New-York tribune., 1922-07-27
Brother. Joe All
Right, ,SaysDave
At ST. Fee Quiz
Hirshfield. at Own Inquiry
Into 5000, 900 Collec-
tions, Admits Urging His
kinsman for Market Place
Witnesses Defend System
'Tammany Alderman Says 1t
Replaced Frequent Levies
ON Hucksters by Bullies

Wts no more q crime for me to
recommend my brother than It is for
any one else to recommend member
Of his family for job. know he is
honest, steady and faithful. What
more would you want in an offcial?"s
That was the reply last night of
David Hirshield, Commissioner of
accounts, to the interesting revelation,
developed at the opening yesterday OF
ais own investigation of the pushcart
market system OF collecting fees. that
is brother. Joseph, is a supervisor in
he new Knickerbocker Avenue push
cart market in Brooklyn. Commits
sioner Edwin j. O'Malley, of the De-
oartment Of Public Markets, appointed
brother Joe at salary of $50 week
at the request Of brother Dave.
The collection OF fee Of 81 a week
from each peddler in these open-air
markets amounts to between S500,000
and 100000 year, and the money is
opposed to be used for the care and
upkeep OF the markets.
Graubard Tells of Old Abuses
Witnesses were called at the hearing
yesterday to defend the fee system
Moritz Graubard. Tammany alderman
IN the ed District, which takes in the
territory west of Clinton Street and
between Henry and East Houston
streets, where there is an open-air
market of more than 1000 pushcart
peddlers, testified that the peddlers
we're the objects of all kinds of graft
ing schemes before Commissioners
O'Malley took Office and the present
system of supervision was installed
He told how the old-time '"padrone
bulles" controlled the peddlers and
preyed upon the poor. He contended
that the present system of supervision
and collecting regular fees was de-
cided improvement.
Before O'Malley came" said tho
witness, "the pushcart peddler was the
victim of countless graft schemes.
There were frequent fake raids, there
we're fake collections. some for the
Mayor, others for the magistrate :
so he wouldn't impose heavy fines;
others for the Aldermen, Assembly
men and police captain. Personally /
don't believe higher officials ever got
the money intended for them. The
collectors or presidents of the push
cart peddlers' association used to
travel about with gunmen when max
ing collections"
Says Rabbi Inspired Suit
Alderman Graubard declared that
the proceedings brought before JUS
tice Cropsey, in Brooklyn, by certain
pushcart peddlers attacking the pres
ent system of supervision in the mar
kets was inspired by Rabbi Samuel
Buchlcr, and by former presidents OF
local pushcart peddlers' associations
DR.. Buchler was former Deputy Com
missioner of Public Markets. A group
of his friends now are putting hin,
forward as a candidate for Congress
against Meyer London, present Repre-
sentative. The Alderman said that
Buchler had opposed the creation Of
the new collection system in the mar.
kets.
District Attorney Ruston, Of Brook
lyn, who started an investigation OF
the market fee system prior to The
Hirshfield inquiry, answered yester
day the charge made by Mayor Hylar
and Commissioner Hirshheld that hi
investigation was prompted by politi
cal motives. The District Attorne.
said he was asked to investigate th'
situation among the Brooklyn pushcar
peddlers by an attorney for the ped
dlers. who said the pcddlers pai
money to municipality appointed super
visors which never reached the cit
treasury, but was misappropriated b.
tho superyisors themselves