The Portland daily press., 1897-10-25
STREET COMMISSION.
Alderman Rounds Holds His Last
: Meeting.
GEN. MATTOCKS MAKES HIS FINAL
STATEMENT.

The Testimony of the witnesses-superin.
tendent Staples VIII Not be Discharged
| without Hearing-Definite Charges
Must BIO Preferred Against Him
Special City Meeting May be Held To.
morrow.
The committee which was appointed
several months ago to investigate the
workings of the street commission, COM
pleted it's labors Saturday night That
called by Alderman Rounds to give evil
dence as to the doings Of Mr.. Staples, Or
the street commission, and the hearings
are now closed. What action will be
taken by the committee now that 1t has
before it all Of the evidence dug out and
Mattooks, who appeared before the COM
mittee as Alderman Rounds's attorney,
remains to be seen.
1t Is known, however, that few days
ago Alderman Mcdonald of this commit
tee was delegated to call upon Commits
of the evidence which had been presented
to the committee on investigation regard
ing Mr.. Staples, if he would discharge
Superintendent of Streets Staples. 1t is
understood that Mr.. Fernald sent word
to the committee through Alderman Nc
Donald that he would not discharge Mr..
Staples until Mr.. Staples had been given
an opportunity of appearing before the
committee on investigation or the city
government, in his own defense. 1t was
also stated to Alderman Mcdonald that
Mr.. Staples would refuse to appear be-
fore the investigating committee until
some definite charges were preferred
against him and when these charges in
the proper form were presented he was
anxious to meet them.
It Is expected that the committee will
report to the board Of aldermen with any
recommendations they may make at a
special meeting to be held Tuesday.
The investigation Saturday night was
simply the threshing over of old material,
but some new facts were brought out in
the course of the long session. The coun-
Gil chamber was filed with spectators,
who followed the proceedings very close
~ and seemed to enjoy them greatly. At
ter three hours Of investigation the last
witness was examined and Gen. Mattooks
| then arose to address the committee. He
said that he did not propose to make any
formal argument, but he did desire to
call the attention Of the committee to
| certain facts.
GENERAL MATTOCKS'S REMARKS.
sAndrew jackson In one of his first
annual messages used the following APP
propriate language:
f" There are few persons who can for
any great length of time enjoy Office and
power without being more or less under
| the influence of feelings unfavorable to
the faithful discharge of their duties. By
| them, Office is considered a species of
property. No one man has any more in
| trinsic right to official station than an
| other. Offices were not established to
give support for particular men at the
public expense. An incumbent becomes
an officer with view to public benefits
and when these require his removal they
are not to be sacrificed to private inter
| ests. He who is removed has the same
means of obtaining living that is en-
joyed by the millions who never held
Office
| cat the opening of the investigation,
September II, I said we would show:
1 hot he
works had allowed things to be done
which were not right; second, that there
had been favoritism; third, that some of
the city property had disappeared and
had not been accounted for; fourth, that
city property had been loaned; fifth,
that outside work had been done without
pay; sixth, that gravel, stone, and sand
belonging to the city had been hauled
away and not accounted for; seventh, that
city wagon had been loaned, to be re-
turned when called for, to induce the Dur
chase from city official of pair of
| horses.
1.-The foregoing facts have been estab-
llshed as stated. In addition, we have
| shown the superintendent of streets to
be harsh, abusive and oppressive to his
subordinates; that he has violated the city
ordinances by compelling men to work
more than eight hours a day; that the
superintendent of public works has given
away property Of the city which, under
the opinion of the city solicitor, he had
no right to do; that employees found
drunk on duty have not been disciplined
or discharged as required by the city or
dinances; that the management of the
city stables has been inefficient and. in
fact disgraceful.
"In fact, we have shown enough. and
more than enough, to warrant this COM
mittee to report to the board of ,navor
and aldermen that these affairs demand
and require an official Investigation.
with view to the removal of the Offend
ing parties; or, in fact, removal with
out further investigation"
The witnesses who testified last NIGHT
gave the following evidence:
THE LAST OF THE TESTIMONY.