New-York tribune., 1908-07-04
ITALIANS CRY GRAFT
COLONY SPLIT IN HALF.
Charges Il Agoinst Labor Bureau Sub
sidized bY Government.

| been made against the Labor Information Office
| for Italians, at No. So Lafayette street. The
| institution, although Incorporated under the
| laws of New York, is recognized as being semi
| official, it established under a law
| promulgated in Rome and derives its revenues
| largely from the italian government. in the
| form of subsidy amounting to $4,000 year.
| The functions of this bureau according to
| its papers of Incorporation. among others are
| to help the Italian immigrants to employment
| and to dffuse information regarding labor con-
| ditions. II the purpose of the Italian gov
| ernment and of the organizers that this aid
| should be rendered without cost to the immi-
grants. On the letterhead of the bureau appear
| the words Free Employment and Information
| Office" One of the charges made against the
| bureau is that persons seeking work there have
| paid 81 with their application and that in
| era1 instances the jobs not only not OBJ
| tanned but that the persons who paid were
unable to get their money back
The further charge is made that person con-
| nected with the bureau has traffcked in con-
| sular steamship tickets issued by the Italian
| Consul General in this city through the infor-
| nation bureau to poor. aged sick Italians
| who pay at the rate of 10 cents day for the
passage. Some immigrants, it is said. have
| paid as high SIS and SIS for the tickets
| which should have cost about Sc.
The charges against the bureau are many
| and they have divided the local colony into two
camps, even to the newspapers. From both ele-
| ments have emanated charges of threats of
violence The charges being made the sub
ject of memorial to the Italian Parliament
asking for official investigation.
LIBEL ACTION MAY RESULT.
AS a result of the controversy judicial pro-
ceedings have been brought in this city by Dr.
of he
labor informa ton office. against two Italian
newspaper propretors to ascertain whether he
has grounds for criminal action. The newspa per
proprietors are Giovanni Vicario, Of 'L'Araldo
Italiano" and Felice Tocci. OF LEO di Italia"
who is also a banker, at No SO Park street
There a hearing yesterday before Mags
trate Walsh. in the Criminal Courts Building
Several night hearings in the case have been
held before the same magistrate in the Jeffer
son Market Court. James w. Osborne appears
in the proceedings counsel for the manager
of the labor information Office and Fulton Nc
Mahon for the newspapermen and banker.
The case adjourned after Sican wit
ness had testified that some time in last April
he paid money for employment to an attache Of
the labor office, but that he never obtained the
job he sought He a voluntary witness.
having come into the courtroom and offered his
testimony. which he gave on the stand without
having even consulted with the attorney for the
defence. Another witness had testified to pay
ing money under similar circumstances to an
employe of the labor bureau, named Pettruzelli.
and had insisted that DR.. d Palma, the man
ager, was present when he paid the money.
BLAMES PRIVATE BANKS
There is another phase of the which
might have been partly responsible for the pres
ent conflict of interests DR.. di Palma says 1t
has been. It is that the labor office has de-
prved the private Italian bankers of much of
their business by recommending all immigrants
with money to send it to Italy to the Italian
Savings Bank or to the local branch Of the Bank
Of Naples The bankers resent not only the
nresence of the latter institution, which they
assert is not paying taxes, but the activity OF
the labor office in aiding it in its business to
their detrment. DR.. di Palma said that his
bureau did this in the interest OF the immt-
grants to protect them from irresponsible prt-
vate bankers.
II came out however, in the examination Of
Dr. di Palma before Magistrate Walsh that not
so long ago one of the clerks of his bureau.
Paeanelu by name absconded with S175 left in
his care by immigrants. Dr. di Palma said that
he personally assumed the responsibility lot thls
loss and was paying 1t back
! The banking phase Of the agitation mas
brought the Postoffice Department into the af-
fair DR. dI Palma wrote to the Postmaster
General declaring that the presence of sub-sta-
| tions in the private italian banks was mlslead-
| ing to the immigrants. Some of these suo-sta-
| tions have been removed, but the one in Mr..
| Tocci's bank remains.
Al fhe examinations before the magistrate
much time was consumed on the technicaltles
of the translations of the alleged lbellous arti-
| c1es Mr.. McMahon trying to prove that If there
ht,raa nd
AGAINST the manager of it On this account
| there has been time to examine only two OF the
| material witnesses by whom the defence hopes
| m show justification There we're. however.
more than fifteen witnesses ready to testify as
| IN their relations with the labor bureau
MANAGER USED TO BE SOCIALIST.
Dr. di Palma said the stand that he was
graduated from the universities of Turin and
| c.noe and that he was formerly editor of PRO
| Italia" socialist paper. in New York But he
cold he was no longer socialist. He never re-
| ceived anv money from immigrants. he de-
c1ared DR. di Palma testified that the italian
! government formerly gave the bureau SUD
! sidv of $4,000 a year. but that 1t had been cut
| to $4,000.
| The hoard of directors, Dr. di Palma said.
| consisted of A Augustus Healy, vice-president
of the United States Leather Company. presl-
dent; J. Tuoti, ]. Gerll, q Alr1'ohe ana T. H'
Fabbri Giovanni P. Morosini was one of the
| corporators of the bureau. Dr. di Palma re-
| ceives 5000 a month as manager He said ne
knew that Pettruzelli. the employe against
whom accusation was made yesterday mad peen
nupisbed in Italy for offences against the law
Including abduction, but they were. In MS
opinion, of only trivial character
Mr. Mcmahon asked the witness about d
coterie of official and quasi-oficial representa-
t,ves Of the italian government, including the