The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-09-15
GRAFT CHARGES
WILL BE PROBED
Council Lighting Commit
tee VIII Take Up Accu-
sations Made Against
City Employe Tonight.

The first official recognition %
the graft charges made against J..
u. Ross, city electrical engineer. BY
X. l. Munson. manager Of the Elec.
tFical Construction Co. Ia 4 letter
10 the city council. will be taken
40 this evening at the regular week,
" meeting uf the council lighting
committee. 90 which Mnnnon'a com.
munication was referred
What action viii be taken regard
tins the charges a prnbiamatlcai.
but u Il unlikely that they viii be
brushed aside Ia the same arbitrary
manner that the board OF public
works has displayed relative to the
charge ~ gran lodged against an
employs 81 that board BY A. ".
Bouiiinn. superintendent Of public
utilities In view Of the publicity
that has been given the Mannon
charge, the lighting committee. Il
II pointod out. Il duty bound 20 tn
atitutu an Investigation
Ross Wants investigation.
Moreover. Engineer Ross will ask
for an Investigation ~ the graft
charges against him should the
eofnmiites see fit 60 ignore them.
4 ahall willingly appear before
the lighting commlttes tonight. or
any other time. 10 prove that Mr.
Munauna charges Of graft against
mn and other employees of tho light.
Ing department ar~ untrue. said
AIR Ross today
eourt n thorough inseatlga-
ton. II Manson cannot make good
II know ~ cannot u shall consult
my attorney 60 ascertain n grounds
can be found for a libel suit. ana
not at all worricd az 10 the Outcome
OF this matter"
Munzon says In hia letter that
the charges be brings against Ross
are the result Of more than n years
Investigation conducted by himself.
lie insists that they be probed b.
Mayor Miller and the city council
as n whole. and not cent on the
plgeon.hole route taken By q pre-.
vious letter.
FNSFst wv 3ufN%0sNas
The letter addressed to the coun.
ell says:
over year ago I found out
something about the city buying
business. ard when tho proper En-
yestignilon IL held BY men who
know mean TO do the right thing
viii have men subpoenaed who
will surprise the public with a little
Information on the subject. The
fact OF the whole matter IL that
you are afraid TO Investigate the
subject. as you don't know how
many will be involved or where II
VIII end You will find I know
more about this graft business than
city officials think ! do. II you
will Investigate instead OF referring
this matter 20 a committee 10 be
plgeon-holed you viii find that the
marble slab with which to mako a
certain switchboard was purchased
from a firm IN this city and that
the board was made In city shops
by city employees. and there Is no
record that the city ever received
a check from that firm.
City Paid the cess.
The transformers for the in
struments on the board were built
By city employees. who took the
contract for sle0 The wire used
was furnished by the city. and the
transformers were built in an attic
OF the old fire house on Main ST
There 10 one firm IN this city that
IL unable to sell the city anything.
because the firm refused 10 allow
certain persons commissions. Fur.
thermore. there are hundreds OF dol
lars worth OF material Of every Dc.
scription bought without bid being
called for. II you investigate you
viii find 80 much graft that you
win have to hold your nose It is
rotten"
Munson says Il has been reported
TO him that the fair bought from
city employees 300 electric lamps for
10 cents each He suggests that
the mayor should look into this.
as he claims the mayor can get at
evidence which would be sup.