Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-03-08

OILY MPlA, WASH, Mafcn =
day is completely discredited al
indictment of the state he profei
With him, sharing the stigm
VERA head Chas. F. Ernst.
Because Wednesday in Olym
around the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
reveal political corruption that p
lean history.
Literally millions upon milliC
from funds meant to feed uneml
been squandered and stolen in L
less exploitation Of human suf-S
fering to further the political de-
sires of a group of men.
Through the grasping hands of
Martin and Ernst flowed in two
years $57,0O0,00O of state and fed
eral funds.
The case of Whatcom county
was cited by the investigation
committee of the Senate VERA
probe as typical as to how these
millions were spent. Out Of
$36, 1853 allotted for relief, 1884
reached men on relief. The rest
was spent against the law, to
build political patronage. In ex-
penditures of this type almost
$10,00O,0O0 was lost to relief.
Half of Money Stolen
When administration head, G.
M. Stevens, published figures
purporting to be the cost of adj
ministering relief, he falsified
them at 10 per cent. Investiga-
ton of the books showed them
to be % per cent. Further Senate
investigation disclosed that the
books were falsified and that on
the basis of the true facts, the
cost of administration was IS per
cent. But investigation through
out the state proved that even
this was false, that the books did
not have all the records and that
actually the cost of admiinstra-
ton could be conservatively es-
timated at 81 per cent. One-half
of the $57,OO0O0O meant to pro-
vide hunger relief was squander-
ed in a way that would make big
time racketeers feel like petty
thieves.
Chief among the means by
which "a per cent of the funds
were sucked up into the political
machine are direct theft and pat
ronage.
Favoritism
Under the heading of Improp-
IT Disbursements, the committee
reports as high as 30 per cent OF
total funds, and cites as cases OF
handing out funds without re-
cords: Grays Harbor County, $685.
$50: City of Centralia, $1,000;
Yakima county, $l,964; Kitsap
county, $1O,56S; and others.
Otherwise graft centers largely
in the utilization of favoritism,
the hiring of large numbers OF
relatives in lucrative jobs and
the handing of from 400 to 5OU
per cent more in relief funds to
political favorites.
Charging that welfare officials
use their positions for personal
gain, the committee cites the
case of A. B. Comfort, of Comfort
and Davis, Tacoma realtors, in
which nearly the entire list OF
buildings used by the VERA
are managed by the firm.
In Skamania county, X. G.
Prindle, a merchant and member
of the welfare board, was given
blanket authority to hand out
funds for relief and in this way
increased his sales $l,1S1 from
March Is to August 1. J. McNich
OILS and Raymond Meiggs, mer
chants, made similar uses.
Carpenters Robbed
Carpenters employed on wei
fare projects in Tacoma were car
ried on the payroll at $50 PEE
week. Checks were issued for thii
amount but were not delivered
to the payee, the workers re
ceiving only $3.50 in cash pc
week.
Evidences of criminal conduc
were found in u voucher forg
cries all in the same Handwriting
from the welfare board OF Gran
county.
Governor Martins corruption
has given the federal government
an excuse to cut grants to Wash
ington. The general level OF wei
fare relief has been deplorabl.
low in Washington compared
with other coast states. In Cal
ifornia the general relief averag'
is Ss4, in Oregon s32, in Washing
ton s23.