Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-09
GIVE FINDING IN
"FAVOR|T|SM" CASE
Commissioners Ex0nerate En-
gineer Department.
END LONG INVESTIGATION
Admit Evidence Shows q Case Of
Sporadic Dishonesty"
EFFORT TO ASCERTAIN FACTS
Messrs. Macfarland and West Sign
the Statement, Maj. Morrow
Not Voting.
END LONG INVESTIGATION
EFFORT TO ASCERTAIN FACTS

Completely exonerating the en-
gineer department of the District
of Columbia of the charges of
''favoritism," as alleged in the
original complaint made by P. ].
Brennan of the Brennan Con-
struction Company, and at the
same time admitting that the evil
dence showed "case of sporadic
dishonesty" i'll the acceptance of
gifts and loans by Charles Fern
aid, former assistant engineer of
highways. the Commissioners to-
day concluded their exhaustive in
vestigation of the business meth
DDS OF the engineer department
by announcement of their find
ing in the premises. The verdict
was signed by Commissioners
Macfarland and West, the engi-
neer Commissioner, Maj. Morrow,
having declined to vote.
| ne commissioners declare that they
| endeavoged to ascertain all the facts Of
| all the transactions which came to their
notice. and that they also tried to deter
mine whether there were any other trans
actions in any District department which
! ought to be Investigated or whether there
| were any other employees of the engineer
| or other departments who were suspected
| of wrongdoing. They summed up this
work by saying that the testimony show
ed that there was only one man who was
| shown to have taken money under any
| circumstances from contractors or others
dealing with the District of Columbia d.
| reetly or indirectly
"It was admitted they continued,
that this man. Mr.. Fernald. took 81 .000
as gift from John Wainwright. tr.. local
superintendent of the Drake and Strat
Company, and $500 as loan from, P. J.
| Brennan, president of the Brennan Con-
struction Company. which acts had been
| previously considered by the Commission
lers as-reasons enough to warrant them in
requesting his resignation"
| The Commissioners further call atten-
tlon to the fact that Fernalds bank ac-
count was swelled unaccountably by more
than $4,000 in the period of three and
one half years and that he declined to
| testify how this amount was secured.
Failure to Answer Subpoena.
Concerning the failure of Charles Nc
| Dermott Of the McMullen & McDermott
| Company to answer the subpoena OF the
| Commissioners. and the lack of proof for
the allegation that Fernald received
81. 800 from Mr.. McDermott. the report
stated that these matters were referred
| to the United States attorney for the Dis
| trict of Columbia Emphasis was placed
upon the point that there was no evil
dence of alleged corruption on the part
OF any other employe of the engineer
depart ment.
| In addition To stating positively that
| the investigation indicated nothing in the
| way of favoritisin the Commissioners re-
| fer to the opinion of the corporation coun-
sci. which tthey say Showed that the
different acts of the engineer department
| with respect TO the contracts which were
in question were legal and proper.
Only Necessary Work Ordered.
In summing up the evidence on the al
| legation of favoritisn the Commission
ers declare that the interests of the pub
lie were manfestly the prime considera-
ton: that the orders in question were
issued honestly, and that no work was
| ordered except work that ought to b..
done. Tie only point of criticism was
| the practice of the engineer department
in ordering work in advance and this.
the Commissioners say, they could not
approve as matter of administration.
| No advance orders will be given to con-
| tractors in the future. and, with the con-
sent of the contractor or contractors af-
! fected uneNecuted orders amounting to
$4,000 for work which could not be
done in the fiscal year 1908 will be can
celed.
| In conclusion the Commissioners state
the belief that it does not behoove the
municipal corporation to follow the prac-
tice of private corpora tions in taking in
| formal action in letting work, even
| though it probably would result in saving
both time and money.
Text of the Finding.
The complete finding follows:
| In the record of the investigation,
which fills $50 typewriter pages,
| charges more or less definite. including
many vague statements. appear. some OF
| which We're made known more or less
| clearly to the Commissioners before the
| formal investigation was ordered and
others disclosed in the course of it. Those
which were made known to the Engineer
| Commissioner before the formal hearing
was appointcd by the Board Of Commits.
| sioners to investigate the whole matter
were investigated by him But the COM
! misSioners did not contine their eNamna-
| ton To the lines that had been followed
by the Engineer Commissioner. nor to the
| lorinal charges made by the Brennan
! Construct ion Company and the Beal Con-
struction Company. but endeaVored TO
get at all the facts of all the transactions
| that came TO their notice. They also ell
! deayored TO learn whether outside of those
| transactions and the persons taking part
| in them there We're other transactions or
aoy District department which ought to
| be investigated other employees or Tile
| engineer or other departments who were
suspected of wrongdoing. In other words.
| the commissioners made the investigation
as broad and as thorough possible and
! without regard to technical rules of evil
deuce.
/ THE charges made. formal and infor-
| NAL fall into two classes. First. that
| there was corruption or graft on the
part of employees of the engineer depart
| p,ant. second that there was favoritism
| I'm dealing with contracts IN the engineer
department AS to the first class o1
| charges the testimony shows that only
| one employe of the engineer department.
was seriously accused by anybody. and
| that he was the only one who was SHOWN
| to have taken money under any ciroum-
| stances from contractors or others DEAL
| ing with the District Of Columbia. directly
| or indirectly. II Is admitted that the man
| In question, Mr. Fernald, took $l.00O -