davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
Case Of One Poor Girl

Case Of One Poor Girl
ONE Of the biggest doctors In the country and
" dear friend Of mine, who is on many, many
boards and travels ell through the highways and
byways investigating cases, told me Of Just one
experience among thousands that happened to
him. He found himself in q little county in the
South and there was brought before him poor
girl in the last stages Of syphilis. She living
in boarding house with 20 other people. using
the same towels, the same bathroom, and ex.
posing these people hourly to this terrible infec.
ton. My friend asked if she could be admitted
into the only hospital there. The sheriff said no,
they did not take such cases. "Well," said the
doctor, what can we do?" The only solution
was to send the girl to Jail for that night.
Meanwhile my friend got one Of the doctors in
the little. community, told him about this des-
perate case, and they both decided the only
thing to do was to sign commitment papers and
send the child down to the State insane asylum.
Here she might be cured, which they very much
doubted; but at least, she would be kept from in.
fecting other people. The county doctor and my
friend signed the commitment papers and the
child was taken care Of.
Doctor Called on Carpet
TUE next time my friend returned to this Main
Street. town he had hard time Of 1t. He
was informed very firmly that he had no right
to sign those papers. He should have called in
another doctor beside the one he did call in,
because he kept the other doctor from making
SO fee, and he was warned to watch his step.
Now. here was desperate situation, and yet this
was the thanks my friend got for protecting all
those peoples lives.
II this doctor or any outside doctor with au-
thority goes into any territory and sees that
poor soul needs veronal or neonal for epilepsy,
they are not allowed to give this patient any,
even II they have 1t with them.
You splendid DOCTORS stop your fighting and
your diSagreementS. We all know you do untold
good in this world, but get together now and fix
it so the poor win have a chance not only to live,
but to live well and happily.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23

that great fleet of wooden steamships =. that
were to have formed the bridge of ships" across
the Atlantic in the World War >. to keep the
Allies supplied with food, munitions and .
American manhood.
But bridge that never materalized =. for
us was built Of greenest Of green lumber sup
piled to Woodrow Wilson and his New Freedom"
~ by deserving Democrats from North and
South CarolnaS, Georgia, Alabama, Texas-and
the Northwest.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
HdrbOrs of Refuge

HarbOrs of Refuge
A ND the Wilson government had billion dol
lars worth Of wooden steamships on its
hands so bright minds of the New Freedom"
-. figured out some fancy schemes to dump
their CHASTITY blunder and plunder Of the United
States citizens pocketbook . One scheme was
to create harbors Of refuge for small boats 1.
in many parts Of the country and these
eighteen skeletons. rotting and decaying for
nearly two decades , were towed to this spot
and sunk .. creating thereby harbor 10
feet deep This particular harbor would hold
about 80 small boats $4,000 900 harbor for a
hundred thousand dollars worth Of small boats
And from Maine to Seattle are these skeletons
scattered =. billion dollars worth Of wooden
ships >. and concrete ships . Do not forget
them E. Wilson's New Freedom boys e. wanted
to save steel .. and thought ships Of concrete
80. as well as wood :. would be just the thing
80. The steel they put in them e. Z. . to REINFORCE
the concrete :. about equaled the amount Of
steel that would have been used had the vessels
been built Of steel :. which, plus the concrete
made them Of such tremendous weight ..
that they could carry virtually no cargoes ..
lest they sink These. too, are scattered all over
.. from Maine to Seattle.
Copyright Ledger syndicate)
(Bodke CGrter'S opinions are his otDn and not
necessarily those OF The Washington TtnteSO
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
My Say

WHAT pathetic sight it is to see that great
body of men, the doctors, so divided in
opinion as to what their duty should be- They
The Washington times., 1938-07-23

GERMANY is cracking. First
" financial fiSsure was opened
to the world this week when the
Berlin stock market fell. Hitler
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
Orchids Bockfire

Dear Mr.. Moser: Maybe those
Government employees for whom
you and George D. Riley have
fought for-decent living and
working conditions and livable
wages-will throw a few orchids
your way sometime soon. In the
scope of my experience I always
found it was better to give than
receive, and that those who
fought for the right Of the down
trodden and underdog usually
found pleasure in doing so. If I
were Government employe I
would write yours and Mr.. Riley's
eulogy now. However, I CAN boost
you at all veterans conventions" I"
B. j. Lawlor.
Dear B. j.: You have us all
a'tWitter!
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
Write US nice, or tDrite Us spice,
We krloD you tDiu GltDGyS find
The letter is an ideal deUice
For airing what's on the nlindI

