New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
ANOTHER CITY SCANDAL
JEROME TO INVESTIGATE.
Grating in Bronr Bureau of assess
ments, Says Controller.

Controller Metz yesterday laid before the Dis
trict Attorneys office the details OF grating
system which apparently has been carried on
successfully for year two In the Bureau Of
Assessments and Arrears in the Borough of The
Bronx Assistant District Attorney Tinker has
been assigned 10 the case, and indictments are
looked for I'm few days
AS a result of the Controllers Investigations
Hugh McManaman, a clerk In the bureau. has
rendered his resignation. 1t has not been accept
ed. Messengers who have called at McMana-
mans home address have failed to find him.
The Controller thinks he has gone out of town. to
remain indefinitely.
When taxes on real estate for any reason are
not paid on time they sent 10 the Bureau of
Arrears. where they entered UP in triprcate
by the clerks and a regular account made of
them. with interest charge also entered
against the account for non-payment of the bill.
few days ago a who purchased piece
Of property in The Bronx got a notice from
The Tax Bureau saying that there was an arrears
charge against his lot. He visited the Tax De-
partment and told the officials that title guar
antee company had examined the title to the
parcel he had bought and had reported that all
claims against it had been satisfied. The COM
plant from the citizen led to an investigation
by the Controller. He says he found that the
records in the arrears bureau had been doc
tored.' He discovered that in hundreds of in
stances there had been false entries the tax
books purporting to show that the arrears had
been paid. while as a matter of fact they had not
been paid. he says. These entries apparently
had been made by persons who had access TO the
books 10 facilitate the transfer OF the parcels.
After they had been made they erased,
leaving the various parcels charged with the ar
rears as before. AS there is enormous
amount of real estate business in The Bronx.
he oIIIlt IN ara a q IN
tax books. were doubtless able to make lot of
money from agents who were willing to pay
part of the arrears for the sake of getting a
right to transfer the titles.
\ second clerk has failed to report at the
bureau for three days. He has been suspended
for being absent without leave
John ]. Donovan. head of the bureau in The
Bronx is assisting the Controller in his investi-
CATION. Mr.. Donovan Friday and yesterday
had all the clerks before him. asking them ques-
tions
TT simply means said Controller Metz yester-
day, that certain young gentlemen are not sat
isfed to work for their salaries, and that they
are grating. stealing. by fasifying the rec
ords III the Bronx Office. 1 don't know how ex-
tensive IT is. I do know, however that as soon
as we discovered what going stopped
II in a hurry. I much annoyed at the spirit
shown by some of the clerks in The Bronx office.
They seem to want TO hide the offence of their
comrade. When asked about him or mis- habits
they show surprising lack of knowledge.
have turned the matter over to the District At
torney because it strikes that some one
ought to go to Jail Nearly every clerk in the
bureau is a travelling title insurance company
1t is said that the clerks in the Bronx office
were in the habit of going to the Office at night
and doing a lot of work for title companies.
Their excuse was that they were behind with
their work