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Q.-Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-You don't know of any weak spot in the department which you could point out?
A.-I do not.
Q.-Nothing has been occurred to you?
A.-No; I have never had any bribe offered and I have never seen one offered.
Q.-Nothing to lead you to suppose any improvement could be made in the carrying on of the department. Have you anything to do with measuring?
A. Yes, I check the bills.
Q.-We are told it is a common practice for the Overseers to make out the bills?
A.-There is not an Overseer in my department who could make out a bill.
Q.-We are told they do make out bills and receive payment, I don't put it in the
way
of a bribe, but that they are paid for the work they do. Have you ever heard that?
A.-I have not. I measure all works. The Contractor is with me and he takes his
dimensions along with me.
Q. Do you take the measurement before the work is commenced or after it is
finished?
A. If there is an estimate I measure it before; if not, after it is finished.
Q. In a large Department such as this, in measuring work, and where the Officers deputed to measure the work are in a position to state the amount more or less, and the bill is paid on their certificate, is there not a great opportunity for bribery?
A. If there is, the man who measures the work does it at his own risk, because
Mr. PRICE or Mr. BOWDLER might depute some one to measure the work after you, and you run the risk of being found out.
Q. But you admit there is an opportunity?
A.-I don't know, because persons are aware that some one might measure
afterwards.
Q. And you know nothing about Overseers making out bills?
A.-There is no Overseer in my department who can make out bills.
Q.-The CHAIRMAN.-You never heard anyone say there was corruption in the department?
A.-Not anyone I could bring to mind personally, but I have seen it in the paper, and when you are going about the street you cannot help hearing what people say.
Q. Did you hear people say things in the street?
A.-During the time the trial was going on.
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