New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
Lowest, Meanest Form of
Extortion' Practiced i'm
Industrial Commission,
He Charges at Albany
Says Rival Refused
To Remove Guilty
Thomas ]. Curtis, Deputy,
Shielded for l3 Months
After Exposure, He Says
From Star corresDondsns

Of wholesale graft and corruption in
the Industrial Commission during the
administration Of former Governo,
Smith, attributable to the laxity of ar
official who was continued in Office for
thirteen months after the matter had
.,een called to Mr.. Smiths attention by
an official investigator, were made to-
night by Governor Miller.
The report telling Of the irregulari-
ties In the commissions investigation
upon which Governor Miller based his
accusation, was made in November,
1919, by Jeremiah F. Connor. lawyer
OF New. York City, who was later ap-
pointed private secretary to Governor
Smith. Mr.. Connor's report was sub
mltted to Governor Smith Oh November
II, 1919. Thomas J. Curtis, the man
whose administration was held respon-
sible for the Cheating" as Governor
Miller characterized it, that had taken
place in the commission, was still in
office as Deputy Commissioner in jan
uary, 1921, when the present admins
tration came into Office. Curtis was re-
moved by Governor Miller and later
submitted report to the State Fed
Grafton Of Labor declaring that Gov
ernor Miller had wrecked the Indus
trial Commission.
Answers Smiths Attacks
To-night's slashing attack on the in
tegrity Of the Smith administration,
the first of the campaign, came, the
Governor indicated, as the result of
Mr.. Smiths persistent charges during
the past three weeks that Governor
Miller, as a tool of the interests, had
emasculated the workmen's compensa-
tion act and damaged the enforcement
of the labor laws by cutting down the
appropriations for the Industrial Com
mission. Mr.. Smiths accusations, the
Governor declared, have been based en-
tirely on the Curtis report to the Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor just referred to.
"This is the record Of the lowest,
the meanest, the most contemplate and
the most despicable species Of graft
ever disclosed, graft and extortion
practiced upon the unfortunate victims
OF Industrial accidents" said the Gov
ernor. "It is graft and extortion rob-
bing these victims of the compensa-
tions little enough at best, to enable
them to take care Of themselves in
their MANNED, disabled and crippled
conditions"
Tonight / wish finally to dispose
OF the charges that we have destroyed
the labor laws from testimony that
our adversaries must accent. because
they gathered it. I wish to show from
the testimony of the man appointed
by my predecessor to investigate the
workmen's compensation law why I
recommended and why the Legislature
provided for reorganization of the
Industrial Commission, and I shall
also prove that we have done what
needed to be done, which remained un-
done throughout the balance Of my
predecessors term after receiving the
report of his investigator.
This is the record, not alone of
graft and criminality but of gross in
efficiency in the administration of the
workmen's compensation law. And the
thing that my predecessor in Office, the
Democratic candidate for Governor,
boasts that he did as the result of that
iny nyestigation was to have repealed ene
direct settlement plan, with respect to
which none of these evidences of graft
and eAtortion and Of favoritisna to M
surance companies and other corpora
titns had any relation whatever, how
ever. had that may have been. He
thinks that the great achievement of
his administration for the injured
working men and women was the abo-
lition Of the direct settlement proyi-
sicn, and is nightly boasting OF that
and untruthfully
charging me with having undone it,"
Head of System Retained
"This record makes my blood boil, as
it must make your blood boil to hear it
read, and yet the head of that system
Of graft and corruption and favoritism
to insurance carriers remained Dep
uty Commissioner through the remain
der Of the year 1919 and through the
remainder of the year 1920, and until
it was possible, under an act Of the
Legislature, for me to reorganize that
commission, But he remained there
after that reorganization was effected
not one moment longer than was nec-
essary to put him out.
"Tn the face of that record I am
charged with destroying the admin
istration Of tho law because l cut out
the grafters, the miserable, low, mean,
contemplate, despicable grafters who
were living upon the poor unfortunate
workers whom they professed to serve,
and feeding also at the public crib"
Governor Miller then turned to the
Connor report to Governor Smith and
read to the audience the excerpts which
summed up the conditions in the Indus
tion had disclosed
"Along almost every line of inquiry,
tcontlaasd on page six)