The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-12
METHODIST BOOK CONCERN.

The Minority ncHsrt-now tho Blalority
"Whitownshed''-H1r Porter Makes Front
Of Nero thnu Thirty Per Cent. on PAPER Sold
70 the Concern.
We yesterday published the report of the In
vestigating Committee of the alleged Book Con-
cern frauds. The report fully exonerated the
agents and managers. Messrs. Henry Sncer
James Pike, and l.. NJ. Vernon, members OF the
Book Committee, have, however, made the fol-
lowing dissenting report
We, the undersigned members of the Book Com
mittee respectfully dissent from the report OF the
majority, adopted yesterday, for the Following
/. Because nothing has come before us during our
present session TO relieve our convictions OF losses
and mismanagement in the Book Concern, so insun-
clently expressed In the committees report In NO
.. Because, from testimony before the committee,
IL appears that the Book Agents. for series OF years,
purchased very large part Of their paper from or
through mlddle-man or paper broker, VINO repre-
sented himself to paper manufacturers as controlling
the purchase OF paper for the Book Concern. and
creSi6nity TO his Observation-Disclosures and who aIso re-
presented himself 10 the Book Concern as the ac-
credited agent of certain leading manufacturers.
This method OF purchasing appears TO US dscredita-
BILE, and, almost OF necessity damaging to the house.
8. Because the testimony before the committee
shows that this system actually damaging TO the
Book Concern The agents have bought since 1860
from or through the above-named middle-Inan paper
TO the amount OF nearly $780, coo from him direct
about $500 OOO through him as broker about 1850 oOO
The statement OF the assistant agent 70 the COM
mittee, corroboraed, as it is, by documents drawn
from the order book Of the Printing Department OF
the Methodist Book Concern, clearly shows that on
sales TO the Book Concern, amounting TO 3,69916,
between July, 1861, and August, 1868, the pront
accruing TO the above-named 'brokern was s6s05 o.
and that during the came period his commissions on
purchases mqde amounted TO s3,0402s. Between
August 1868, and June, 1862 he received from those
two houses commissions amounting TO e5765o5 on
paper ordered directly from the Book Concern We
give these as specimens only, not pretending to say
what was the whole amount OF profits and commits
slons on the entire sum OF nearly sI00e00. But we
append the following letter from Campbell, Hall Il
Co., showing that, in one case at least, profit OF 80
HNEw .YoRK Jan. Is, ls7O--ReU. j. L1~qhan-Ussr Sir
PoTs n june 10 we ess e I ass "a %s sSd
cents por pound less ~ per cent amounting 70 sg7a
that he oa this s MsSod sook Concern AZ
"a cents per pound amounting to $l25664 leaving diff
IN g s
tee that all the manufacturers and dealers whose
testimony was given would have sold TO the house
directly as cheaply as they sold to ME-. j. f. Porter
as stated in their letter below.
The following letters form part OF this test-
mony:- ..
NEW YonK, Nov. 10, IsSs.-Doar Sir We would say.
& oS 20 we
MI H. bringing % Ss the e. hs prS
which We paid to Mr. E. Porter had thsss orders come
VEso GC s0S 0nS The
paid s g fif him. I'VE protest. feeling that the
the infamous system and ourselves and others could
ssiers Mr Porter S @
of action and IN the same manner as we did our business
With our other Large customers.
"hev. John Lanahan.'
"BosToN, Oct. 20, Isee.-John Lanahan, d. D., New
York-My Dear Sr:-You ask in yours OF Yesterday,
Whether from July 1887 to July 1865 would nader the
same circumstances have sold paper TO the Methodst
Book Concern at the same price sold to Mr. Por'
ploye. had applied to me in personr
81 reply, know why, under the circum
should have sold paper low to the Metho
dist Book Concern Mr.. Porter"
For the above reasons, not to name others, we
feel ourselves compelled to present this minority
report; and we further feel ourselves compelled to
say that the methods of making purchases In the
printing department. the methods of paying wages
and Keeping accounts thereof In the bindery, and
the methods OF checking invoices OF goods received
have been defective, and likely therefore, to lead to
losses. We at the same time express our firm belief
and hope that the Book Committees Investigations
have so far awakened attention, and will lead to
such improvements in the methods Of business that
the Book Concern will be secured to q very great
extent against the possibility Of similar Irregularities
and losses hereafter.
And finally, we beg to say that we fully concur in
that part Of the report OF the majority which
presses confidence in the integrity of the agents and
the solvency of the Book Concern.
.. .r HENRY SIIcRR,
..,... a.. JAMES PIKE,
New York, Feb. 10, 1870. L. NJ VERNON.