The Detroit times., 1908-05-09
D.P.W. INQUIRY TO
BEGIN NEXT
WEDNESDAY
COMMITTEE WILL ENGAGE Ac-
UNTANT, sTENoGRAPHER
AND OTHER HELP AND HOLD
DAILY SESSIONS.

The councils investigation OF the
department OF public works begins
next Wednesday afternoon at O'Clock
aud will last until the contents OF the
Hawkins report have been thoroughly
sifted.~
In the streets committee meeting.
Friday morning, 1t was decided TO ask
for authority 10 hire an accountant.
stenographer and such other help as
may be required to go over the books.
The Hawkins report will be, taken up,
item by item. and every charge traced
on the books.
II do not want TO have this work
done In ONCE hours because It would
interfere with public business" de-
clared Commissioner Haarer. Neither
do | desire to have the checking up
Of the report done by my clerks, be-
cause then the complaint might be
made that conditions had been mis-
represented. I want full and fair
hearing and will be able TO prove 10
you that the affairs OF the department
are honestly conducted and that the
charges made by N. A. Hawkins & Co.
are unfounded."
The committee has power to sum-
mon any persons whom 1t may con
slider material witnesses, and Police
Commissioner Smith will be requested
to detail an officer to assist the COM
mittee.
The sidewalk division Is the one
against which the principal complaint
is made, and 1t is probable that the
committee will hire an extra clerk
20 work there and have Sidewalk
Clerk Forster assigned to look up de-
scriptions and produce the records for
the committees inspection.
Frederick T. Giles. the accountant
who was In charge Of the mayors In.
vestigation, will be invited to be pres
ent TO defend his report, but the COM
mittee will not pay him for this at
tendance.
The aldermen were at first inclined
to ask that the d. p. w. clerks be
instructed to hunt up the records and
present them at the hearings, but
Haarer baked.
"You gave the mayor $4,000 to In
yestigate me, and now you want me
to refute these incorrect statements, =
he said. THAT Is not fair. / do not
want my men to do 1t anyway. They
work hard and I cannot ask them to
work nights as we'll as days with no
extra pay.
1.-The presence OF the expert account
ants in my office set US back four
months in our annual report and we
are just getting the figures In order
for the next annual report The clerks
have had TO work nights to get out
one report, and will have to work
nights on the nxet-"
Just as a starter, Haarer read to
the committee number or items
which were contained In the Hawkins
report. In these the accountants had
claimed that the city laid walks and
got no pay from the property-owners.
Haarer showed where the city had
been repaid. Each item finished with
Payment checked by expert account
ant" and Hearers face would break
into smile as he pronounced "ex-
pert"
Before the ID. p. w. matter came up.
the committee had lively wrangle
over the question OF altering the city
specifications 30 as to allow the use
OF washed gravel instead Of crusle
stone In concrete. Aid. Allan Is going
to Grand Rapids next Tuesday and
did not desire to have any report made
on the matter, but Chairman Moeller
and others insisted on a favorable re-
Fort,
II will agree II you will allow for
enough inspectors to see that the
gravel ia really washed and clean"
said Allan.