Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-15
BOWMAN COMPL LA|RS
OF HIS DISCHARGE
Young Man Makes Accusations
Against Gas Co. Official, Which
Latter Denies.

At last night meeting Of C,lty Council
Councilman Ncarns asked consideration
for a communication which he presented
from Il Leslie Bowman, III which the
latter rccItcd the circumstances connected
with Ills summary discharge from 4 clerk
ship IN the offices Of the " NiImington Gas
q a. because. as he seemed ~ infer, Of his
ahscntlng himself without notice or per
mission on Monday last Peace pay,
alleging he fact that he MAS celebrating
and charging that hs superior, J.. A.
Fisher who fired hm thereby showed
himself to bc unpatriotic
Councilman McarnS thcrcupon. speak
ing in behalf of the complainant. lndulged
in scathing tchukc Alr MrarnS speech
called forth un>tiutcd praise from some of
thes eakcr : felIow-mcInhcrS and Council
promptly voted to receive the com
uIunication and refer il 10 the committee
of the whole
COMPANY ; STATEMENT.
When the Bowman letter and the
structures in City Council which followed
its presentation IL that body were called
~ the attention If the o'hcers Of the
Wilmington Gas 90, this morning they
said
Neither of the men referred to was dis
charged because al his desire 10 celebrate
Peace Dav on last Monday The truth
Is that ncit her IF them h3d hc courtesy
10 report for duty 10 ascertain Whct her
or not i would be agreeable 70 the com
pany for him To take the day ntf In
proof of thc falsItv Of the lmputation
that The company objected to its en-
ploves having that day of Il i only nece~-
SIrt point 70 the fact that eyers crnplove
OF the company who desired 70 take the
day of and who communicated tnat de
sire 10 the company WIS permitted TO
experience that pleasure Further than
that TO make 1t possible for rs employees
who desired 70 take the day OF 10 DO 50
the company even went to the extreme
of changing il discount dav which fell
on Peace Day 10 the following day. II
Bowman and his complaining associate
had shown 10 the company the courtesy
Of reporting for duty that morning they
would have enjoyed the same privilege
that was accorded to all other employees
who mad sufficient regard for Their terms
OF employment IL report FOR duty Il
was not By any means the first tune that
the two men had shown disregard for tho
terms Of their employment or for the
interest of he COMPANY il merely
which could not have been permitted to
continue no matter whether peace had
come or had been dclayed.s
The matter OF salary for the two weeks
is not in the dispute the amount being
PAYABLE at the end OF that period
There * i misunderstanding regarding
the closing Of the COMPANY office Mon
day was the discount day carried over
from Saturday. and Mr. Fisher, IN charge
OF that department, had no discretion
in the matter Of extending the discount
PERIOD without the sanction oi the officials,
IN Justice to the consumers.
When submitted 70 them the oiflc ais
promptly authorized Mr. Fisher to post
lYonc the discount dav until 'Tuesday
md orders were issued 10 close ,hc Office
wnich was accomplished before ,cn 0 cioci.
Sir Fisher hi self going with The crowd
and taking part IL the celebration