The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-17
DIR. EATON ACCUSED.
Methodists Eagerly Watch Develop.
ments in Book Scandal Charges
Of Misrepresentation.
Head Of the Concern Charged Wit
Shielding Director Of Pacific
Coast Branch.

The entire Methodist Episcopal world is
watching w4,h intense interest the de-
velopment Of the scandal in connection
with the Methodist Book Concern-a scan
dial involving especially the Pacific coast
branch at San Francisco.
The skeleton in the Methodist closet has
been exposed repeatedly during the past
months, while charges were being made
against DR.. J. j. Hammond, for fourteen
years manager of the Pacific coast branch
Now the attention Of the investigators is
being centered on DR.. Eaton Of New York
charged with having shielded Hammand.
A. J. Wallace of Los Angeles, who was
most active in securing reorganization
of the Pacific coast branch, has made the
following statement:
The Hammond Eaton matter is to be
brought before the general conference; 1t Is
by no means a closed incident. 1t will, doubt
less, lead to thoro investigation Of the methods
employed by DR.. Eaton in the conduct OF the
| New York Book Concern.
When commission aoppointed to take
charge of the Son Francisco concern the gen
eral conference instructed the former manage
ment to turn over to us the old books and ac
! counts. In July of 1900 DR.. Uaton came out
from New York to San Francisco to transfer the
| depository to the commission of seven. Despite
| the instructions of the general conference, Dr.
| Eaton informed the commission that he had EN-
| ployed Dr. Hammond, the former manager, tt
collect the old accounts This was considered
| an unusual procedure, but as the commission
| would have had the extra work of collecting
without gaining anything thereby for the Book
Concern under their management, they decided tt
| make no interference.
| In the course Of few months it became nee
essary to have the old books reference IL
matters Of business, and after various attempts
toward this they discovered that DR.. Hammond
would not surrender them. Then, in February
1901, the general book committee which con
trolls the interests Of the concerns in the inter
| val between the general conferences, was ap
pealed to- and it ordered the western member
DR.. G. f. Bovard to secure the books and hav
| them exported for the past eight nine years
| thoro attempt was made to accomplish this
| but the most important books were missing, ant
it was impossible for the expert accountant t.
make an examination. Then the book committee
| deposed Hammond collector, and ordered al
moneys paid to the western commission.
| At this juncture, Dr.. Eaton, the head of tn
| New York Book Concern made the statemen
| that, despite the orders of the general confer
ence, he had, in June of 1901, sold to Hammond
all the old accounts about $4,000 worth, TO
/ 900; of this $4,000 DR.. Hammond had pai
but $3.50. Altho this sale had taken place il
June, 1901, the book committee was not informe
of it until February, 1902, and DR.. Eaton in ex
| cuse stated that ''the temper of the book com
mittee was such that he did not dare to inform
! them of the SALE
Our investigation Of the unbusinesslike meth
DDS at San Francisco led us to believe that SINH
lar conditions must exist in the parent house, o
such conditions could not go unchecked. TIL
|
| Hammond the accounts he ordered to tur
over to our commission was also a matter tina
could not be overlooked
! The general conference, knowing of the grea
deficit in the San Francisco house during tn
| Hammond administration, set aside $500 t
meet expense under the new commission. In
stead of a deficit, the commission has succeede
in conducting the business at fair profit, with
out even touching the $500, and the circulatio
Of the church paper has been doubled Instea
Of capital Of from $4,000 to $4,000, ha
the old management, the commission has carrie
1 on the work on capital of $4,000. a.sa-, "a
i In addition to his alleged mismanage
ment of the Pacific coast branch, D
Hammond has been asked to account fc
j, the $1,000 a year allowed him for wor
in the Chinese quarter of San Francisco
1t is charged that his Chinese "college
was an imitation, which could not hay
!. cost him more than 500 a month. Thel
are also rumors that he has embezzle
sums from the endowment fund of til
University of the Pacific, which fund
has been handling.