The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-12
RELIGIOUS RASCALITY.
NOW TIE METHODIST BOOK CON-
GERM has BEEN UNDERED.


GERM HAS BEEN PLUNDERED.
Minority Report Of the BOOK Committee
The Little Difference between what the
Concern Paid for Paper, aud what IT'S
Agents Paid-Lcntber, and Gold Sweeps
ines.
We the undersigned members Of the Book
Committee, respectfully dissent nom the report of
tho majority, adopted yesterday. for the following
reasons:
1. Because nothing has como before US during our
present session to relieve our convictions of losses
and Encouragement in the Book Concern, 90 Insult
cently expressed In the Committees report In No
vombcr last.
2 Because, from testimony before the Committee,
appears that the Book Agents, for series OF years,
purchased very large part Of their paper from or
through middlc-man or paper broker who rc'rc'
sented himself to paper nuracturers as control
ling tho purchase OF paper for the Book Concfrn
and whose relation TO one OF Agents gave special
eredibility to his representations, and who also
represented himself to the Book Concern O. the
accredited agent Of certain leading manufacturers.
This method Of purchases appears TO discredita'
BILE and almost OF necessity damaging to tue hopse.
O. Because the testimony before the Comm ittce
shown that this system actually wds damaging to the
Book Concern. The Agents have bought siucc 1850
from or through the above named mlddlc.man paper
to tho amount Of nearly $700,0o0 from him direct
about sS5000O, through him as broker about i350,.
0c0. The statement" of the Assistant Agent TO the
Committee, corroboratol, as IL Ia, by documents
drawn from the books Of the dealers referred 10,
and also from tho ORDER Book OF tho Printing
Department OF the Methodist Book Concern,
clearly shows that on sales to the Book Con.
cerp, amounting to sGa,6ool0, between July. 1861,
md August, 1863, the profit accrulng 20 the above
named broker" was g, 5000; and that during the
same period his commissions purchases made
from - -, and - - amount
ed 20 SCOOPS Between August, 1868 and june,
1sCa he received from those two houses commissions
ir IN the Book Concern We give these ~ spcci.
mons ONLY, not pretending 90 say what was the
whole amount ~ profits and commissions on the en-.
tire sum NJ nearly s1Ol00. But we apocnd the ,ol-
loving letter from Campbel Hail 4 Co, show wing
That 70 ono case at least, profit Of thirty per cent.
was charged.
NEW York. Jan. %. 1870
" Rer. J. LGBahan.
pEAe sIE; Inrerly 70 your inquiry we beg 70 ssy
~ g NJ" q e cents n, less ~ cent amounting
9rdsr book tia, se sold This raper g Inc M.,neast
7! lSS9yns dicrSnce Of oslo 'aowins prOff Clover
4 Because II was In evidence before the Committee
that all the manufacturers and dealers whose test
mony was given would have sold to the house direct
" as chcaply as they sold TO Mr. J. r. Porter, with
pclow.
The following letters form q part OF this tcsti-
mony;
"NEw YorK. Nov. 10. 1900
&c hAn sIHi We would say, IN an.wer to your in.
no1k Concern the paper winch we did through Mr.. Por-
asIE x S lie 6 ss ' w Ss
Mr.: Porter. had those orders come to US dreci
aowea 5 % cS a. sS
NOM w hS % e, Sr rSrs "a 9T M per sSn adj
under protest fecITg that II was tie onv way that We
time would come when could break up tha Infamous
system aud ourselves and others could get lshtod AID
done before Mr. Porter came upon the feia Of acton.
e ena n " ere s s sSnsT as We did our business WITH
" kEv. JoHs LASAnAs."
L" .rqha Laaahan, D. D., N,,o Tott: ~ '''''
w6eher om jay @ 90 20 july GS 1 y Would sdie andsi
The same circumstances have sold paper TO the Me'ho
PofST Agents Of aid Concern sSa % M ,2 emf
lin reply know no reason why, under the ,nmc cir.
Meiodisi BOOK ConaeT G as 70 NJ PSTtsr 10" 10 the
The following IS On extract OF letter dated Dec.
%, 1860:
The letter 10 which Mr. Goodenouah refers Is pro ba.
by tie one written BY me ia which said that. un
The Boop cohesrn direct as 70 Mr. ferteS Ry . 70
mean, that nsd no motive for nskine low picss TO
OF the Book Concern apnlea ,, to 3, direct"
" Rer. Dr John L11uhan: - '''''
soaa bsy Sun A. gPy to y9nr inquiry Whether
Paper sofa TO Mr Porte and upon inc same terms We
have to say We should most certainly have done
8 Because no evidence In rebut,al OF the above
statements was laid before tie Committee, except to
the eject that the purchase OF PAGER through middle.
men was not uDirequcnt. Moreover, an assertion
was made to the Committee that prices paid oy the
Concern Tor paper were A. low those paid by other
publishing houses But the testimony shovel:
ls that the purchase ofpapcr through brokers Is the
establishments, the usage Is to purchase directly
from manufacturers; and, a. that even where
brokers are employed, the commission IL rarely over
per cent AZ TO com oaratiyc prices pa,d iv tbe
Book Concern aud other hoGscs, was coDcluslyrIv
shown t1a no clear PROOF is possible from the very
nature OF the case And, moreover, our concern "a
not what other houses paid Tor pager but what the
Methodist Book Concern might have bought It for
Tic agents VI such an institution US the N.thodis,
Book Concern ought certainly to buy their paper of
manqiaetur,r s as CT oap!y as any broker.
.; Dosause' ~ our lnlgmenl, based upon testimo-
ny before US the following losses have occurred IN
the bud ny: a. H. leather, from December /. isGi.
TO September !, 1862, bought by tie Book Cuurern,
the bindery, about $4,000 (2) Also within line
months, from 'cembcr /, 1905 in the item Of Llue,
paid Tor and hot accounted for, about SSU
7. Because We believe tlat funds OF The book Con-
Germ have been sacrificed and placed in Jeopardy by
u he bindery as perqulste instead Of small sup
plement 10 bis salary. For several years the pur.
chases OF gold Leaf have averaged over IS 600 per
year, and the gold sacepings have amountel We Ire
conv need, TO ut least hcen per cent OF the VI Ole
purchase making annualya' least $l,9OJ ANY en-.
OF costly materials results in tue increase OF hs own
salary. ''' Wv"
For the above reasons, not to name otber. ,yc
feel ourselves compelled to present this Inlnortv re-
port; and We further ieol ourselves conipeued To
say, that the methods OF making purcl asCs In the
printing department. the methods OF paving WAGES
ana keephg acrounts thereof the bind nv ana Inc
methods OF cheek ng invoices Of good. rectyrd
lave been defective, and hkcY, therefore to lead t.
losses We at tne same time express our firm behef
dhope that the Book Committees myesupations
have 20 lar awakened attention, aud W Ii cad 10
such impr yemrnis IN the method, of business that
Tue booh concern VIII be s'clrtd to q very great
cxtcnt AGAINST ne possibility OF snilai Irregularities
and loser hereafter
, And finally, We beg TO say tlat we FULLY concur In
thal part OF me report Of the majority when eX
presses confidence N the integrity OF tle "a nj alJ
the solYency ofthe Book Concern
HENRY sLICER,
NEW YoRK, Feb. 10, 1870 I'M Within
NorR.-1he names oho writer's OF Tho lottors c,,, a.,
ms report, ana the LTmH reieriOl L., arc ult in
nitec, ~ N wa
Mr.GcO, L.. Fox aud Hamlet