The New York herald., 1921-08-28
HIRShFlELD CHARGES
ACCUSE EMEATBARONS
in MARKET inquiry
Seeks to Show Chicago
Packers Are Behind At
tacks OH O'Malley.
ALBANY CLASH CITED
State Food Legislation and
Other Matters Dragged
Into Meyer Quest.
OLD GRUDGES ALLEGED
Meanwhile Senator Brown Pre-
pares to Uncover More Graft
ing Next Tuesday.
OLD GRUDGES ALLEGED


The Meyer committees exposure of
alleged extortion of graft from mar
ket stall holders by officials of the
Department of Public Markets stirred
the Hylan administration yesterday to
defensive activities such as 1t has not
displayed since the committee began
it's Investigations.
Edwin j. O'Malley, Commissioner of
ference with Mayor Hylan at City Hall
and took his departure through the
back door without waiting to explain
to newspaper men the nature of his
sudden call. Immediately afterward
David Hirshfield. Commissioner of Ac-
counts. announced he had begun a
brand new investigation bearing on
the work of the Meyer committee.
That was followed by statements from
both O'Malley and Hirshfield accusing
the Meyer committee of trying to OPP
press O'Malley In order to aid the pack
ing interests" to compel OMalley to
rescsnd Market Department rules
which, it was said. are offensive to the
packers. The packing interests" 1t
was asserted, furnish financial backing
for the stallholders, who, therefore, are
said to be quite ready to do the bidding
of the packers in telling stories to the
Meyer committee calculated to injure
Commissioner O'Malley.
Commissioner Hirshfield made public
the testimony of Raymond Smith of 557
West 124th street, the only witness go
far as is known In his new inquiry In
confederation of the new line OF attack
upon the committee.
The Meyer committee will continue
next Tuesday it's public hearings upon
alleged graft in the Market Department,
and even more startling disclosures than
the story Of the widow katenkamp's
81 600 holdup are hinted.
Meyer Crfticises HyIan.
Meanwhile Senator Schuyler NJ.
Meyer, chairman of the committee. said
that Mayor IIylan's refusal to remove
O'Malley. as requested by former Senator
Elon r. Brown, attorney for the COM
mittee, must infallibly place the Mayor
in the position OF indorsing Mr. O'Mal-
leys conduct OF the department" and
that he must take the responsibility for
that conduct.
"It is for the Mayor to decide
whether such a policy can be In the
best interest of the public" declared
Senator Meyer. THE evidence presented
before this committee during the last
week showed that the Mayor should have
known year ago that there were dis
crepancies in the sales of army food
stuffs conducted by the Markets De-
partment. OF disbursements for pay
rolls on account of these sales, there
was balance unaccounted for OF
sss,257.3s out of a total assigned for
this purpose of sf64.169.59. This fact
was stated in a report of the Commis-
sioner of Accounts bearing date Sep
tember 30. 1920, which was duly for
warded to the Mayor and withheld by
him from publication until 1t was pre-
scented in evidence before this commit
tee.
Another report of the Commissioner
OF Accounts, bearing date of January
90, 1921, and suppressed by the Mayor
up to the time 1t was obtained by the
committee. purports TO include an inves-
tsgatlon Of the circumstances surround
ing the attempt by General Inspector
Winter of the Department of Markets to
wiring bribe OF 81 900 from Mrs. Ber-
tha l.. Katencamp. widow with four
children.
"A palmer case OF whitewashing than
is contained in this report II would be
difficult to imagine. No real attempt
was made by the Commissioner OF Ac-
counts to investigate the Katcnkamp
case.
IAN examination of the report by the
most inexperienced clerk should have
shown that the investigation was utterly
superficial. The Mayor should have re-
turned IL to Commissioner Hirshfeld
with the demand that he make a search
ing investigation.
1T must now be obvious TO every one
what the real reason was for the bitter
opposition to preliminary hearings be.
fore subcommittee"
Says Market Men Are Dummies. y
According 10 lne testimony given out
by Hirshfleld, Smith said that he was
formerly an investigator for the Ameri-
can National Live Stock Association
which requested the Government investi-
cation of the Chicago packers. and later
for the United States Federal Trade
Commissions investigation or packers
activities. He charged that the public
market standholders arc dummies ol
the Chicago packers and that the Meyer
committee allegations against O'Malley
are the result OF the Commissioners ef.
forts TO curtail prontecring In the public
markets.
Smith characterized Cyrus g. Miller
who recently was appointed special coun.
sci to the Meyer committee. as the head
of the legal talent retained In New York
by the packers TO protect their Interests
and the interests OF the standholdors.
In corroboration he read a list OF alleged
appearances OF Miller In the municipal
term of the City Magistrates Court az
. representative of Armour 4 Co. and
other Chicago packers.
Miller. he said. was in charge or the
law enforcement division OF the Food
Administration here during the war, and
CONTINUED on Seventeenth Page.