New-York tribune., 1902-05-16
QUEER BIDS UNDER KELLER
SAYLES. zAHN COMPANY GOT CONTRACT
BY BALANCING"
ACCOUNTS COMMISSIONERS SAY EX-COM-
MISSIONER IS RESPONSIBLE CIvILLY
FOR LOSS THROUGH ALDEN
TIIEFT.

A flood Of light was thrown the workings OF
the Charities Department under Commissioner John
w. Keller in the last administration by report IS
made to Mayor Low by the Commissioners of Ac-
counts Yesterday The commissioners say that in
their opinion ex-CommissiOner Keller is civilly re-
sponsibe for the loss of city funds to the amount
$15576 49, through the defalcation of c. A Alden
assistant treasurer of the Charities Department
The subject has been turned over to the Corpora
tion Counsel with a request for an opinion as to
the proprety of beginning action against Mr.
Keller a Tammany Hall sachem.
The meat contracts for city hospitals are also
ventilated. and for the first time the public can
judge of the true reasons for the success of the
Sayles. Zahn Company. a Tammany concern, in
beating its rivals for the meat contracts
The new thing about the Alden embezzlement IS
the finding by the Commissioners of Accounts that
if Alden had not five different times in 1901 de-
posted checks drawn by Commissioner Keller
against money in the Astor Place Bank, deposited
the credit of John w. Keller, trustees of q
court fund raised in 1899 for the sufferers from the
blizzard of that year Aldens peculatlons would
have been discovered and he would have been placed
under arrest These checks, drawn by Mr. Keller for
small amounts were. according TO Mr. Keller
statement to the commissioners. raised by Alden in
order to command enough money to cover up his
embezzIements If the checks had been checked
up against the fund any time in the period
in which Alden tampered with them, the raising of
the checks would have been detected. on this point
the commissioners say:
Alden was lOrmallN appointed 10 MS position As
acting treasurer and acting trustee Of the court
fund by John W; Keller Commissioners of the De
partment of Public Charities. but we have eX-
thority in law; that it did not relieve Mr.. Keller
from the liability Of accounting 20 the city for all
funds coming to his department and That he is
legally responsible to make good the amount OF the
defalcaton.
'Touchin' on a. appertann' to- the meat con-
tract. the report of the commissioners says in
part:
Proposals were invited for the supply Of meat
for 1901 and estimated quantities of each of nine
BY enormously overstating the probable CON
sumption of some kinds and understanding the prob
for the contractor to bid such prices as, com
putcd the estimated quantities. would make him
appear TO be the lowest bidder. while applying the
bid prices 10 the quantities actually used produced
a different result
The little joker is dsceruible I'm the first item of
pounds Of beef chucks advertised for. Commls-
sioner Kellers advertisement said that the bidders
were to bid on 10000 pounds. The amount actu-
ally used was only Slf.i90 pounds. The Armour
Company bid this item was $1,000 No doubt
the innocent Chicago concern assumed that that
amount actually would he used. Sayl"s, Zahn q
CO. seemed TO have "A better knowledge of TN"
actual needs Of the department for Il bid 5000
for the same item. AN apparent saving 10 the city
of S26Oo0 But only half much meat of this
kind was used advertised for. Comms-
Keller's requsition for beef diet. was
10000 pounds for which the Armour company put
In bid Of 10 cents Sayl"-. /ahn \ Co, Hppar-
entity. knew something about the consumption OF
beef extra diet I'm the county buildings. Tor II
put In bid OF lG cents for the sam" KIND oi meat
Instead Of only % pounds being used. the dee
partment consumed 1898 pounds. ana StNI'~.
Zahn & Co. which got six cents pound more
received s. SIS 3S more than The Armour company
would have charged.