The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-09-01
DENIES SCANDALS
IN BOOK CONCERNS
DIR. Eaton Says Methodist
Church Has Not Lost.
ANSWERS HAMMOND RUM0RS
Senior Agent Says Report of Huge
Shortage Is Not
Founded.

NEW YORK. Sept. Ever since the
visit of the subcommittee of the general
conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church to the Pacific Coast last July. TO
arrange for the meeting of the general
conference in May there have been in
situations involving the Rev. DR.. John d.
Hammond and the firm of Easton &
Mains. publishing agents of the Book
Concern of the Methodist Church. 1t has
been said that the subcommittee. which
was composed of o. P. Miller. of Rock
Rapids. Iowa; J. e Andrews, of New
York; W. F. Whitlock. of Delaware.
Ohio. and the Rev. Harry Spelfmeyer,
OF Newark. y. j.. while in the West also
investigated DR.. Hammond and discov-
cred serious mismanagement Some
facts. it was said. were allowed 10 be-
come public in order to break the force
of the full revelations in May.
Some OF these rumors were of a loss
in the business of the Book Concern of
1854. 29S25. in addition TO a loss at San
Francisco of $3,514.9s; of completely be,
tween DR.. Hammond and the heads of
the parent establishment in this city;
of charges that DR.. Hammond gave no
satisfactory account of the disburse-
ment of funds, but when asked 10 pro-
duce his books ordered them destroyed,
and that he had not accounted for $40, 900
a year allowed for the Chinese mission.
All these rumors were answered by
DR.. Homer Eaton, the senior agent of
the Methodist Book Concern. in an in
terview yesterday.
Rot One Cent of Shortage.
Previous to the interview, DR.. Eaton
had issued a statement TO the news
papers concerning the allegation of a
shortage of 1854 .2sS.25. in which he said;
1T is utterly and maliciously false.
The statement that Eaton & Mains. the
New York publishing agents of the New
York Book Concern. have made to the
general book committee report which
does not reach the public is also utterly
and maliciously false. There is not a
shortage of l cent in the New York Book
Concern. At the end OF the fiscal year
OF 1900 the agents of the New York Book
Concern. by direction of the general
book committee. cut down values of real
estate. merchandise accounts, etc,
charging the same against capital stock.
A large amount was thus taken off from
our inventory values, since which time
the real estate. merchandise, electrotype
plates. machinery. etc. have been car
ried in orr inventory at less than their
actual cash values. So far as keeping
this matter from the public Is concerned
the statement of such reductions in in
ventory was printed in our annual ex-
hibit and sent out 10 all the papers OF
our church and presented to each one of
the more than 100 annual conferences,
where it was publicly read for the in
formation of all the interested parties "
With regard TO the other charges. DR..
Eaton said:
"Dr. Hammond was the agent in
charge of our depository at San Fran
cisco for fourteen years. In July. 1900.
the Chicago General Conference took the
business out of his hands and placed it
under the control Of a local committee
composed of ministers and laymen. There
were no charges brought against him. 1
have never heard of an intimation of a
shortage in connection with his removal
DR.. Hammond had nothing TO do with
the books as far as l know. They were
in charge of bookkeeper Instead Of
placing them in a safe deposit vault they
were kept in the cellar of the house
The Missing Books.
"A year or more afterward 1t was dis
covered that some OF the old Iedgers had
disappeared, probably carried out with
the rubbish when the cellar was cleaned.
But they were old ledgers that had been
filled and all the live accounts trans
ferred "a new books, and these books are
now in this building. There Is no scan
cal in this connection whatever.
CAS- for the charge that he has failed
to account for $4,000 intrusted to him
for disbursement in the Chinese Mis-
sion. DR.. Hammond is superintendent OF
the Chinese Mission and | am treasurer
of the Missionary Society. All disburse-
ments are made by drafts, which come
back to me as vouchers. The amount ap-
prOpriated for the mission is barely
enough to maintain it. He couldn't keep
the mission moving if he didn't pay ex-
penses and salaries, and all the mission
aries swear by him. All of his vouchers