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The Mena Weekly Star
Mena, Polk County, Arkansas
What is this article about?
Chicago's Merriam Commission uncovers graft: City Fire Apparatus Co., led by Mayor Busse's secretary Harry Smith and Treasurer Connery's brother, sold coal at 200% profit and overpriced, substandard oil to the city.
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A Commission Finds That City Paid Too Much for Inferior Coal and Oil.
Chicago, Ill., Dec. 18.—Information gleaned by the Merriam Commission, which was appointed by the city council to probe municipal financial affairs, reveals that the Chicago Fire Apparatus Company, of which Harry Smith, private secretary to Mayor Busse, is president, and a brother of City Treasurer Connery, vice-president, not only sold coal to the city at a 200 per cent profit, but "cleaned up" also on oil transactions with the municipality.
For oil the company received from five to ten cents a gallon more than the market price, and the investigating commissioner learns that the oil delivered rarely met the specifications.
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Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Chicago, Ill.
Event Date
Dec. 18
Key Persons
Outcome
city paid 200 per cent profit on coal and five to ten cents a gallon more than market price for oil; oil rarely met specifications.
Event Details
Merriam Commission, appointed by city council to probe municipal financial affairs, finds Chicago Fire Apparatus Company, with Harry Smith as president and brother of City Treasurer Connery as vice-president, sold coal to city at 200 per cent profit and overcharged on oil transactions.