MIR. FARLEY'S burden (and
4VA ours):
Dear Mr.. Moser: JOHNNY
FEDERAL wonders ?p? Why
in the U. s. Patent Office do the
higher grade clerks receive the
highest EFFICIENCY ratings,
and the lower grade clerks receive
the lowest EFFICIENCY ratings
. And the examiners receive
the most and more raises than
the humble clerkS???? Is this
the more abundant nfe??P? .
Unto him that hath shall be
given, etc. EFFICIENCY rat
ings: VOLTA LAFF!!!"-Mr. K.
Dear Mr.. K: Have patience; in
28 years, perhaps 81, you may
find yourself a higher grade
clerk"
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
Reaping Harvest

A ND in another Administration in which
IA was F. D. R., as Wilson's Assistant Secretary
Of the Navy and must have known about this
wooden" fleet Now we reap some of the har-
vest Of the seeds sown -. Now we reap the floods
and we must spend more money for refor-
eStation, flood control, vast dams to stem the
The Washington times., 1938-07-23

last JAFFREY, N. H.-Being about to sign
~ off for a months vacation, have fled to
the New Hampshire hills. And being here, close
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
War Clouds HOUer

Dear Mr.. Moser: What the
AFGE needs mostly is a reincar-
nation or TRANSMISSION of some Of
the real fighting blood which was
on exhibition some year or two
ago. The UFWA is stealing the
limelight among Government en-
ployes and Is receiving plenty Of
publicity as to it's activities. It has
been my observation that most
Government employees do not favor
the UFWA and are more in SYM
pathy with the more rational
course Of the AFGE, but they tell
me the AFGE is not militant
enough in combating the activities
of their enemies and the CIO,
hence they are tiInid about becom-
ing members. So why not scare UP
some Of the old fighting blood
which preserved the AFGE and let
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
By EValyn Walsh Mclean

the doctors bill and. not only that, when the
doctor writes out the prescription they have to
pay the druggist for that.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
POOR MUST PAY

A MOTHER THING: The self.
Asufficiency program is being
carried to expensive extremes.
Latest Nazi creation in this re-
Spect is a new business called,
'"The Herman Goering Iron
Works" to mine iron ore. All
that Herman is contributing to
it is his genius. The financing
was done by requiring German
steel mills to buy preferred non
voting stock, while the govern
ment keeps the common stock.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
News Behind
The News
BY PAUL MALLoN

(world Copyright, 1888, by King Fea-
turees Syndicate, all rights reserved.
Reproduction In full or in part
strictly prohibited.)
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
, Futility NOlO Realized

-Futility NOlO Realized
RUT feel sure that demagoguery and political
- quackery will be defeated before long. The
Roosevelt depression Of 'S7.Ss has given social
planning" black eye. Labor now fears con-
scrption. In general, voters do not like coercive
regimentation.
The futility Of initiation has been seen, both
abroad and at home. Organized labor is aware
Of its threat to real wages.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23

and energy; and meanwhile we are using man.
aged currency and devaluation as a means Of
drawing on the past savings Of the thrifty. We
are eating up our capital
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
Says Boake Carter

floods which were nobly helped upon their de-
structive way -. when the great forests were
prostituted .. to supply green lumber . to
build fleet Of ships roughly $780, 900 per YES
sci :. None Of them "got across" . So green
was the lumber in them that . their decks
opened, that the crews were afraid lest they
should tumble into the hold and maybe con-
tinue right through the bottom.
The Washington times., 1938-07-23

profession in the world. There is no use of all
this fighting and arguing. The time has come
when the middle class and the very poor simply
should and must be provided with the best medi.
zeal care and attention without going so deeply in
debt that they not only mortgage their future
but their families as we'll
The Washington times., 1938-07-23
IS e Health Work Limits

- 1 e He0Lth Work Limits
How many people realize that the Public
l4ealth Service, which is under the control
OF the Government, had just as hard fight in
the beginning as these doctors who are trying
IN some way to give every soul proper medical
attention, Now remember, each State has a
public health department.
These departments organize branches in every
county in THEIR State. doctor lives in each
county. He is paid salary through the Govern
ment, has his office and necessary equipment. He
also has public health nurses on regular salary.
Each one has car equipped by the county. They
go into the schools and see the children. They
conduct public health clinics to try to teach ex-
pectant mothers how to guard their children
They try to teach and warn people how to keep
well and fit. In other words, they have an edu.
cat1onal job like school teachers.
The doctors cannot, while making their rounds,
treat any poor and suffering patient no matter
how desperate the case may be. With all their
knowledge, they can simply RECOMMEND what
should be done and advise the patient to see their
doctor In that community. Now, what exactly
does this mean? It means the Door soul must nav
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

and we authorize the issuance of
 the said warrants in payment of
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

