New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-03

case of J. Wilson Barron, cashier OF the
Dexter Savings Bank, in Maine, VINO vas
found dead in the bank year or TWO ago
under strange circumstances His friends, ana
nublic opinion generally, kindly adopted
the theory that Barron had been murdered
the bank directors thought, on the contrary,
that he had committed suicide to conceal
series of embellishments. The report OF the
auditors in the case, just made to the Supreme
Court of Maine, declares that Barron owed the
institution $2,O11 at the time OF his DEATH
and that there was substantially DO money IN
the bank then for robbers to steal. This VIII
he sad blow to the friends of the dead man,
although they probably will not admit for
moment that they were mistaken.
-
The hue and cry raised against tenement
house cigar-malling seem to be entirely IN the
selfish interest of trades-uniOnism 1t Is urged
that it is unhealthful for the men and women
to work in the same apartments in which they
live, or even in the same buildings. But the
Health authorities who have investigated the
matter do not think so. The whole trouble APP
oeors 70 be that workers in the tenement
bouses cannot be controlled by the unions SO
easily IA those who are employed in the factor
les: and, moreover, that by labOring at home
women are able to make excellent wages
often more than the men, because their fingers
are more nimble. Naturally this is a state of
affairs which the trades unions do not like, es-
pecialy the leaders, who live in idleness by
means of their power over their fellow-mem-
bers' minds and pockets. 1t is not matter of
deep regret, therefore, that the cigar manutac-
turers by hiring a whole floor in tenement
house are able to give work to many poor
people who otherwise could not get it.
The Court of Appeals has reversed the decls-
ion of the Judges of our lower courts Except
that of Judge Truaxl and upholdS the fifteen
million issue of Western UniCn stock as legal.
The main point Is that the Issue really repre-
scented the increased value of the companys
property, and that the directors. therefore were
not guilty of "waterDg the stock" We be-
lieye this view Of the matter has been quite
| generally accepted by lawyers who have given
| attention to the subject. Even the journals
which consider their knowledge OF law better
| than that possessed by the Court OF Appeals
will doubtless see the necessity of accepting
| this decision as final. We have never under-
| taken 10 anticipate lLo NVNIlCLINH' VI 4" l''0'S
| legal question, and certainly shall not argue 1t
after the decision is rendered. The fact that
| there is any surprise at it, however, Will be
| mainly due to the efforts of newspapers WHICH,
| under the guise Of different WOW OF their
duties in such matters, have really been en-
| gagged in tumultuous effort to break down
| the Western Union stock. The suits were
originally brought by small holders,
purely for stock-jobbng purposes; and
their journalistic allies did their utmost to help
the scheme. The public, however, are not
greatly Influenced by performances Of this sort
| and any who have been guided by the news
papers in question are likely, after the present
edifying result, to put less faiCh in their
dsintcrestcd" opinions.