New-York tribune., 1899-06-09
FRIDAY,
JUNE 9, 1899.

Ayes. sir.
o-Before that time there waa no systems A.
Substantially none.
Q-You spoke about change that occurred on
the FIRST OF January VIII you describe tnss
change? Before you do that, how many empioyes
had you at the corporation yard at Twenty-fourtn-
ST 10 do this work? Alt Twenty~fourtn-st tne
number OF employees changed
O-What was the average number? A.-Tbe ave
erage number was about fifteen.
Q-About fifteen? A.-Twelve to fifteen Tnero
are so many Details Of the men. at the pipe yard.
one In the meter shop and some in the ONCE ana
gatemen and a night watchman. that cuts do"h-
the force looks large, but In reality the worh usoo
TO be done with about i've available iaoorers' ou'
lately II has becn-ve have had double that num-
Der.
Q-Double that number? A.-And more, 100.
PAYROLL LARGELY SWOLLEN.
O-I find twenty-six names on this payroll tn
February? Ayes. STR
Q.-Were those necessary, all those men. 70
do this work? A-No. sir.
Q.-You had done your work for three years with
much less men? A-Yes sir. They sent some
there as cement workers and tool men.
position had no use for. and put them TO work as
aborers One man named Mr. Fox. who testified
yesterday came a cement worker. and attached
10 the ticket ordered 10 attach him 10 the
Office.
o-Had you any cement TO work there, A.-Nc.
sir We had some by the barrels.
Q.-Unmxed? A.-Unmixed. and sent II TO var'-
Gus stations and other places where they wantsd
TO use II.
Q.-Then this Increase OF dependents on the city
payroll was very marked. after the fret OF jan
uary? Ayes. sir During the winter we always
dispensed with team at the pipe yard. but this
last winter there was dispensing with IL; II was
kept right through.
Odd you ask for these men7 A.-No. sir
Q-You In charge OF the yard. but did NOS
ask for them7 A.-No. sir.
Q-Didnt want them? A.-No, sir
Q-They forced on you? Ayes. sir. Tne
men were gradually changed and became new SET
Q-Was there any difference In the class OF the
men-ther usefulness? A.-Undoubtedly.
Q-What was the difference? A.-Some OF the
men had been there long time. during my time.
and during the Strong administration never dis
charged a Democrat II he good one, never
on account OF his politics. and therefore had
some Tammany men there right through. and
there some there to-day, but the majority OF
the men sent me since. good many OF them are
not able-bodied men, and 1t requires bodied
men at that place.
O-Mr. Fox. who testified yesterday. COM
spicuously not an able-boded man. The witness
laughed. but made no answer)
Odd you ever know him to do any work. A.
No. sir. Well. he a man in Ill health
Oil health. What did you do with him. anys
how? Al didn't know what 10 do with him.
IABoRs AT THE TELEPHONE.
o-what did you do: how did you make him
earn his salary? A.-Let him stay about the Of
fee / was rather disposed 70 obey orders TX
they sent anybody there, 20 make him DO the oesC
he could / used tell him TO answer the tee-
phone The assistant foreman, who had charge OF
the books at the office. got him 10 make out 70.
norris and things Of that kind. but found him very
Inaccurate and 10 the bookkeepers express
ston-the assistant foreman not the bookkeeper-
he said he would rather do IT himself than have
o-f
Fox did.
o.-Were there men in the system Of the once
removed? Ayes. sir.
Omen that had become important! A-fess
sir.
o-Ubat men were they7 A by the
name OF Julius Hoffman who was laborer when
I went 70 the ward. I had him promoted as an
assistant foreman at one rate. and after wniid
az another rate put him in the ofhce' taught MN
the business thoroughly and he remained tnere up
10 October 1895. when he was removed. hao ans
other man the same way by the name OF CCon.
nell that was removed In September The system
Ind was an assistant foreman In the ward assist~
ant foreman acting as bookkeeper In the ONCE oe-
sides mvself night watchman also. The nighe
watchman was also removed. ana at'er tna'
had my hands full keeping things straight
o-What kind Of men were given 10 you 10 MI
49, nlacas7 A-Men some OF them. who had nd
e,nerience az all especially the men In the oplce
o-You saw the bookkeeping system was ois>
continued? Al kept that up as long as res
u,ained there in the pipe yard, but II was oiscon'
tinued at the other yard.
O.-Was II not discouraged at the pipe yardE A.
Yes cir.
o.-Every effort was made TO have It ciscon~
tinued? Ayes. sir
WAS A CHECK on STEALING
o-Now. wasn't that bookkeeping system and
the assistance Of trained men very necessary 10
protect the property there? A-Undoubtediy
o-There was a constant danger OF property
being taken away by persons VINO Drought caio
into the yard? Ayes. sir.
o-And a possibility OF employees taking goods
of the ward II they not carefully checked ana
tabulated? Ayes. sir
Q-And that system. as applied by men VINO
understood H. was necessary for the protection OF
the property? Ayes sir: not only for tho men
AT the wards but the people who was going to re-
ce,ve the property / will illustrate II you wish
o.-Yes? A-The various foremen or those in
! charge of the other yards would send an order 70
the base OF supplies the pipe yard for some mates
rial Now Il is possible on that order that one Oh
two items hadn't got. we are out or IL Is pos
sibe also that we only have few OF another item'
which It wouldn't do 10 give II all to that one man
in one section Of the city. Therefore we would
have 10 cut that down. Now. under the system
little invoice so TO speak bill OF lading or what.
ever you may call II. went with the goods, ana
| that man would know what he got on that order.
| A retain slip was made. which was the recoru
| from which the books kept In the once.
| That was afterward discontinued
Q.-what reason was given for discontinuing %
| useful and simple a system as that? Al dont
| know.
Q-You found out that they wanted your piac<
| after awhile? A.-Yes.
| O-What did they do 10 you. cut your salaryt
| A-They cut my salary in February 1895; February
| l. 1900 year. suppose they thought II was
sufficient to make me resign. but II didn't.
! O-What else was done. or practical KIND u
! make Il uncomfortable for you there? A-Mr Jonn
! E. Mckay, whom had not seen but very, very
| few times during the three years OF the Strong
| administration came up there soon after the Isl
| OF January and abused me in the most unmerct