GRAFT IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13939, 22 December 1908, Page 5

GRAFT IN AMERICA.

swindle in Pennsylvania; CORRUPT state officials.' v By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyrtgnt. ' (Received-December. 21, '11.30 p.m.)'" v New York, - December - 21.' Three former officials, of the -State V of Pennsylvania—ex-State Treasurer Mathues, ex-Auditor-General- Synder, James IM. Shumaker (formerly State. Superintendent .' of ' ' Public Buildings)—and John H. Sanderson, a contractor, have been found guilty - of swindling to the extent fof ■ £1,800,000 in • connection with - the building and furnishing ' of■ the new ;; capitol at Harrisburg. Each has been sentenced to two. years' imprisonment.'.'■• An appeal is to be made to the Superior Court of Philadelphia. "--' , ..'.'. ; ■ \ Encouraging progress "has (wrote our New York * correspondent ; some months ago) been made in the work of bringing to justice the rascals who robbed the State of Pennsylvania ,of, about 5,000;000dol. while preparing for use the hew capitol at - Harrisburg. Two >or three years ago the memorable : exposure of municipal corrup-'"'■■'.' tion in the city of Philadelphia caused a : revolt. "throughout the State .against' the •■ dominant (Republican) party, and- a- Democrat, William H. Berry, Was elected State ■ Treasurer. , . Taking- possession.. of : this important office, he ascertained'•■ and--- publicly declared that 5,000,000d01. had been stolen - by public officers and .contractors .engaged in preparing the. new : , capitol for ; occupa- .••':'■; tion. The cost of the structure-itself had been 4,000,000d01, It was commonly believed by the people that "this sum covered all the expenditures; but... 9,000,000d01. more had been paid for furniture; chandeliers, painting, -etc., and not less than 5,000,000d01. of this had been obtained: by fraud. :• There" was an official '■ investigation •- by a legislative commission, followed by indictments.' Some of the frauds had been of an extraordinary character. „ Thousands of dollars * had been paid > for a telephone booth or for a bootblack's stand. Two years in prison will probably Vbe" the penalty. Ten- more await" trial, among them being one Cassel, a member of the -■•■"' National House of Representatives, arid Joseph M. Huston, the architect of the building. It is a curious fact that the reform movement in -Philadelphia, at 'the eastern end of the State, which indirectly caused the exposure of these frauds at Harrisburg, has come to nothing, No one of the corrupt contractors .and politicians whose ii offences excited political' revolt throughout the ; State has been, punished, and the old "gang," as it is called,"has re*, gained control of the municipality. '\€ '