The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-18


forth with a fervent appeal for the
crooked administration an adj
ministration he is now denouncing
with his tongue in his cheek. 1t was
charged and truthfully, too, that
Walker, among other things, was ar
irving late at his desk and neglecting
his work. But Mckee lied in an eff
fort to save Walker. On March 81,
1929, Mckee said:
you may have heard TESTING ref
erences to the fact that Walker was
not on time But I tell you sincerely
that he has been on the job and has
kept us all on the job with him. The
truth is that he has a keen and
analytical mind and is striving con-
stantly to solve the pressing prob
lens that confront him."
Thus spoke Mckee in support of
his Tammany crony, who has since
taken up his home in France, ex-
posed and disgraced. AS to the press
ing problems, Mckee may have re-
ferred to the salary grab for which
he and Walker both voted. 1t is in
teresting to note here that Borough
President George U. Harvey, now a
Fusion candidate, got together with
Mckee and Walker of Tammany and
all three voted to raise their own
salaries and plumber the treasury out
of thousands of dollars extorted from
the workers through sundry taxes.
McKee's official record discloses
that he has labored time and again
against the interests of the workers,
whose votes he now seeks.
While a member of the Assembly
Mckee tried TO nuilify the merit sys-
tenn for public school teachers. In
January, 1923, Mckee introduced a
bill for a Board of Appeals to pass
on teachers rejected by the Board
of Examiners. The full intent of this
legislation was to place the school
teachers directly under the control
of Tammany Hall.
Under McKees plan teachers who
wished to retain their jobs or obtain
work would be forced to join the
city's Democratic clubs and be at the
mercy Of Tammany's district lead
ers. 1t is significant to point out that
this fiendish measure was supported
in the State Senate by Walker him
self, who was then the majority lead
er in that chamber. This bill actually
passed the Senate. 1t was blocked IN
the Assembly after an avalanche OF
protests by teachers and others.
The plan to injure the school
teachers did not end there. The
Tamnlany boss in New York ordered
that S5,700CC1 be cut from the fol-
lowing Yeas budget for teachers
pay increS-e5.
Mckee, who now goes before the
masses Of the people to assail Tam
many corruption, was party to
plot several years ago to put over
the biggest transit steal in the his
tory Of the state.
On January 81, 1927, Mckee whole
heartcdly supported the award Of q
franchise to the Equitable Coach
Company. The scheme OF the com
pany's promoters was first to take
control OF the city's bus lines, then
the trolley systems, and later the
subways. Finally, the company's
hackers planned to raise the fares to
10 cents on all of the city's trans
por5ation lines. Mckee, 3 leading
Tamnlany official, said not a word
at that time against the coach COM
pany's vicious program.
Although he favored a money grab
for himself and his fellow Tam
NANTES on the Board of Estimate,
Mckee was strong in his opposition
to an increase in pay for city en-
ployees. When the Union of Tech
meal Men, Local 81, appealed to the
city for a raise in wages, Mckee
shouted down the proposal. On Sep
TENDER 20, 1927, he told the technical
workers that the city was burdened
by debt and that the request for an
incre ease in wages was unfair and
unratrlotic."
me same Joseph v. Mckee, who
today pretends to detest corruption in
public Office, was ready to condone
and overlook it while he was mem
Der of the Tammany Board of EST
mate.
Early in 1927 it was brought t
McKee's attention that the Civil
Service Law was being violated by the
Municipal Civil Service Commission.
This Commission has authority to
place thousands of men and women
on the city's payroll. The Commission
had appointed its own Investigators
in connection with examinations of
applicants, an act delihc ely in vio-
laticn of the law. The commission
then proceeded with further violations
of law by manipulating it's own pay
roll for political purposes.
On April 20, 1927, Mckee admitted
that the law had been broken. But
two weeks later Mckee and Walker
voted for the investigators, Illegally
hired, and then also voted funds for
their salaries.
McKee's present lamentations that
he Glands for clean and decent gov
eminent" are reminiscent of his &C.
tons several years ago in regard to
school building contracts. Several
schools had been built hastily and
. noorlv and in p manner to endanger