The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-17

The widespread crookedness prevailing
IN the New York custom-house IS shown
By an official statement issued By thu
United States Civil Service Commission
yesterday.
IN this statement the commission says
that il has been informed by the Office
OF the collector OF customs in New York
that twenty-five assistant weighers are
known TO be implicated IN the frauds, or
are under suspicion OF positive char
acter." The statement applied TO the
sugar frauds only. This is more than
II per cent Of the total number Of as
sistant weighers employed in the New
York custom-house-
The statement made By the commission
was brought forth by the allegations that
the sugar trust had had a hand in the
selection OF assistant weighers at the New
York custom-house, who were appointed
after examination under the civil service
rules, and who are protected by those
rules. Nothing is said IN the commits
s!on's statement about employees no: pro-
tected by the civil service who are known
70 be implicated or suspected OF CON-
plicity in the bribery and corruption that
has been going on there. 1t IS apparent
that when the whole truth becomes
known as 70 the number Of employees
Of the New York custom-hOuse who are
concerned in the dishonesty there in
connection with inportations. the country
will be startled by the widespread ex-
tent OF the conspiracy to defraud tha
government.
Congregational Inquiry Assured.
That Congress will make inquiry into
the charges against the sugar trust now
appears 20 be assured. Two Republican
members OF the House OF Representatives
/ declared an investigation could not be
avoided. and a Republican Senator, who
did not wish to be quoted in the matter.
expressed an opinion along the same line.
Such an investigation necessarily win
include probing into the rottenness IN
the New York custom-house. Aocusa-
tons involving government employees at
the port Of New York cannot be ignored
by any Congressional committee OF in
vestiga1ion- such an inquiry would taka
into account the manner Of the appoint-
ment OF employees who turned out TO be
dishonest. and doubtless would be fol-
lowed by recommendations looking to an
Improvement of the system governing
the selection OF officials
One of the Republican Representatives
who believes there viii be an investiga-
ton by Congress is Michael z. DrisCOll. !
Of Syracuse.
Il do not see how an investigation
viii be avoided" said AIr. DrlscoH. =
Some one VIII Introduce a resolution. ,
and Il viii not be opposed. II VIII gOi
through. Of course"
julius Kahn. Republican Representative
OF California, said. Tt IS a serious mat
ter, the debauching OF government officers.
and employees. II II Is found that the
employees. the matter should be fnvesti-
gated by Congress"
Trust Gets Everything.
According TO the Senator mentioned. the
sugar trust has been getting everything.
It wanted from Congress for the past
fifteen or twenty years. Even when we
thought we were helping Cuba. we were
helping the sugar trust" he said In
the Cuban reciprocity treaty. when We
made the concession TO Cuban sugar. the
American consumer got nothing in the
way Of reduced prices. the Cuban plant
er got nothing, and the net result OF the
whole business was a loss 70 the gov
ernment Of S1oOO0O0O a year in revenue
There is bound to be an investigation
by Congress"
No information can be obtained az tho
Treasury Department as to when tho
cleaning up Of the New York CUSTOM
house is 20 be begun.
Up 10 the time the Civil Service Com
mission issued its official statement last
evening, al that the public knew from
official sources as 70 the extent OF the
corruption at the New York custom
house was that three assistant weighers
had confessed that they had accepted
bribes TO underWeiCh impO-tations- These
three assistant weighers were not IN
volved by their confessions in the frauds
perpetrated by the sugar trust. Now
comes the startling official information
that twenty-five assistant weighers are
known TO be implicated or are under
suspicion of a positive character in con-
nection with sugar frauds alone
Secretary Of the Treasury NacVeaCh
said yesterday that his intention was not
only to reorganize but to renabiliate the
New York custom-house. He explained
that BY rehabilitation he meant not mere
" q reorganization 10 be conducted along
business lines. but a change that would
touch the atmosphere" and the tone OF
the personnel.
Officials Praise Parr.
While insisting that Richard Parr,
former special agent Of the Treasury and,
now deputy appraiser at the New York
cusbom-house in charge OF Weighing.
was detached from the duty Of Investigate.
ing sugar frauds at the instance or
former United States District Attorney
Stimson and not on the initiative OF the
Treasury Department. high officials OF
the Treasury spoke In praise OF the work
which Mr. Parr had done to ferret out
| the crookednesS.
II was said that Mr.. Parr had done
splendid work and that there was no
disposition on the part OF the Treasury
Department 10 take away any OF the
credit from him.
James Burton Reynolds. former assis-
tant secretary Of the Treasury, and now
roueFumaI ~ D-,o = Cnguu,n