New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-15
MR.. THURBER'S PET BOAj,1,
SOME LIGHT THROWN ON RS HISTORY

! SOME LIGHT THROWN ON IFS HISTORY
THE ILLFGAL UNION WHICH GAVE PIRTH 70 ,lfs
BOARD OF TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION
! dispute has arisen between two OF T. p
Thurbers organizations in regard 70 The appointment Of
a Railroad Commissioner at salary of 5000 p year
under the act passed in 1892 In starting ms Anti Mo-
Dopoly Leagues s0called Mr. Tburber duscd hs ener.
giles apparently over vice territory one OF bis orgap
cations being known the New-York state Anfsionop-
oily League and another ss the National AntiMonopoy
League. This latter body ostensby the representa-
tive Of the various hypothetical auxiliary leagues
the States OF the Union. and its Executive Committee
was authorized TO appoint In Its discretion zone
more yice-presi1ents from each State and Territory
In the United States, and may by the
any the vice presidents appointed" THIS
the arrangements by which the future control Of the
organization was secured Mr. Thurber Aporher pro-
vision the effect that OF Article Ill OF It's con-
| stitution, by which person can become member
unless recommended By tho Committee on Membership.
which is to consist OF three persons appointed by the
president To make doubly sure another sec
ton is the effect that Mr. Thurber and his assistants
who were selected" officers January, 1881, TO
"remain in office until their successors are appointed"
and there provision In the constitution or bylaws
for the election appointment OF their successors thrs
making their terms for life. Having carefully
elaborated this plan, Mr.. Tnurber secured the
insertion In the Railroad Commission bill OF the
clause providing that one of the Commissioners
shall be selected upon the recommendation Of the pres
dents and executive committees majority OF such, OF
the Chamber Of Commerce. the Board OF Transportation
and the National Autobiography League as said orga-
nzation exists any two OF such organizations 80
represented in OF eemcnt" Just before the
bill became law Mr.. Tlurber and his employees and as
sociates nine in number had the National AntiMonOp-
oily League Incorporated and be thus has his life control
| OF it legazed.
It's well known that this organization and the similar
one known the Board Of Trade and Transportation,
also controlled by Mr. Thurber, have jointly recon-
mended the Governor In opposition to the Chamber
of Commerce. which has 500 nbers, the appointment
as Railroad Commissioner Of John O'Donneu, who
was employ by them to remove" the objections OF
members OF the Legislature 10 the clause In the act CIV
ing Mr.. Thurber this peculiar power. In working OUT
his plan for the continued ownership OF the National
Anti Monopoly League Mr. Thurber neglected the state
organization, which has now come forward 10 dispute
the right of an associa ion claiming 10 represent tue
whole OF the United States to take part in the appoint
ment officer paid by the taxpayers OF THIS state
and whose iuri, dicon ends with its boundaries. An
MonopoIists who asserted that they were officers
Of tue State organization called the at
tenton OF Governor Cleveland to these
facts and recommended TO him the appointment OF
sTheodore E. TominsOn, of their numoer, as Rail-
road Commissioners. These same persons called aten-
ton TO that the Board OF Trade ana Transor
ton has moi now and had any legal existence
and found the charge to be well founded according 70
the statements Of men well acquainted with the facts
The NewYork Board Of Trace and Transportation was
formed I'm 1877 by the consolidation OF the NewforS
Board Of Trade and the Cheap transportation
Association The consolidation, however, was
not. it appears legally effected, while there Is
good reason for be evng taat neither one IT the TWO or
nizatons bad any legal existence at the time the at
tempt was made to consolidate them The Cheap Irans
portation Association was managed BY Mr. indrbr 20
secure for mbers low Rates Tor toe trs
Of their goods Its constitution required tue presence
of twenty members 10 FORM quorum al ,ne abu1h
meetings but one he'd Ia JahuarE lo'I,o hIy
seven members were presen, and tuese seYon eiec' 81
tDiry-sx directors THESE directors were pinots
many men who attended any OF the meetings OF
the assoc alton, but whose names were u5eu es nero
ngure heads soon alter me II ear eectSu ., 'ns
| pruuosed a consolidation Win the Board OF trade
then known as KIM ., sol, ioIss ierrd ~ COM
mIItee three. OF whlcn Jonn f. h-nry Was e"arIan
Tie Board OF Trace OF which Mr. Henry was the lie dug
snrit referred similar proposition 10 COMMITTEES OK
when John +. Henry was also charnan M. hehry
having conferred EItn himself In MS quar- capacity, re-
to each body avOr OF tie ilon bi. u sucn
way one Thought lt was 70 pave inc
over ho IN MS report TO the o"eip itaspota-
ton Association At tie rssdar meeting o. lie TIesu
recommended tnat the compiheI oouios vo auV 9r
| as tie Board vi Trade anu Transportation tnas
Iocison be dropped ard their places hed BY persons
TO De nuined by The BO-rd VI TRAD committee, Oh Wnei
a,ted boay assume the lease o. the Board o. Tr'de
rooms winch mad year 10 run to1 t1e .O "ins nay
IA
s rmoern y, represented to De seVerai hundred pay
luz S12 each Ine reR9rs Was TeIe'eu, a. a.
