The San Francisco call., 1906-12-20
Louis Levy Uses City Office
As Means Of Private Gain
Secretary of Board
of Works Admits
WTongdoing

AT1f be q millionaire In three years.
yes, I'm less time than that" was the
boast made by Louis Levy, secretary OF
the Board of Works, to his friends just
after the April disaster. From the way
money-gathering career, he should be
able TO lend to j. p. Morgan before the
flowers begin to bloom In the springs
that is, of course, If the Grand Jury
doesn't Interfere. The name OF Levy
has possessed certain magic qualities
since schmitz has been I'm the saddle
1t didn't matter whether 1t was Morris
or Louis as long as IL was Levy
The scheme OF financial advancement
devised by Louis Levy involved the
use OF the Office he holds by grace of
the administration. but from the be-
ginning Of things 1t has been an admin
istration maxim that It's poor job
that won't find another on the side.
Levy seems to have secured a good job
LEVY PUBLISHES A BOOK
In short, the thrifty Louis has pub
lished book which has netted him
few thousand dollars. Now Louis Is
not an author like George Bernard
Shaw and Henry James. but. neverthe-
less, he knows a good thing when he
sees it. The book proposition looked
good TO the embryo millionaire. Levy
took the building ordinance adopted
after the fire, solicited in the name OF
the Board of Works large number of
advertisements from firms that found
it advantageous TO keep the good will
OF the board. had the matter badly
printed on very poor paper. bound IL
within ornamental covers. inscribed in
gilt letters. Compliments OF Louis
Works" and distributed copies among
those concerns that had paid fat sums
for their advertisements.
Now all this may be perfectly proper
from the viewpoint OF Louis Levy. for
Levy is a young man and he must make
a million or more and he has but three
years in which 10 do IT, 1t is not posi-
lively known. however. that Levy will
be elected sole Judge of his own acts
THREE IN THE SCHEME
Just after the revised building laws
were passed on by the Board of Public
Works and the Supervisors. a publish
ing firm. engaged in the work for
years, reprinted the new ordinances.
codif1ed. indexed and separated. and So
liicted advertisements for the publ
cation in private. Legitimate way.
A. Wheeler. a solicitor OF advertise
ments saw an opportunity TO make
money through an oversight OF the
printing frm. and, associating with
him j. H. Suits. also an advertising So
licitor, appeared before the Board of
Public Works to secure it's authorize
tion of the book
1t was here that Levy got In his fine
work. without consulting those 'high-
er up,- as Ii Il not recorded that the
Works Board knew of the plan, Levy
granted the use of the boards name
and ON the ny leaf of the book ap-
peared the following wordss
sThe Building Law of the City and
County of San Francisco for 1906. This
book Is fled for dixfrfbution FROM the
Board of Public Works, Louis Levy,
secretary.'
The book contains a copy Of the
building laws taken bodily from the
columns of the official newspaper. In
correctly indexed and with no attempt
to correct many errors in the printing
of the ordinances. AS an instance of
its incorrectness the firm of " Clark
& Co. has a paper covered copy in
which the corrections are pasted over
the original matter like postage stamps
| in an album
But the advertisements, big and lit
tie, are plastered over the lis pages
from cover to cover. The first edition
brought about $1,000 This amount was
increased by second or supplemental
edition containing corrections.
DIRECT METHOD USED
The method pursued by Levy and his
partners was simple. Letters were
xiven to solicitors purporting to come
from the Board of Public Works rec
ommending that advertisements be in
serted. Armed with these credentials
the solicitors approached the firms
with typewritten form OF contract
do0resSe0 10 LOUIS Lo.9F SECRETARY "a
| the Board of Public Works.
| After the publication of the book
wheeler. one OF the Arm. called upon
| the Van zand Elevator Company, one
of the concerns that advertised. and
demanded payment A check was finally
issued. dated July 25. payable to Louis
Levy and signed by officers OF the
firm. The back of the check was in
dorsed by Levy and Suits. A receipt.
dated July is and signed Louis Levy.
per A. Wheeler was given