The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-23
GRAFT AS A BUSINESS.


CRAFT AS A BUSINESS.
Disclosures which have followed Health Com
missioner smon's Investigations show that certain
subordinates in the City Hospital and Insane Asy-
lum and probably in other Institutions, have made
a regular business of grating. For years many OF
the salaried and sworn employees of the city have
profted at the expense of the municipality through
wellorganized conspiracies.
This form of grating is the most prevalent aud
the most debasing 1t is fairly profitable, but the
individual gain is relatively small, too many per-
sons share in the spoils The aggregate loss to the
city is large, however, owing TO the many opportu-
mites offered for secret transactions and to the num-
Der of persons implicated.
Though so many employees in the eleemosynary
institutions were receiving dividends for participant
ing in the conspiracies, and though other employees
received rewards for maintaining silence, the bust
ness Of graft in supplies defed discovery Thefe
has always been suspicion against certain employees
in the institutions and frequently specific charges
have been made. Moral conviction Of the practice
of graft has always existed but it has not been pos
sible to obtain evidence of conclusive character
1t would seem that the extent of the conspiracy
would cause exposure; but this has not been the
experience The conspiracy was strong, rather than
weak in practice from the number of conspirators
and the difficulty Of finding anybody willing to
testify.
With these weLknown facts in mind the impor-
lance of the work done under the direction OF Heath
Commissioner Simon, Special Officer Durney and AT
torney Golterman may be the better realized. 1t
only through tenacity and strict vigilance that
the inQuisition produced results
The evidence procured under the direction of the
Health Commissioner is furnished by former en-
t. 10 hn
sufficient to establish proof of guilt. Undoubtedly
it will cause reform in the institutions and effect
large economy for the city. 1t will be the end. SO
long as St Louis has good government, Of graft
from supplies purchased for city Institutions.
The first exposures brought to light systematized
grating in the City Hospital Employees in the
culinary department had derived profit month after
month for several years on meat and supplies Thou
sands Of dollars were made at the ctys expense by
men sworn to serve the city faithfully. The graft
ing was not originated by merchants operating by
contract with the city, but by the citys employees.
The latest exposures concern similar work in the
Insane Asylum. A former chief cook testifes that
he regularly received $35 month, in excess of his
salary from former chief clerk, and that other en-
ployes received shares of extra money every month
He testifes that grease was sold and the money d.
vided among employees in the kitchen, and that food
supplies were carried away by the cltys servants.
He testifes that supplies were given to other en-
ployes for their complaisance in Keeping still"
Health Commissioner Simon and his active as
sistans have done praiseworthy and effective work
in giving publicity to these graft conspiracies and
in submitting to the Grand Jury evidence which
may result in convictions. Grating in supplies and
petty grating Of various types among the most
perncious and damaging evils in the public service;
they are the more corruptng because they often
overlooked, and the more pernicious because they
are hard to expose thoroughly. 1t is to be hoped
that the evidence obtained will be sufficient to make
examples Of some of the eonsprators, so that the
reform now achieved viii endure in the future.