The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-07
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.


BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
| The board met promptly az S o'clock
last evening. Before the clerk had fin
! lshed the rea ring of the minutes OF the
! last meeting Councilman Angel ap-
I peared at the bar with an invitation
| from the common council TO meet that
DOGy IN joint convention. The invita-
ton was acknowledged and just as the
clerk finished the reading OF the min
utes and after their approval Alderman
Winship was on his feet He asked
leaNe to presen. communication from
the inspector of milk The Mayor asked
III mere was any objection 10 joining
the common council i'm joint session
there was none and the members OF the
board retired TO the council chamber
ON the return of the board Alderman
Winship asked that the communication
be read. Ii was so read
Mr. Perkins in opening enters an en-
phatic protest against the committees
report. He claims it ignores important
testimony, perverts other and con-
cludes With statement that tends to
mislead the public respecting his SER
vices and does him a cruel injustice.
Mr.. Perkins then takes up the charges
made in the committees report and
shows how he spent the time during
which the committee credited him with
deVotlng his efforts chiefly to the kill
ing OF cockroaches. He also makes an
extended denial of the charge that a
large number of cases where the milk
on analysis was founl materially be-
low the standard have not been prose-
cuted' and mot sufficient reason an
pears for the failure to prosecute"
Mr. Perkins then continues:
The committees third charge is,
That Mr.. Perkins gave certain orders,
and made certain statements to his en-
ployes, which by any reasonable con-
struction must be deemed TO show a
desire and intent on his part to dis
criminate In favor OF certain dealers
who had been selling poor milk"
Gentlemen, | deny that the Language
j use, as brought out on the witness
stand, by any reasonable construc-
ton Justifies the committee in charg-
ing me with what is practically cor
ruption i'm office. / resent the charge
with Indignation.
| challenge you 70 present the lam
guage | used before any Jury OF my
peers for their Judgment, Because /
directed my collector to "let up'' on
certain milk dealers the committee as
sumo that | used the words as a bribe
taker might use them. / testified at
the hearing shat ! charged the collec-
tor TO ''let up on certain men to whom
he was deVoting relatively more time
than we could afford since a large
number of milkmen and storekeepers !
had not been visited at all by him. |
tesdie1 that I aided these expIana- |
tory words in the same connection
Emery ana Easterbrooks |
thought otherwise. But IL matters not l
whether / gave my reason then and /
there for my order the point is. is Il |
just and fair TO put into a mans words |
I hae ,lff,.
possibly bear? As well suspect that the
physician who might say to a man who !
called with a fractured bone. "Tll fix /
you or TN do you up" that he had /
murder in his heart To charge me with
what is. in effect. colluson with GER
tain milk dealers TO plunder the public
because, forsooth, ! used the wB,ds "let
ip' respecting certain milkmen. is 20
accuse mo OF being not simply a l5naVc.
but fool-for a fool | must have been
.o betray my trust al The very begin
ug of my office, and 20 cunfide TO "A
man whom ] was already suspecting of
my criminal intent.
Lastly. the concluding words of this
'eport, Your committee. upon careful !
consideration OF the whole matter. feel
In saying that MIR. George
z. Perkins, Inspector Of Milk has
neither administered his office accord
ng 10 law nor IN manner calculated
o afford our citizens suitable protec-
ION against adulterated milk"
That gentlemen. Is a very sweeping
They accuse me I'm effs,t
" inCompetency and corruption, not
'nly during the brief period included
o. The charges, but apparently during |
ny whole five months administration.
N what grounds do thrv make ihts !
yiayc charge? Has that committee
Vcr Investigated my Office records 70
Ind ont what I have been Going the
lst Ave months? They have not done
o--not one of them. If they had taken
he pains TO really inform themselves I
cspecting my work. they might have
earned that within this period | have
made analyses OF 1liO samples Of milk. |
nd have prosecuted - cases Of Offend |
ng milkmen. three NJ whom have been
onVcted and advertised. nine appeal
1v. rs my predecessor prosecuted only
Inc cases curing his first year. / fail |
% see the justice OF the report OF your
ommlttee IN specially c1ndemning me /
8 DELINQUENT IN my duties. or. 10 Tse
heir language mot Administering my
dice In a manner calculated to afford
ur citizens suitable protection against
milk"
But figures alone give hut a meapre
Yea of the amount 90 work done bv
he Inspector 10 carry out the purpose
pr which his office was established
Gentlemen. whnteNcr may be vour
idgmcnt respecting nv character and
.rVices. and although 7 may have err
continued on rasc ThrccD