The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-10
THE WEEKS TALK
IN NEW YORK CITY
Amazing System of Graftin the
School Board
MILLIONS GONE TO WASTE
Cost of Manufacture of Gas-whltes
Resent invasion of Neeroes-A
Murder Story Worthy
of Poe.
MILLIONS GONE TO WASTE
BY sEWELL HAeeARp.

New York, February 9.-As fast as the
authorities complete a housecleaning IN
one department Of New York City, or state
government graft breaks out somewhere
else. The graft citys latest scandal in
wolves the board of education, which, 1t
Is charged, has wasted millions of dol
lars by loose and Illegal methods. res
olution is now pending in the legislature
for a state investigation Of the depart
ment, the district attorney has begun an
inquiry and Comptroller Metz is doing
some probing on behalf of the city.
1t is charged that system of graft,
worse than any since the Tweed days,
exists In the department of education
The bulk of the grating at the clty's
expense has grown out of the condemna'
ton proceedings to procure sites for new
schools. The scheme has been to have
commissioners in condemnation proceed
ings award abnormally high prices for
sites for schools, parks, etc. The comp
troller is now gathering facts looking
toward a criminal prosecution. Women
dummies. he says, are used by the graft
ing ring to buy land wanted by the city
at low prices and held with the expecta-
tion that the commissioners will award
a much higher price for the land
Within the last year Sl5,000,000 has been
awarded by condemnation commissions
for property acquired by the city, and
in some cases the comptroller has found
that the price awarded has been as much
as so per cent more than the property
is worth today. How much of the big to-
tai is graft" Mr.. Metz has not yet fig
ured out, but he declares that the per.
eentage Is high enough to make an enor-
nous total in the graft" column.
The real estate operators and public
officials who have been robbing the city
work on the simplest of get-rieh-quick
methods, and whenever it becomes known
that the city wants a specific piece of
property, those on the inside have a
dummy, either a woman or a clerk
purchase the property and demand such
a high price that the comptroller refuses
to pay it, and condemnation proceedings
are then begun, with the result that In
the long run he is forced to pay much
higher price.
The comptroller's attention is called to
one case where the board of education
had bought a Brooklyn school site at
about $4,000 more than 1t was worth.
This was for a piece of property which
the city bought for $4,000 with an addi-
tional $500 for expenses, although within
the last few days the comptroller him
self has made an affidavit that 1t is not
worth more than $4,000 1t was assessed
for $11, 900.
Their award was $4,000 which was con-
firmed by supreme court judge. Dis
missing the matter comptroller Metz said.
"Of course everybody knows there is
graft In acquiring school sites or any
other kind of sites that the city wants
and there always will be, so long as the
supreme court justices are allowed to
appoint their personal friends as con-
demnation commissioners. In every case
where these commissioners are appointed
the city has to pay anywhere from % to
100 per eept more for the property"