The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-03
Local Brings Evidence
Against Officials
CONTINUED from page ~

the corruption in the official body 1t
has since been joined by locals 1011,
STA, s4s and 4s9 which in all compose
about one third Of the locals afiliated
with the district council.
In the Development OF this case 1t
is believed 1t can be shown that thous-
ands OF dollars have been exacted
from employers to ensure the con-
tinuation Of pleasant relations" be-
tween the bosses and the painters.
The technique by which Zausners
magic fingers alleged to have turned
bits of paper into gold would make
King Midas turn green with envy and
serve as d graduation course for
Ponzi. Smiiingly the unarmed band
its lined their billfolds, 1t appears, and
left trail for investigators like a
nsh leaves in water
Conduct Audit.
/ Information on which the accusing
committee bases its charges is not
hearsay but an audit Of the treasury
reports, Official minutes of all meet
ings of the district council over a
period of 10 months ending July 20
last and various other authentic docu-
ments. This audit was carried on by
Falk, Dworkin and Co., accountants
and auditors, $40 Seventh Ave-, New
York City. In this report the methods
used by the officials are laid bare.
II is claimed by the accused officials
that as the books Of the district coun-
ell themselves have not been audited
that the charges cannot be substan-
tiated. However, the books are wholly
based on items contained in the Off
cial minutes. Auditors claim for this
reason that, whereas books can be
doctored, the minutes cannot. But
even II the contention Of the accused
were true 1t becomes more Of a self
accusation than q defense for If the
amounts charged can be shown to
have been purloined by an examina-
ton Of the minutes, what q wealth Of
evidence would greet an audit of the
books,
Exhibit One.
Exhibit one In the report Of the
auditors lists $50 names OF candidates
who were accepted by the examining
board during the 10 months period
and yet whose initiation fees Of S75
each are not entered in the councils
records as having been received. The
crux Of the matter, the reason why the
minutes Of the meetings and the treas
er's reports are as valuable as proof
as the books themselves lies here.
When member is accepted his name
is listed in the minutes and the SIS
initiation fee is retained, this item
then appearing In the treasury report
The $50 names enumerated in Elk
hibit one should have been recorded
as accepted but were not so recorded
\ and yet each one of these members
paid him SIS. That these amounts
have been paid is established by the
fact that, according to custom, this
money must be put up before cases
are considered.
/ %GFHS w w Vito tbGnls
It is also further shown by inter
views with the men themselves and
by documentary evidence such as ap-
plication blanks forwarded to local
secretaries showing the payments.
These men were all given working
cards and due books as members OF
the union but their fees were never
reported as deposited In the treasury
nor were their names included among
those reported as accepted in the
minutes of the meetings. The total
amount unaccounted for in this one
item is s24,75O.
The reason that this scheme could
be made to work is the fact that seven
ty-five per cent of the names listed
are obviously OF italian, Greek and
Slavic members. The locals to which
they belong are non-English speaking
locals. Copies Of the minutes sent to
such locals would probably not be
perused with much diligence and
would therefore fail to comprise the
councils officers.
Another Trick
Another fruitful source of income
proved to be the honorary member
ship trickait is charged A consider
able number OF members who actually
paid SIS, the full initiation fee, were
listed as a'honorary members and
checked In as having paid IS each.
The report Of the auditors points
out that above mentioned suspected
defalcations refer only to the matter
of initiation fees, but that there are
many other sources of revenue such as
per capita taxes. fines. apprentices
dues, etc. There are also great OPP
portunities' in the matter OF listed re;
funds. A list Of initiation fees re.
funded, which are suspected Of being
improper, is included in the report. In
this matter. II is pointed out, only
access TO the books OF the council
and their comparison to the members
dues books would disclose the truth.