New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-12
METHODIST BOOK CONCERN
MINORITY REPORT.

| LARS WORTH OF LEATHER NOT ACCOUNTED
| F0R-THE TRUTH WILL CONE OUT.
hessrs. Henry Slicer James Pike and ]. NJ Vernon,
members Of the Book Committee of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, have made the following dissent
| ing report:
We, the undersigned members Of the Book Committee,
respectfully dissent from report of majority.
| adopted yesterday, for the following reasons:
Because nothing has before during our
present session 10 relieve convictions OF losses and
mismanagement In the Book Concern. insuficenty
expressed in the Committees report November last:
Because, from testimony before the Committee. IL
appears that the Book Agents for series Of years. pur
chased very large part Of their paper from through
mddleman paper broker, who represented himself
TO paper manufacturers controlling the purchase Of
paper for the Book Concern whose relation to OF
the Agents gave special credby to his representations
and who also represented himself to the Book Concern
the accredited agent of certain leading manufacturers
This method Of purchases appears TO discredtable
and, almost of necessity. damaging to the house.
Because the testimony before the Committee shows
that this system actually damaging TO the Book Con
The agents have bought since 1860 from through
tho abovc-nan,ed mddle-man paper To the amount OF
nearly 100000; from him direct about sa5OGo through
him as broker about $4,000 The statement" Of the
Assistant Agent to the Committee corroboraed it is.
by documents drawn from the books OF the dealers
ferred TO- and also from the order book OF the Printing
Department OF the Methodist Book Concern, clearly
shows that Book Concern, amounting 10
scsoe9 july sC7 and August 1861 the profit
accruing TO the above-namcd ~ broker" f6s o.
and that during the period his commissions pur
ehases made from - amounted 10 500 d. Be
tween August 1865 and June. 1869. he received from
houses commissions amounting to $76s So ON
paper ordered directly from the Book Concern We give
these specimens only, not pretending To what was
the whole amount Of profits and commissions on the
entire Of nearly :7OOOO0 But append the follow
inp lett from All
at least, proht Of 30 per cent -as charged
NEW YORK, Jan. %. 1870
Rec j. LANAHkN- Dear Sir: In reply to your inquiry
beg say that sold Mr. Porter In june 1851 lGs
of 14x20 ~ pounds az q cents per pound less y
per cent amounting to t2 a. We md 9y referring 10
the Methodist Book Concern at "a cents per pound
amounting 10 sl,256 q, leaving difference Of s2Ss 81
showing profit Of over 80 per cent
L. Because It was IN evidence before the Committee
that all the manufacturers and dealers whose testimony
given would have sold to the house directly as
cbeapy asthey sold to Mr. j. T. Porter with partial eN
ceptOn in the OF - stated in their letter below
The following letters form a part of this testimony
"NRw-YoRK. Nov. 10. 1869.
DEAR SIR: We would say in answer To your nquryas
to whether would have sold the Methodist Book Cop
the paper which did through Mr. Porter bring
ing the orders price allowing the Methodist
Book Concern the discount which pad To Mr. Porter
had those orders come TO ms deet instead o through Mr.
Porter we would have allowed the one cent pound To
your Society, as we do now The demand OF Mr. Porter
for % cent addition which finally allowed and
pad To hin we did under protest. feeling that was the
knowing thar the time would come when could break
the Infamous system and ourselves and others could
rebed and do business with your Society az We
hal formerly before Mr.. Porter upon the field
of action and ia the same manner AZ We did our business
with our other large customers.
" Rev. John IanahaD."
Boston, Oct-1o.rrb9.
"JoHS LAN.n.x, ID. Ne,o York-Aig Dear SIR: You
ask Of YESTERDAY, Whether from July, 1861 Ia
July 1868, would under the circumstances have
price sold Mr. j. +. Porter If the Agents Of said Book
Concern their employee had applied to me in personi
cumsances. should not have sold paper low the
Methodist Book Concern As 10 Mr. Porter
The following IL extract OF a letter OF Mr.. -.
dated Dec. 20. 1869:
THE letter TO which Mr. Goodenough refers is proba-
bly, the written by me in which said that under the
Book Concern direct as To Mr. Porter. BY this meant
that Had no motive for making low prices to MI Porter
would have existed had the Agents OF the Book
Concern applied Ia me direct
NEW yoRK, January %. 1870
your inquiry whether We should have furnished the
Methodist Book Concern the paper sold 10 Mr. Porter;
and npOn the terms, We have TO say, We should
most certainly have done 30. Yours trny."
Because evidence rebuttal of the above state
menGs laid before the Committee except 10 the
effect that the purchase of paper through mddlemen
was not unrequcnt. Moreover, assertion made
10 the Committee that prices paid by the Concern FOR
paper were low those paid by other publishing
houses But the testimony showed l. That the purchase
Of paper through brokers - the exception and not the
rule; that especially IN large establishments, the
purchase directly from manufacturers; and That
even where brokers employed the commission paid
is rarely over per As 10 comparative prices
paid by the Concern and other 1t
csively shown that clear proof possible from the
very nature OF the And moreover, our concern
other houses paid for paper bat what The
Methodist Book Concern might have bought II for.
The Agents OF such an institution AS the Methodist
Book ought certainly to buy their paper OF man
ufacturcrs as cheaply AS any broker.
G. Because in our Judgment, based npOn testimony be
us. the following losses have occurred IN the Bind
cry: J. In leather, from Dee l. 1857, to Sept ], 1902
bought by Book Concern, but not accounted for
shown TO have used in the Bndery, about $4,000
AIso within nine months, from Dec. l. 1865, In the item
OF glue. paid for and not accounted for about 500
T. Because we believe that funds Of the Book Concern
have sacrificed ana placed III jeopardy by The ap-
preparation OF the gold sweepDgs to the head OF the Bind
cry as perquisite instead Of small supplement 10 his
salary. For several years the purchases OF god-eaf
have averaged 5000 per year aud the gold sweep
Dgs amounted are convinced To at least f1een
per OF the whole purchase making annually AT least
o. 200 Any employe is dangerously tempted when his
careless use costly materials results IN the increase OF
bis salary.
For the not To Others We feel our
selves compelled TO present this minority report; and
we further feel ouIselye compelled 10 say, that the
methods OF making purchases in the Printing Depart
nleDt the methods OF paying wages and keeping ac-
counts thereof in the BiDdey and the methods OF check
ing invoices goods received. have been defective and
likely therefore 10 lead 10 losses We al the same time
express nrm belief aud hope that the Book Commit
tees have far awakened attention, and
will lead TO such improvements III the methods of bnsl
ness that the Book Concern will be secured To "A very
great extent against the possibility Of SIMILAR Irregular
tes and losses hereafter.
And finally. we beg TO that We fny eeDcur 10 ibat
part the report the majority which expresses conf
the integrity Of the Agents and the solvency OF
the Book Concern Henry SLICER.
JANIS PIKE,
Ner. York, Feb. 70, 1870 J. VI. VERNON.