The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-01-10
asrnIne Star and Catholic Messenger.


Commercial Morality.
There 10 now is progress, before Congress
sional Committee composed of such men a
Messrs Beck, Kasson and other leaders Of the
: two great national parties, an investigation
INTO the affairs of the great Pacific Mail Com
pany. It has been admitted by the officers OF
the Company, as indeed the books of the Cor
poration shows that nearly 81 ,000, 600 were dis
posed of in Washington by Mr.. Irwin, agent,
to secure the passage of bill granting the
Company an Immense annual subsidy from the
U. s. Treasury. During the course OF the in
vestigation the following testimony was given
by the chief book-keeper:
O. Does 1t not therefore appear to You in
looking over the checks, cash books and
erasures in tho ledger that the entries made
relative to this $3.50 900 transaction were In
fact false7 A. Well, they are false in fact, 30
far as the actual fact of bookkeeping is con-
cerned; it was charged to persons-to an ac-
count-where it did not belong.
O. What security can stockholders have
when that sort Of things are done In the books
ont at all deranging or ipjuring the accuracy
Of the books, but of course the only defence OF
the steckb9lders in any case is that their
representatives shouid be honest, and that the
books shall show the truth.
O. Wouldn't any stakeholder believe that
Harriott g. Noyes owed the company $780, 900 |;
now, If that money was given to Mr.. irwin to
obtain subsidy, wouldn't the stockholders be
that far deceivedf A. Yes, that is evidently
SO !; don't suppose it Is any security for the
stakeholder, In any event, unless BIO is as vel!
informed as those who manage the books OF
@. Sant to know whether there is any
seeaI p book keepipgf A. You wouid Ger,
tainf& misled by those books If you trusted
to en&ties take it that as to the fact the
books will partake very largely OF the char
actor of TIC men who manage the business.
@. should liketo know. if q book-keePer
knows that his PEI is Sd hs g6 nun r1srs
A. 1t is q question; if he does not obey he
knows what the result must be, and If he makes
a statement, if he goes to complain, to whom
should he got For instance, knew this
knew that the Executive COMMITTEES
had ordered certain expenditures in Wash
ingtop, or Mt least supposed II. The
Us very large, and am very confident that !
went to Mr.. Bellows, the Vice-President, and
asked him how they were to be disposed OF,
and it was agreed that they were to be
charged to Eldridge & Irwin, although
warned him that some disposition must be
made; Mr.. Bellows stated to me that 1t wat
MIR. Stockwell intention to pay back thai
entries were made that knew at the time
that the money should be charged to MT
Stockwell.
By Mr.. Kasaon-I can't help expressing my
intense surprise at the false entries. 1s 1t !,
part of tho commercial morality of New Yori
to expect book-keepers to make false entries
knowingly in obedience to their snperiorsf A
responsible for their balances; they cannot b.
responsible for their superiors.
The Vice President of the Company, MI
Bellows, was then put on the stand and testifie
as follows:
O. BY Mr.. Kasson--was the book. keepe
under Your directiona A. Yes, sir.
@. The book-keeper has justified himself i
.S-s,~ L., hr,fh az
ment that he regarded 1t as his duty to ODE
the instructions of his superiors; it was unde
your direction, and you now state that 70
were Justified in directing him to make falls
merely gave the orders of the President.
@. It was through you, in other wordsf a
Yes. sir.
result, it may perhaps show how business
managed by the leading business corporation
in New York; want to know IL You regard
false entries in the books of great corporatio
Subsidized by the United States, and in whic
the whole country is fnterestedf A. While
subordinate was obliged to obey the orders Q
abandon my position, and this could no
afford to do; tried several timea to get on
and went to my friends and asked them to &c
me another place.
@. Al that time, however, you allowed tn
irregularities to go on without attempting {
stop them by communicating with the boar
of directors A. I did not communicate wit
them considered 1t my duty TO obey ordei
Q. Do Sou understand that the commercii
sentiment VI New York requires any honorabl
gentleman o be party to dishonoIabIe tram
actionsf A. don't consider that was
party to it; ] don't consider that was r
sponsIbIe IN any shape; if had should haV
been very Glow to do it.
O. But still you were unwilling to remain
A. Yes, sir; because felt that it as irregula
Do not fail to attend Father Ryan's lectui
this evening, in st. Patrick's Hall.