ton was carried out accordingly though III FIoidtou oi
the stItutioa OF tue Cheap 1ranspotatoA hsSoois
ton wncu requ al UusIuess VI ills klnd 10 Dc uOne
q" Az 6acne oSn that Mr. Henry's haste ih rushing
The pus ness through before May was due to he TACT
ona d &c Tnrv had become personally liable Tor tue
NJ ,tn OF the rent rooms, which he desired 10
lii 10 tne shoulders OF others Mr Henry had turned
80 1T of 3o alleged em tAe Board of Trade
|
| q nj c.nyasSng uihety-seven OF these members had
| been induced, previous To the consolidation 60
| nav tn ADVANCE years dues remainder
W The list either repudiatng any connection WIN tne
Gean ouf OF IT," Tne only tangible result OF
soldaop l. ercfore was 10 relieve Mr.. henry Oh the
necessity pay ing the rent OF tue boaru OF Iade oo
New stationery was procdred, ana tue change IN tue d
eeloTs made and business went FORWARD az ts ou
strand under name or tue Board o. lr@oe sha lthu
purtatiOn with f. b. Thurber and joan Henry as Tue
leading sprs. II Was soon slter~arI .ias
there provision IN law LOT COZ oI'aunk al uin
| eorpoated VITA an incorporated oody rs hau Deen
done in this and tnat an Incorporated Dod eouia
nor change It's except after specned amour OF
advertising, then oy order OF court having
lion. 1t informally agreed tneroiorc 70 "A! soae
Transp Association until the legal requirements
could be complied Tisa IL Sn y. o body
w,,icn did not professedIy exist In lega sense un
months met as directors OF tue CneAp Trans
Assoclalion wnlon had once been declared
aefunct and constitution ana oy.lsws OF which nae
ga AGAIN ca ged and since that time tins body mas
been snown AS Boaro Of Trade and transportation
| faeis now assert, has no legal existence ~ .
Tue lanes of II. b u fin, g. G. Arnold, William +.
Clyde samuel Rayuor ID. O. Robbins, W. H. HuriDurt,
Charles Pratt aud many otner weknown business men
have used IN advertising These nnnrusr orsSnaa-
ons although they never attend any oI the meetings
ana several have declared that thsy are not
now and never nave in way, connected Win
the R0urd of Trace aud transportation. d. u ROBBINS
| OF McKesson * koDblLs, wnose name was promi1
neny used III tbis Way, some Tune ago Wrote Ie'tef
| for publication, in when nc said; -
read with mucn pleasure your hits az the socaiea
Board OF Trade aud Transportation. AS this fraudulent
concern ia oaied Boston Board or TRADE ana our
civ OF New-Y has 0o aud well orsaniL al ahd sn
Io, hndv known the CnauDer OF Commerce. VI hlgn
standinC aud this being te case OF wDat possDie use
thus private ana personal an@lr OF Messrs InurDeI
Henry AZ Co who, by keeping up an exeltement upon
transportaon matter or commercial interest," 10 an