the total amount of checks drawn and paid without ever having been approved by the Board of Finance, but which were subsequently, en- tered on the warrants payable regis ters for the purpose of stimulating their approval, ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars during certain months. It became the practice, in most cases, to draw and pay these checks without recording them in the books of the city until the last month of the year when they had to be entered upon the books in order to effect a reconciliation with the city's balance as shown by the banks records. For the month of May, 1880, for example, checks ag- gregating $8,058.44 were drawn and paid by Comptroller Leary without first having been submitted to the Board of Finance for their approval and these items were subsequently, added to the warrants payable registers and have never been ap- proved by the Board of Finance. By November, 1930, the total checks so drawn reached $77,889.30, and by January 1891, had reached the stag gering total of $842,361.48 Thence forth until January l, 1888, the practice continued, one month the total checks being as low as $1,297.- 35 and one month totalling as high as $799, 9,205.55.
 No Conscientious Audit
 From records still available, the Grand Jury has concluded that mill lions of dollars of the city's money was expended in this illegal manner between January 1, 1880 and Jan- uary l. 1888, without ever having been approved by the Board of Fi- nance. Had the auditors employed by the city made a conscientious and honest examination of the rec ords and transactions of any given year, this condition could not pos- sibly have escaped their attention, and 1t was of sufficient importance to have demanded caustic comment by them in their reports. In none of the auditors annual reports, however, has the Grand Jury dis covered any direct comment upon the situation, waTanting the infer ence, therefore, that the omission was deliberate.
 In practically every case the war rants payable register sheets which were abstracted and are now miss ing are the sheets which carried the official record of these illegal payments. AS an illustration of checks issued in this manner and clearing the bank without having been entered upon the books of the city at the date of issue of the checks the following tabulation is presented:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

All of the checks listed in the foregoing tabulation were drawn to the order of Donate A. Pietraroia, with the address thereon of Eagle street, Waterbury. The total amount of the checks listed is $l8,291 .00, and while the checks were issued be- tween the dates of June 10, 1892 and December 28, 1892, they were all en- tered on the books of the City of Waterbury, in one group, under the date of December 31, 1882. The warrants payable sheet on which they were entered is one of the missing sheets. All the checks list ed were numbered by hand, ill red pencil, and it will be noted that each number bears numerical se- quence, even though the dates of issuance extended over a period of six months.
 Two of the checks listed those bearing the numbers of 4l188 and 41189, each for $556.00, were charged on the books against the Slaughter House account.
 The remainder of the checks, twenty-eight in all, one for $2167 00 and the others each in the amount of $556.00, making total of $17,- 1790O were charged on the books to the account of Public Welfare De- partment-Rental of Trucks" There was no appropriation in the 1882 budget for any such expenditure, but the total of the audited vouch- CTS charged to such a nonresident account in 1882 was $24,113.75, and the ledger account does not indi- cate any transfer of an appropria- tion from any other department.
 Astonishing Abuse
 One of the most astonishing and persistent abuses which the Grand Jury has discovered has been the practice of the Comptroller of ex- pending large sums of the city'S money for which there was no ap- propriation whatever. Section 76 of the city charter provides that no money shall be expended for any purpose without appropriation hav- ing been made therefor. The sec- ton reads as follows:
 "N0 Money To Be Expended Without Appropriation. Special Appropriations from Unappropri- ated Receipts. No money other than that appropriated as afore- said by the board of aldermen at
 said meeting in the month of December, shall be expended for any purpose, unless special ap- propriation therefore shall first be approved by . two thirds vote of the members of said board, present and absent, but said board shall have no power to make any such special appropriation unless the unappropriated cash receipts from current resources of the city are sufficient for the purpose. During any fiscal year, the board of aldermen shall not appropriate from unappropriated cash receipts from current resources until the last month of the fiscal year and until said board shall have com pleted and approved he budget for the next fiscal year."
 Throughout the eight years of the Hayes-Leary administration 1t was
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20
Shorn of Power

Almost immediately upon their election to office, Mayor Hayes and Comptroller Leary assumed com plete control of the city's entire fi- nancial administration. Edward L. Futile. City Treasurer, vIose du- ties are specifically detailed in Sec tions 1l3-1l7 of the city charter. was compelled to surrender what
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

