National Republican., 1877-02-20

strange developments
In the nine months Of last year which ended on
the ist Of October, the records Of the New York
Health Board show the recovery Of 1888 bodies OF
unknown drowned persons, and seven cases Of
known suicide by drowning. In the other three
rssoSsd Nmc %s ins Ssny sss5s
Of o5 bodies Of unknown drowned persons and il
ss Sases o. suicide So ey drowning, Thus during nine
were unidentified.
THE NATIONAL TUBE woRKs.-It is fortunate
for the Natioaal Tube Works that their financial
condition is strong, for such an attack as has
lately been made on them, which does not appear
to bo borne out BY facts, would ruin company
OF moderate strength. The animus OF the mat.
ter is shown by the fact that, while II was pub.
lished as . special TO Boston, 1t was also pub
lished the same day In the papers OF Pittsburg
and other Western cities, although not In so gross
form. The facts In the case are learned to be as
fellows; First, no notice has been given to the
company OF any claim or suit by the government
the nrst knowledge OF either being obtained from
the article In the Boston Journal OF the
3lst ult Second the whole amount Of the
drawback claimed or received from the goy.
eminent for six years is only sls,oOO, instead
OF $4,000 as reported, and for the last
three years only $4,000. Fer the last two years
no drawback has boon claimed - s.y goods OK.
ported. Third, in the years 1870 q ms, the
company imported English iron, on which they paid
the government over 800 900 gold as duties, and
had on hand all the time plenty OF English iron,
and could have gained nothing by using Amer.
ican iron and pretending It was English. There
was no motive for fraud. In 1870 the company
thought trade might be opened with Canada,
and that market taken from English manuiac.
turers, and as iron was then lew In England, they
gave some small orders, which they increased to
avery large quantity Just as the market In Eng.
land began to advance. From these i'm
portations the pipe was made upon which
drawbacks were claimed. They have also
exported pipe made Of American iron,
and sometimes In the same shipments
with that made from English, but as
their entries will show, they have always
been kept separate, and drawback claimed only
on the English iron. Nearly all the information
which the government claims to have has been
obtained from the books Of the company, which
were voluntarily offered to the Treasury agents
year ago, and the subject was then thoroughly
Investigated and dropped. The first news the
company had Of anythIng further was from the
article that appeared In the Boston Journal. We
are informed that the discharged clerk. with
whom the charge originated, called at the com.
pany's otfce within q month, offering to get the
matter settled II he could have some money,
which offer Of course was promptly declined. We
have taken special pains to get the above facts
from Mr. VIM. s. Eaton, the treasurer OF the
company, and the most implicit reliance may be
placed In tho statement. Mr. Eaton is extern
sively known In business and financial circles,
and epIoysa high reputation rs an Intelligent,
reliable and successful business man -Bosion
Commercial Bulletin.