The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-29
A Fertile Field For
Graft and They
All Know Il
BY EDWIN ). BROWN

Il
BY EDWIN J. BROWN
Cash. money In hand paid. Is usu-
ally the methoA used in graft, but
not always. as public officials may
trade special privileges and allow
law violation for political favor and
tenderloin support.
Suppose l had influence with the
Police and Health Departments OF
this city. and had "A few old tumble
down. ramshackle apartments or
roomlng houses for rent and
could say 20 a tenant, THE Police
or Health Department win not dis
turb you here" I could charge and
get three times a fair and honest
rent This is graft.
WIIIsKEy AND THE BLOOD
TEST
OF course. all open gambling In
Seattle today pays big graft money.
and II Is well known that unfortu-
nate women are called on regularly
and are compelled 10 pay protection
money. and that is worse than graf:
but the real money IL made in the
whiskey business, and there In 20
much graft In this line that tho
whiskey power Is something TO reck-
on with in King county and In Sc
attic.
| The fake blood test quarantine was
used 20 enforce the whiskey graft
and monopoly. Some got so bold A.
TO brag about being able to quaran.
tine any person on fake blood test
who bootiegged or ran a blind pig
without paying for their protection
and buying their whiskcy from the
whiskey ring
EASY MONEY
| II you could get the whiskey for
nothing and sell II for sl2 per quart.
and have a ready sale for al you
could get. and you could gst plenty.
and collect your graft on about all
that everybody else got. you would
be doing some business. Well. that
Is just what is going on in Seattle.
The Police Department In too e.
ficient 10 allow any bootIegger to cut
the price on whiskey. and we must
admit that II II was not for this
efficiency there would be competition
among the bootleggers outside OF the
police department and whiskey would
sell for about s. or So pa 1uart.
whereas now IL sells for from us to
$40. and II would be a better quality.
Some Of the whiskey that was stolen
recently was sold and delivered 70 Z
blind pig. hut the quality of the
whiskey was so bad that the Ring
had to take the whiskey back
Some people have been caught
coming into Seattle with considerable
whiskey and their whiskey was
taken from them but they were al
lowed to go. OF course II would be
poor business for a Dry Squad man
TO arrest the man and allow the
whiskey to get away from him. 20
he arrests the whiskey and lets the
man go, and there IL absolutely no
danger OF a person coming to de-
mand the return of his whiskey or TO
make inquiry as to who has II. In
one instance the same whiskey was
sold TO blind pig. then bootleg part
ner officer came in and took the
whiskey and sold II TO another blind
pig: then the officer that sold II the
first time went and got the whiskey
and sold il TO the blind pig man who
bought II the first time. and guar
anteed that. as he had bought the
same whiskey twice. that no one
would be allowed to bother him
again.
REAL ESTATE NOT IN 1T
This whiskey graft beats selling
$40 lots in Charleston for $500. and
guaranteeing 20 per cent profit in
six months.
FAKE REFORMERS NOT
SAINTS
noticed in Friday mornings
paper where the Minister OF Pro-
hibition OF Canada had paid a fine
OF $1,000 for Bookkeeping. and was
on trial for stealing rs cases Of
whiskey from the Canadian govern
ment
Many instances or whiskey graft
have been detected among AnuSa-
loon League workers.
The public sale OF whiskey for
profit is about at an end in this
country. and this is one of the
greatest blessings to humanity. The
sale OF whiskey and brandy for med
zeal purposes by druggists under
proper legal restrictions and the
honest vigorous law enforcement Is
all that is now needed to make pro
hibition what 1t is intended to be.
POLICE FORCE DEMORALIZED
The Police Force In Seattle Is de-
moralized The fake blood test quar-
antine. the arbitrary power exercised
by the police head. the continuous
whiskey scandal. the vile and abusive
language used by police officers in
an effort 10 bully and browbeat citi-
zens, all go to show Decentralization
because of lack OF ability at the
head.
GIVE POLICE SQUARE DEAL
Ninety.five per cent of the police
officers are good, honest men, but
they are not given a square deal:
they are not even allowed their sun.
day off each month; they should
have one day off each week. The
police in Seattle are underpaid and.
besides this, they have hard time
10 be allowed to ride in city-owned
cars, even when on official business
and duty.
Next week I will write on what
Has Become of Seattle's Quarantine
HELP"