The Washington times., 1917-12-26
GRAFT IS CHARGED
INQUARTERMASTER
CORPS CONTRACTS

NEW YORK, Dec. 26.-The New
York Sun this morning publishes the
following:
Henry T. Price, president OF the
Price Trade Publishing Company, of
122 East Twenty-fifth street, charged
last night that alleged representatives
of the quartermaster corps, United
States army, were exscting graft for
the performance OF service for the
army before contracts could be placed,
and notified United States Senator
James W. wadsworth, jr-. that he
would be glad to go to Washington
and testify concerning the conditions
he had found.
Mr.. Price produced a shoemaker
who was engaged to repair shoes for
the Government, and his witness tes-
titled that he had been required to ar
range for the payment of 25 cents a
pair on a lot of 700 pairs OF shoes be-
fore the job was given him. A woman
was used as a go-between for the col
lection OF the graft, he said.
No Garment Contracts.
But getting far beyond the shoe re-
pairing end OF the charge, Mr.. Price
declared that hundreds OF garment
working concerns in New York were
idle and unable 10 get war orders, and
that he wanted investigation made
into the situation with a view to as
certaining II there is some hidden
card that must be played In connec-
tion with the garment-making awards.
''There is something radically
wrong" he said. 'If any one in the
quartermaster corps has to be seen
in order to have the New York gar
ment workers get contracts for war
orders there will be nothing doing.
l make this assertion because 1 have
made an investigation that has un-
covered a graft that IS so petty that
1t is unbelievable"
ShOemaker's Story.
Mr.. Price lives at 535 West 135th
street. Around the corner at 33fO
Peter Sebald has a shoe
concern. Mr. Price accompan-
led a reporter to the SebaId place,
and the proprietor made this state
ment:
"On September 30 a sergeant came
in my place and said that he had come
from Camp Mills. H. said that he
was going around M king contracts
for the repair of se.aTlI hundreds OF
pairs of shoes for Tie Hampstead
camp.
what would You be willing to
make the repairs for?" he asked me,
II usually get $3.50 for repairing
shoes and told him that 4. I was to
get several hundreds Of pairs I would
be willing to do it for 81.
You don't want to charge ST. he
SAID. You want 10 charge S1.2b.
There Will be woman in here to see
you in few days, and whatever she
says you do
"On December 5 I got 700 pairs of !
5hoes from the quartermaster corps =
AZ camp Milis. The bill of lading ,
was signed I. II. Smith The pack :
.hem-were sent by Naior r H
Adams, quartermaster cor6s limited a
States army. Others went to the t
Repairing Company at a
L36th street and Broadway. and TO
-hree other concerns in the same v
section. Z
Woman as GO-Between. 4
Oh the same day a woman came "
nto my place. She said, Mr.. sebald, s
want to see you about the shoes for a
he Government. p
"'All right ] said o
ign. AOt nv n
What is that I asked her b
Is SIMPLY an agreement am
ia hiHs' she said. 1t calls for 25 n
epairingIh a
who does that 90 to? asked her.
] 10 10 the War Department. she said. h
How can that be worked7' 1 ask II
.,5 "men men you get your check she u
Il was anxious to A. a., ,-l, and
Q keep my machines busy, and said in
hat 1t would be all right" lw