NEW YORK CRAFT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2677, 4 August 1913, Page 8

NEW YORK CRAFT.

A full statement of the extent of graft which, ho declares, was practised by the old Examining Board for Plumbers in New York that was put out of office on December E, lias been made by August (J. Schwager, formerly a member of the Board, and is in the hands of District Attorney Whitman. Scbwager is out on bail pending sentence on a charge of bribery, to which lie has pleaded guilty. Sell wager asserts that fully £o(),000 in graft has been obtained by various plumbing boards in the last few years in exchange for master plumbers’ licenses. During his own tenure of office, from May 1911 to December 1912, he admits that about £12,000 passed through his hands in payment for licenses. Ho declares that when be took cilice his work was to an extent laid out for him, and the methods of “getting the money” were explained in full.

Schwager was practically in charge of the examination of applicants, and was in a position to dictate the price to bfi paid for privileges. _Ho went about tho matter systematically, lie says, getting an average of £7O for a license.

In order to bo sure that there would he no slip in his scheme ho took candidates for licenses to his own shop, and after carefully schooling them on the replies to bo made to questions which would ho asked in examination, would give them some of tho official examination paper, and let them answer all of the questions as ho dictated, and in their own handwriting. When they appeared at the regular examination later on they would apparently write on tho sheets given to them, hut would turn im tho answers written at Schwager’s shop. In tho ease of foreigners Schwager sometimes taught them how to write in order to pass the examination.

In the distribution Sch wager says ho got less than £2OOO of tho £12,000. At least ten persons wlioso names ho has given took part in the negotiations concerning a fictitious certificate. Among the names are those of two district leaders who sent applications to him. When an applicant who had satisfactory political backing applied for a license, Schwager says, lie was assured of passing on very easy terms. Sometimes a small gift, like tho price of a suit of clothes, was accepted, and in some cases a drink or a smoke did the trick —no matter how obviously unfitted for the license the applicant might be.