New-York tribune., 1921-11-02
Jerome Scores
City's Profits
On Army Food
Declares S66O,OOO Never
Was l~reperly accounted
For; Says Poultry Was
Disposed OF to Hotels
Poor Got Pork and Beans
Pays Respects to Hylan and
to Hirshfeld, Coslin,
Hettrick and Solovei

The Department Of Markets of the
City of New York was the target OF
withering attack last night launched
by former District Attorney William
Travers Jerome. Mr. Jerome spoke at
Leslie Hall, Eighty-third Street and
Broadway, under the auspices of the
7th Assembly District Republican Club,
and was frequently interrupted with
roars of applause. He received a e.
mendous ovation at the conclusion Of
his address.
Mr.. jerome pitilessly denounced the
Department of Markets for the man
ner in which it handled the sale OF
army food in the city in 1919, and de-
clared that poultry which had been
bought for the poor of the city was
sent in large quantities to the Hotel
Astor, the Hotel Netherland and other
of patronizing."
Made s660.000 Profit
Mr.. Jerome, employing bitter sar-
casm and penetrating satire, told how
the administration two years ago had
taken up the sale of army food with
the desire to serve the people. but how
the venture accomplished other re-
suits.
They bought that army food all
right" said the speaker, "and they sold
it. They paid $2,s31 900 to the United
States government for it. From the
sale they collected $3,492, 900, getting
profit of s66o,o0o. This profit mas
never properly been accounted for.
What do you think they will do if
you give them four more years of ad-
ministraton? Most of the papers COW
ering the sale of the army foodstuHs
were sold to junk dealer for scrap
paper for the sum Of $15."
The city, he declared bought 100000
pounds Of poultry from the govern
poultry" he said, "was scream. The
poor saw plenty of pork and beans,
but very little poultry"
Mr.. Jerome proGuced records from
the Quartermaster Department of the
army which, he said, showed that the
! poultry purchased by the city from the
government was handled through q
we'll known firm. He declared that n
record dated October 81, 1919, showed
! that the firm had requested the Quar-
termaster Department to send 100
| boxes of chickens to the Hotel Neither
land.
Another record, the speaker declared
revealed the fact that on November 10
|
was sent to the Hotel Astor, "another
resort for the poor"
THAT is one of the little things that
makes me say that this administration
is not one Of incompetency OR graft
but one of incompetency and graft
added Mr.. Jerome. 'These men were
all paid by the city. Hylan was hippo
droming what he was doing for the
poor. They raised the price of the
food so they could make a profit o.
$3.50 600"
Mr.. jerome again pitched into Mayo
Hylan, and paid considerable atten
tion to David Hirshfeld, Commissions,
Of Accounts.
Assails Hylan Record
81 am satisfied that this administra
tion has been one of incompetence an,
graft" he said. Gas to the head of il
have satisfied myself that John
Hylan is either CRATER or is incom
petent. Mr.. Untermyer has said tha
the Mayor is more ass than knave.
have observed that he is an ass, an
my judgment is hardly in suspense a
to whether he is knave
"He was the associate of jailbird
and crooks. He succeeded in gettin
one shyster lawyer into Office, and an
other one of his associates is under in
dictment. There is peculiar affinit
: between crooks and him-be tween hir
J and crooks. He started with them an
can't keep away from them"
"Hirshfield was one of the associate
: Of John f. Hylan when John F. Hyla
was Brooklyn magistrate. So was Al
.. fred Goslin and was Hettrick ar
so was Solovei. All Of them-Solove