Great Falls tribune., 1921-10-09
BOILER INSPECTOR
OUT UNDER CLOUD;
EXPENSES DOUBTED
Richard Moran Can't Explain
Auto Charges Nor Juggle
of Working Record.

Helena, Oct. 8-Richard Moran, who
has been in the employ of the state
for the past II years in the capacity of
state boiler inspector, will retire from
that service on October 15 under an
order of dismissal adopted Saturday by
the state industrial accident board,
composed of Chairman jerome G.
ter and Secretary of Agriculture Ches-
ter G. Davis.
The order. which was in the form
Of q resolution, moved by Mr.. Porter
at the close Of hearing which was
IN progress for about an hour and a
half. reads:
Whereas, the industrial accident
board has made thorough investiga-
tIon of the past conduct, expense ac-
counts and transactions had by Richard
Moran. state boiler inspector, and.
Whereas. the industrial accident
board is fully satisfied after such in
vestigation that the good of the depart
ment and the efficiency of the service
rendered thereby will be improved by
the dismissal of Mr.. Moran. therefore.
be it
Resolved, that the services of Mr..
Moran be terminated after October H."
Memory at Fault on Charges.
The resolution was adopted by unan-
imOus vote.
At the hearing, with Mr. Moran pres
ent, number Of matters which had
been under investigation by Chairman
Locke. were gone into, these pertain
ing largely to expense accounts and also
to complaints made by owners Of boil
ers which had been inspected by Mr..
Moran.
One item Of expense was goine into
thoroughly, this releating to voucher
for $126, signed by w. G. Wachter Of
Medicine Lake, for four days automo-
bile hire. a letter signed by Mr. Wach-
ter. explaining the charge, was pre-
sented by MIR. Locke, who showed by
the water mark that it was written on
paper used llly in the state capitol.
MIR. Moras readily admitted that he
had dictated the letter to former Clerk
Kennedy of the state boiler depart
ment. and that he had sent it to Mr..
Wachter for his signature. He, how
ever. insisted that the charge was cor
re0t.
Can't Find People "Paid."
Three vouchers for automobile hire,
one for Kalispell, one for Columbia
Falls and one for Nlissoula. aggre-
eating $12O and bearing signatures
purporting to be those of three diff
ferent persons. but which the board
held had all been signed by one per-
son, were presented to Mr.. Moran for
his explanation. Mr.. Locke stated
that search had failed to reveal the
existence Of the parties whose names
appeared on the kalispell and Colum-
bla Falls vouchers. although there
was party in Missoula Of the same
name rs that appearing on the Mis-
soula voucher but he had been un-
able to get in touch with him.
slr. Moran said he could not recall
any one Of the three. but insisted he
had occasion to hire so many persons
in his travels that he could not know
them all. He suggested that this
amount be deducted from his expense
account. which had already been done,
and that the vouchers be thrown into
the waste paper basket.
Bondy Credit Assumed.
Mr.. Moran made a general defense
to all lines Of attack and claimed he
was inspecting the great proportion of
boilers in the state at lower cost
per inspection than any other in
spector, which led Chairman Locke to
produce a report which had been pre-
pared some time before. showing
numbers and costs of inspections dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 80,
1921. He then informed Mr. Moran
that the report credited James H.
Bondy with the inspection of but e.,
boilers. whereas. an investigation Of
inspection slips showed Mr.. Bondy had
inspected 2O5 boilers in that portion
Of the year he had been employed and
he charged that the figures had been
juggled so as to give Mr. Moran
credit for the number of boilers which |
had been filched from Mr. Bondy's |
total. Moran denied that he had pre-
pared this report. but said it had been
prepared at time when the board !
was questioning his heavy expense ac-
count and he had exhibited it TO show |
that the extent of his work justified |
the expense.
No steps were taken by the board to |
name successor to Mr.. Moran. but |
it did adopt a resolution formally ap-
pointing Thomas Griffin, of Helena. as |
state coal mine inspector, to serve at |
the pleasure of the board Mr.. Griffin
has been in the service Of the board
since August. 1918.