Evening star., 1940-03-24
MILLIONS SALVAGED FROM GOTHAM,S GRAFT
Her'onds La euordos Financial Watchdog and Efficiency Man

NEW YORK.-If a sudden interest in
political history hadn't overtaken Bill
Herlands in his Junior year at City Col
lege Of New York, where he was pre-
medical student, he probably would be
burning the midnight oil in some lab
oratory Of science today instead of hold
ing unique Office in American munich
pal government. Instead of searching
for truth through microscopes he is now,
at "a. commissioner Of investigation of
New York City, and in two crowded years
he has made the phrases "civic honesty
and "civic efficiency" mean something.
There are nearly 145,0 900 city employees
IN New York and each of them knows
by now that the day may come when he
will have to look Mr.. Herlands squarely
In the eye and tell the truth, so help him
La Guardia. Aided by his staff of 80, he
is empowered by charter to make any
study or investigation which in his opin-
ion may be in the best interests of the
city, including but not limited to investi-
cations of the affairs, functions, accounts,
methods, personnel or efficiency of any
agency" In other words-his own-the
commissioner is "self-starting" investi-
gator. Refusal by city employe to an
swer his questions on the ground of self
incrimination results automatically, un-
der city regulations, in loss of job.
It would be impossible to estimate the
sums salvaged for the city since William
B. Herlands took Office after it was
created by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia
in January, 1898. In the halting of graft,
petty and otherwise, he has saved the
city pretty penny; in recommending
and enforcing changes toward increased
efficiency, he has saved millions. One
striking aspect of the post is that it was
created to bring to light defects in the
Mayors own administration. He and his
aides are under constant surveillance
bill Herlands is my eyes and ears"
Mayor La Guardia has said.
Salvage From Printing.
Possibly there is no better way to illus
trate the value of the Office of commits
sioner Of investigation than to set forth
the result Of an investigation that led to
recovery by the city Of 1925, 900 and to
revelations that may yet assume the pro-
portions of a national scandal. The
money was collected from printing firm
as restitution for overcharges on bills for
. three-year period. Mr.. Herlands' in
vestigators checked the invoices and con-
cluded they were high. Further inquiry
disclosed that the city had been over
charged half million dollars by single
printing company which received but a
fraction of municipal business, averaging
S2200,0 600 annually. Faced with the
facts, the firms officers agreed to make
restitution. The rest is up to District
Attorney Thomas E. Dewey.
One of the interesting facts submitted
to the district attorney was that several
hundred thousand dollars each year had
been charged off to entertainment" by
printing firms dealing with city, State
and Federal agencies. Another develop
ment that may be attributed to the Her
lands investigation is that New York
City Is now inquiring into ways and
means Of installing its own municipal
printing plant.
10 business is too big or individual too