contract or otherwise, for which the city shall be responsible, in
 excess of the appropriations so made by the board of aldermen, nor for any object or purpose for which an appropriation has not been made"
 This section of the charter wal wilfully violated by the Mayor anc the Comptroller throughout theil administration. This violation of the charter is particularly tlagrant in view of Section 86 of tho charter which provides in part that the Comptroller shall ascertain before certifying any claim for payment that there is a sufficient balance remaining of the appropria ton for the department or class of claim to which it appertains to cover the amount, and if there shall not be, he shall hold the bill in his pos session and report the fact to the Board of Finance. The Grand Jury has discovered no instance throughout the eight years where this protective device was utilized. On the contrary, payments were made just as long as there was any money in the bank without regard to the status of the particular ap- propriations or whether the money which happened to be in the bank rightfully should have been segre- gated for specific purposes. As an illustration of the complete disre- gard by the Mayor and the Comp troller of the charter provisions re- quiring that expenditures be kept within appropriations, the following is Illuminating.
 Appropriations Overdrawn
 The appropriations for accounting and auditing services between the years 1880 aud 1887 were over-ex- pended approximately $143,0 900. The appropriations for court costs for the collector of taxes and tax at- torney between 1930 and 1897 were over-expended approximately $33,- 900; for court costs and sheriff's fee for the same years over expended approximately $185,00 for the City Court for the same years over-ex- pended approximately $14.000; for the Registrar of Voters, Office Sup plies, etc., for the same years over expended approximately $30000; for the Street Department regular sal-, aries, for the same years over-ex- pended approximately $600,00o; for the Street Department for repairs to cement curbing, etc. for the same years over-expended approximately $85 5,000; for the Street Department. removal of snow and truck hire for the same years over-expended ap- proximately $300,0o0; for the Street Department. motor vehicle supplies, for the same years, over-expended approximately $20,000; for the Street Department, road oil, etc. for the same years expended approxi- mately $265, ,000; for the Street De- partment, asphalt, traprocls, etc. for the same years over-expcrded ap- proximately $677 000: for the Street Department, street lighting. for the same years. over-expended approxi- mately $85.000; for the Street Del (Continued on Next Pags>
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

accepted practice to maloe expendi- lures with utter disregard of the provisions of this section of the charter. For example, from 1930-1936 the Department of Public Welfare was charged with the expenditure of $128,76l55 for rental of trucks, all of which was charged to Public Welfare De- partment-Rental of Trucks" There was no such appropriation. Tn each year from 1882 to 1888, the Tax Commissioners Department was charged with $450, each received quarterly by three assessors, John H. Crary, Thomas A. Shanahan and William H. Sandland. payments which were in excess of their regu- lar salaries as fixed by charter and, therefore, also in violation of statute. This extra compensation was charged to "Revaluatior. There was no such appropriation. From 1892 to 1888 payments of this extra and therefore illegal, compensation totaled $32,400.
 Given No Authority
 The Comptroller had absolutely no authority for making these pay ments and 1t was clearly the duty, first of the Mayor and of the Board of Finance, and later of the auditors employed by the City, to call attention to these illegal ex- penditures. So far as this Grand Jury has been able to determine, the expenditures were made with the knowledge and consent of the Mayor, probably without discovery by the Board of Finance, and were deliberately not commented upon by the auditors employed by the city.
 Apparently at no time during any of these years were these payments of extra compensation to the asses sors, to the personnel of the Con- troller's office or to the many others, provided for in enlarged budget re- quest and consequent appropriations, nor has the Grand Jury found that any extra services were in fact rem dered which justified any extra compensation.
 Not only were hundred of thou sands of dollars expended by the Hayes-Leary administration against existent appropriations, but even larger sums were expended in excess of regular appropriations. Section 83 of the city charter reads as follows:
 ''No Liability or Expense To Be
 incurred in Excess of Appropria-
 tion. Neither the city, nor any
 department or officer or board of
 commissioners thereof, shall, ex-
 cept as herein otherwise provided,
 incur any liability or expense, by
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20
the claims represented by the said vouchers totalling 5 -"
 Practice Discontinued

vouchers totalling 5 -"
 t Practice Discontinued
 Early in the Hayes-Leary admin istration the practice of submitting the actual vouchers to the Board of Finance for examination as required by the charter was discontinued and all that the Board of Finance had available to it were the warrants payable registers bearing the infor- nation above mentioned. So far as the Grand Jury has been able to ascertain, rarely did the Board of Finance, or any member thereof, question any item appearing upon the face of any warrants payable register as submitted by the Comp troller. It appears that such exam ination as the face of the warrants payable registers were subjected to was of superficial nature, on in- frequent occasions. At no time ap- parently were the warrant numbers inserted in the spaces provided in the certificate of approval on the back of the warrants payable reg isters, and at no time was the total amount of bills approved inserted in the space provided therefor in the certificate of approval signed by the Board of Finance on the back of the warrants payable reg isters. In a great many instances warrants payable registers were submitted and approved on the face of which only two or three items appeared. This naturally meant that if the warrant numbers and the total amount of bills approved were not inserted in the spaces pro- vided therefor on the back of the sheets when the Board indorsed its approval, that items could there after be added to the face of the sheets and thus appear to have re- ceived the approval of the Board of Finance.
 Before he had been in office many months, the Comptroller discovered and took advantage of this situation and from that time until his in- voluntary retirement from the office of Comptroller, he has indulged in what appears to this Grand Jury to be one of the most corrupt and despicable practices conceivable. Realizing the opportunity offered