Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-21

only pay the graft in installments of
$40. Some testified that Charles Skill
lin, president of the United Sea Food
Workers Union. had made personal de-
mands upon them for the $50 tribute
and that payments were made through
John Birch a member of the union.
This graft totaled between $4,000 and
S35, 900 a year.
Only Surface Probed.
The middlemen Swore that they paid
S480 to $3.50 yearly to representatives
of the union These had Offices or
stalls in the market and paid the trib-
ute to prevent the pilfering of fish.
Only the surface of the fish racket
was touched, as Seabury was engaged
in sitting the hasty charges Of the City
Club. In his report to the Governor,
Seabury said that the evidence showed
that extortion was practiced by Lama
and Skillen and that the eXtortion
struck blow at the whole trade union
movement
THE public has a real and substan
ttal interest in the abolition Of these
abuses" Seabury further informed the
Governor. The eXtortions Of the
racketeers are like taxes or charges
enhancing cost, shifted to the con-
sumner who. in the last analysis. must
pay the tribute
If Seabury had particularized on the
other rackets. which extended from
the manufacture of infants clothing to
the burying of the dead he might have
said substantially the same thing.
These racketeers prey upon us from
the cradle to the grave.
Why did Grain fell with the 10000
policemen of the city ready to do his
bidding? He had a major fault; he
accepted men and things en- their face
value. He admitted under cath that
he did not try to get more on the fish
racketeers than was presented to him
and that he did not use all Of the evil
dence at his disposal.
Grain took Office on January l. 1880.
-Four months later he celebrated his 10th
birthday anniversary. A month earlier
a racket was started among the small
manufacturers of SODA sirup who sell
their products exclusively in the
Ghettos of the city. In the Summer of
1891 several victims preferred charges
against the racketeers before an es-
sistant in Grains office but he did not
find cause of criminal action against
the accused. although their headouar-
tiers was in New York County, where,
according to testimony, eXtortion was
committed and property destroyed.
A few days later the victims told
their story to Joseph c. H. Flynn. a
deputy assistant State attorney gen.
eral Flynn went before a Supreme
Court justice, obtained an order en-
towering him to institute proceedings
under the State antitrust act and i'm
mediately thereafter issued SO sub
poenaS. The next morning all who
were named in the subpoenas were in
Flynns Office
The first witness examined was
Harry Merdinger, public accountant.
He testified that in the Summer of
1880 he had been summoned from
Connecticut to New York City to meet
Harry S. Dolowich. Dolowich, he
swore, asked him to do the accounting
for the Kings County Sirup Co., which
Dolowich said was formed Ito i'm
prove conditions in tho business. TO
restrict compel-:on and to restrain
members from doing acts which the
genizs ton forbade them from doing"
Dclowich also told him that each
member would be assessed SIS weekly
for every truck he owned; that no
member would be permitted to solicit
new business. but would have to take
what was allotted to him by the or
ganization. The witness also testified
that Dolowich said they had the means
to combat refractory makers of sirup,
end that one of them was through his
influence in the Department of
Health"
What was his influence in the De-
partment of Health?" asked Flynn.
What could it do?'
1T was to have the members an
noyed and have the permits to make
sirup issued by the Health Department
revoked in the event that they went
against the dictates of the organiza
ton. And then his chief remedy was
the use Of certain dead wagons or
trucks they had"
After more talk Of a like nature,
the witness said he told Dolowich that
the project was an indirect way Of fix
ing prices and restricting competition,
and that the methods proposed were IL
legal and unfair. Then Dolowich an
swered, the witness sWore:
In the event that any one is to take
a rap, l will take it. I will shoulder
the entire responsibility.
The witress added that Dolowich
said he had sufficient favor and in
fiuence not to fear anything"
Then Sam Snaider took the witness
stand and sWore he paid 5000 initiation
fee and SIS weekly on each of his Two
trucks and that subsequently all the
members were assessed $50 per truck
to buy q pleasure car for Dolow1ch.
Snaider testified Dolowich said he
knew everybody in the Board of Health
from "the smallest to the biggest" and
could close the factory of any sirup-
maker who crossed him.
He will claim" explained Snaider,
that the place is filthy and they are
unfit to manufacture drinks for human
consumption. and will close them up"
Snaider had nearly 500 customers
who operated small soda water foun-
tainS on the sidewalks and in station
cry stores such as dot the Jewish
quarters of the metropolis. He sold
them sirup at 81 a gallon, the prevail
ing market price The manufacturing
cost Of sirup is 60 to 10 cents gallon,
end there is rent, the wages Of driver
the upkeep CT motor truck and other
expenses to be met
Snaider resigned from the organiza-
ton. Immediately the dead wagons"
were put on his route The sirup on
these dead wagons" which cost 60 to
10 cents a gallon to manufacture, was
sold at so cents a gallon to Snaider's
customers.
How many customers did you lose?"
asked Flynn.
"Three-ouarters Of them" replied
Snaider sadly. About $50 to 400"
Did Dolowich threaten to have your
Department of Health permit revoked?"
Flynn asked Isadore Trachtenberg, an
other strip manufacturer.
Tells About Threats.
Yes, sir" answered Trachtenberg.
HE saws: Last year we took de-
cision to knock you from business. Now
! it is started another year. Do you
want to give up the stop customer !
| tell you before and we will let you stay
! in business; If not, you are out OF
| luck"
Then the Health Department in
! spectors began to file complaints against
/ Trachtenberg. and one was served on
him while he was a witness before