermen also
refused to talk about the character OF the
investigation or the course that would
at FIRST be taken. He told the reporter