The New York herald., 1874-07-20
The Department Of Charities and
CorrectiOn-A Few Words TO the
District Attorney.

any other than whitewashing report In reia-
ton to the management of the Department of
Charities and Correction. The Indifference
of the Mayor to the interests Of the citizens
when the interests of his personal friends are
at stake has been so frequently displayed that
the result in this case was anticipated. Mr..
Meyer Stern stands in the same relation to the
Mayor in tie tainted department as Mr. Char
lick stood in the Police Commission The
Mayors son supplies teas, &C., and the Mayors
son-in-law supplies butter for all the institu-
tions under charge of Mr.. Stern and his asso-
ciates. What wonder, then, that the Mayor
should feel convinced that ''the administra-
ton OF the affairs of the Department of Public
Charities and Correction is in the best
hands; that it is conducted honestly, con-
scientiously and in the interests of the
public" and that he should 'repose
the highest confidence in the gentlemen
composing the Board?" 1t would be idle to
criticise the pretended investigation" and to
expose the falsehoods and evasions in the
report, for the Mayor in his stolidity is as in
different to criticism as he is insensible to
shame. But we hope to convince Mr.. Will
liam A. Booth and Mr. Howard Potter, who,
less wise than Mr.. Sturgis, have given a sort
Of half way Endorsement to the scandalous
attempt to cover up gross acts of Official NAL
feasance, that they have done something of
which, as respectable citizens, they should be
heartily ashamed.
Our business now is with the District At
torney and the Grand Jury. Mr.. Havemeyer
states that the terms OF the presentment of the
Grand Jury against the practices of the Com
missioners Of Charities and Correction were
$50 vague that the District Attorney did not
find it expedient to take any action thereon"
We remember how earnestly the pub
lication of the presentment of the
Grand Jury and the testimony on
which it was based was opposed in the Dis
trict Attorneys Office. A copy was fortunately
procured by the HERALD, Notwithstanding the
efforts to suppress it's publication. But for
this the story of its ''vagueness' might pass
current, and the assertion of the Mayor that
the presentment was based solely on the
charge Of dismissed subordinate might be
accepted as the truth. We now desire to call
the attention of our citizens, and especially of
the District Attorney and the Grand Jury, to
the evidence thus falsifed by the Mayor.
Mr.. Bowen, one Of the Commissioners Of
Charities and Correction, testified that imme-
diately after the present Commissioners took
Office he found the acquisitions for dry goods
marked as referred to Mr. Stern" He dis
covered that Mr.. Stern was purchasing or
causing to be purchased these dry goods in
conflict with the rules of the Board, which re-
quired the purchasing to be done by the pur-
chasing agent He found that the goods
were purchased of relative Of Mr.. Stern and
that they were charged TO the city above the
market price. He told his associates that
Sternbach was raising his goods twenty per
cent over the price they originally cost and
eventually refused to certify to any more of
such bills
| Mr.. James B. Shaw testified that he had
been employed in the Auditors Bureau in the
Comptrollers Office Lewis Sternbach's bills
for dry goods to the amount of So, 847 were
examined by him. In conformity with his
duty he procured samples Of the goods as de-
livered, inquired into the value of similar
CLOTH found the charges to be exorbitant
and refused to pass the bill. The goods
charged forty-fve cents yard could be pur-
chased in the market at thirty five cents He
reported the facts to the Auditor and was told
to let the matter lie over. Subsequently he
was transferred to another bureau, and the
exorbitant bills were then paid by the Comp
troller.
Mr.. G. n. Wheeler, of the firm of Mcintosh,
Green Co., testified that Lewis Sternbach
purchased Of them for 50, 932 the same goods
he transferred to the city for $3,847. Stern
bach represented that he was buying the goods
for the California trade The cloth which
Sternbach sold to his relative, Stern for the
city at forty-6ve cents yard, cost thrty-fve
cents, and was never sold by them higher than
thirty seven and a half cents yard. Jobbers
would not sell it at retail for more than thirty
seven and a half cents per yard.
William P. Lampson the discharged pur-
chasing agent only testified that the Melton
purchased by Sternbach at thirty-fve cents
was transferred by him to the Department of
Charities and Correction at forty five cents
yard, and that Sternbach is relative of Com
missioner Stern The rest of his testimony
related only to his own discharge and had
nothing to do with the case.
Now, we ask District Attorney Phelps what
there Is ''vague' about this testimony? We
ask him if the names of Stern and Sternbach
had been changed to Tweed and Ingersoll
whether he would have regarded the transac-
ton as too insignificant to require further
proceedings? There is certain law known
as the City Charter Of 1873, which requires
that bids shall be invited for sn supplies
purchased by department to an
amount exceeding one thousand dollars,
and makes it misdemeanor to violate
that provision. Did it never occur to the