New-York tribune., 1922-09-26
Fees
Far Short Of
SUN, Expected
larket Commissioner Turns
Over $5,o47 Following
Justice Cropsey's Order,
but Fails to Give Source
leakages Seem Heavy
iTiy Would Receive Only
Half of Estimated 5000
600 Under Present Rate
By M. lay Racusin

~ A'As jay ANC(dolA
The city treasurer has begun to re-
sire money from Commissioner of
|hrkets 0'Malley. purporting to repre-
srs the total fees collected frcm push
sE peddlers. This procedure is in ac-
ardance with the recent injunction of
lsstice Cropsey, which prohibited
rset market supervisors from retain
* these fees for their own salaries
,sd expenses and required them to
tcrn the money over to the city's sink
ing fund.
The comptroller's office permitted a
3 ,eorsssntative of The Tribune yester-
8 d,v to scrutinize the accounts refer
rirg to these receipts. They show that
IN the sx-day period between Septem-
her II and l6, inclusive. following the
coart order on September 8. the Com
missioner had turned in q total of
1921 from ffty-three street markets.
No moneys at all, the books showed
sso been received from this source up
. July 30 of this year, although the
street. markets had been in full swing
aaee July, 1921. In the two months
sriod between July 90 and September
% Of this year. just preceding the issu~
Ete of the injunction, only $1,65257
ad been turned over to the city as
'splus funds
Shortage Yet Apparent
The figure Of S5.947 as the total re-
tsged for the first six days following
BE court order is interesting in view
Isi the Commissioners own statements
recently before the Board of Estimate
na Apportionment. At that time he
aid that $500 permits had been issued
% the pushcarts and horse vehicle ped
aers in the ffty-four street markets OF
he city, for which 81 a week was col
kted from the pushcart men and So
week from the wagon owners.
It would appear, then, that at least
$500 should have been paid into the
dy treasury, aside from the hundreds
Of extra dollars derived from the
sagon stands. In addition, it should
he pointed out, the Commissioner also
said there were $4,000 pushcart. ped
dlers Of one kind or another in the
greater city. An investigation by The
tribune indicated that practically all
si those without permits were paying
p cents q day or more for permissios
to sell their wares in the street mar
lets and that little or no account was
made of these collections to the Com
missioner.
From this it would seem that the
city is receiving hardly half the money
il should, although the commissioner
nn be held responsible only for as
Inuch money as the permits would call
FOR Justice Cropsey mentioned in his
Injunction that it was his understand
ing that at least 10000 year was
collected from the street venders. On
the basis of the first weeks receipts
The city will receive only $309,244 for
The year.
Accounts Still in a Maze
In detail the Comptroller's books
show that S1.39475 was received from
'hirty-two markets for the period be-
tween September II and 16. inclusive.
o. September 18 the collections from
Nineteen more markets totaled $1.3S8.
On September 19 the receipts from two
more markets for the same period
amounted to SOAPS.
The individual sums turned over to
The city prior to the injunction were
70 small in some instances that they
st lGQRndDic. or tHc SeNtf-Qdy
sriod between August % and Septem-
Rr g. for instance, a surplus of So
Vas turned in for one market. For
|he same period surplus of $11 was
timed IN for three markets. There
we're many other such examples.
The money as it is now turned into
he sinking fund is not itemized as to
peddler and permit. but merely ident-
fss the street market from which it is
collected 1t was intimated at the
COmptroIler's Office that a system is
now being prepared whereby a fuller
and more detailed explanation of the
orlgln Of the funds will be required.
The Kings County Grand Jury met
egaln Yesterday for a consideration of
me testimony taken before it in con-
hection with its investigation of the
street. market situation. Assistant Dis
trlct Attorney Edward G. O'Neill had
several hours discussion with the
PANEL which is expected to meet again
o,qay. The grand jury, it was said,
Wi probably hand down it's findings
'Ae latter part of the week.