160 FIEST COUNTY PAEK SYSTEM 



better results, and agreed to the time-and-trial extension 

 proposition. Mnnn's answer to my question, as quoted, to- 

 gether with the arguments on his behalf, inspired that hope. 



THE COUNSEL RETAINED. 



As it was now agreed to give Counsel Munn the oppor- 

 tunity of redeeming his promise for proper service. Com- 

 missioner Murphy promptly offered the following resolu- 

 tion: ^^That the counsel's salary, from October 15, be 

 $3,000, it being understood that, in view of the increased 

 compensation, the counsel shall give additional time to the 

 work which has now become necessary,." After further 

 discussion, in effect, that if he did not thereafter adequately 

 attend to his duties he should be dismissed, the motion was 

 agreed to, and Mr. Munn was thus retained in that respon- 

 sible and, at that time, most important position. Did he 

 fulfil his new obligation? Never, to my knowledge, with 

 the exception of a slight temporary improvement for a few 

 weeks immediately after the described incident, and tem- 

 porar}^, spasmodic efforts on exceptional occasions since. 

 Nor was he dismissed until more than seven years after- 

 ward, when he had drawn from the taxpayers more than 

 $20,000 in salary, and his negligence had caused losses to 

 the commission difficult to estimate. 



The incident in then retaining Counsel Munn, as detailed 

 above, cannot in a few words be more forcibly or accurately 

 expressed than in the humorous comment of one thoroughly 

 conversant with the circumstances then and since, who has 

 repeatedly said to me in referring to that incident : "You 

 agreed to discharge Munn for cause, then turned immedi- 

 ately around and hired him over again at an increased 

 salary.'^ 



INATTENTION TO DUTIES. 



But the efforts to secure another counsel who would prop- 

 erly attend to the duties of the office did not rest here. 

 When in April, 1897, George W. Bramhall succeeded me as 

 commissioner, the affairs in the legal department were 



