New-York tribune., 1922-09-07
Police In on
Market Graft.
Says Witness
Testimony Before Hirshfield
Names FinlSelstein, Head
of Peddlers, as Collector
of Authorities Toll
Lies, Declares Accused
Will Produce 100 Vendors
to Controveri Charge, He
Says, Starting Libel Suit

Testimony made public yesterday by
David Hirshfield, Commissioner of Ac-
counts, taken in his investigation of
the Department of Public Markets, all
sleging that Nathan Finkelstein, presi-
dent of the United Citizens Peddlers'
Association of Brooklyn, had collected
money from the pushcart peddlers in
the Brooklyn open-air markets for the
police was branded last night by Fink
elstein as "a tissue of liesn inspired
to discredit his activities in behalf of
the oppressed peddlers of BROOKLYN.
Finkelstein has been active in bring
about the disclosures of irregularities s
in the collection of fees by the super
visors of the Department of Markets
from the peddlers, which led District
Attorney Ruston of Brooklyn to start
grand jury investigation of this mat
ter.
According to Commissioner Hirsh-
field, Isidore Moskowitz, a pushcart
peddler, living at Sc Humbolt Street,
Brooklyn, testified that the pushcart
peddlers were afraid of Finkelstein
because he stood in, with the police
and that the latter exacted various
sums from the peddlers for "expenses"
for his organization.
Expenses to police"
what did you believe these expenses
were for?" Commissioner Hirshfield
asked, according to the testimony.
1--WE know the expenses go to the po-
lice," the witness replied, according to
Commissioner Hirshfield. "We know
that ourselves, We don't have to ask
him Finkelsteinl, because we know it."
Moskowitz, according to the Com
missioner, said that peddlers of the as
sociation who paid what Finkelstein de-
manded Of them were never molested
by the police. Commissioner Hirsh-
field said the witness further testified
that collections of dollar or two were
made by Finkelstein from peddlers
about Christmas time for presents for
the police.
Finkelstein declared last night that
he had instructed his attorney, Charles
H. Levy of Brooklyn, who is also coun-
ton, to institute criminal proceedings
against Moskowitz. and that he had
also asked District Attorney Ruston to
have .Moskowitz brought before the
grand jury and compelled to make his
statements under oath. Finkelstein said
that he would bring hundred peddlers
from the markets where Moskowitz op-
Grated to controvert his testimony.
Collected Only Dues
"The only moneys ever collected from
any peddlers by the organization" said
Finkelstein, "were the regular 15 cents
weekly dues collected each Friday, and
two voluntary contributions of about
S5 each, early in May, when the ques-
tion of injunction proceedings to stop
supervisors from exacting their dollar
a-week fees from the peddlers, was
placed before the peddlers at meet
ing. They voted for such collection
to be made, purely voluntary, and no
dred peddlers contributed an average
of SIS each at two different times
When about $1,000 had been collected
Charles Levy was retained as counsel
the proceedings were begun, and an
injunction against the supervisors was
obtained.
ssEvery penny ever collected for the
association can be accounted for def
nitely. / never handled cent Of the
association funds, which are entirely
in charge Of the financial secretary, a
peddler manner Barruch. The weekly
dues were collected by Secretary Ru-
dlnSky. another peddler. Inc DOCKS
and bank account of the association
are open and can be examined at any
time. All the moneys collected by the
association were .receipted for. The
money for the legal expenses was col
lected by committee appointed by the
peddlers themselves. never accepted
penny from any peddler or had any
financial dealings with the police. The
story told by Moskowitz is lot of
brazen lies"
Moskowitz, according to Commits
sioner Hirshfeld, testified that up to
last Thursday he had pushcart stand
at the corner of Seigel Street and
Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, when he
was chased away by the police captain
in command of the station at I'll Bush
wick Avenue, whose name he didn'
know, Moskowitz told of meeting