Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-08-09
scHGMes TO oEFRAuo.
sems Of the Plans TO Secure Mensy
Without Adequate compsnsstien.

Plans to secure money from the
people without giving adequate re-
turns arc numerous. Not alone arc
the residents OF country districts
made the victims Of schemers. but
city people a. well arc now and then
humbugged by shrewd fakirs. Within
the past year or two Il Was announced
in the columns Of magazines and the
farm papers Of seediess apple beins
evolved. A few months later seedless
apple trees were widely advertised
from different parts of the country.
One concern which started In 10 op'
crate op an extensive plan organized
seedless apple companies In di6ercnt
states OF the western country. Within
a few months hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars were taken from the pock'
cts OF the people for seedless apple
trees. These trees were Just the
Ordinary kind. and poor stock NJ that.
So bold were the operations OF the
1eedless apple tree schemers that the
secretary Of agriculture found Il nee
sssary to issue = bulletin warning the
people Of the fraud. and later the post
once department issued fraud orders
against those engaged In the uefarious
business. There arc nurseries located
In nearly every state. II is = good
plan for the residents OF farming and
fruit growing districts to carefully In,
venii.atc concerns selling fruit trees
and similar lines before they are
given patronage.
A number Of petty crafts have late
iy been worked throughout IN. coun.
Try. One OF the common ones is III.
hiring Of agents To sell soaps. per-
fumes and other commodities on tho
premium plan. The concerns which
operate games OF this class generally
have their headquarters In some large
city and through advertising secure
tho names of people dcsirin. employ.
mcnt AZ canvaassrs and agents. To
such they send letters holding out cx.
traordinary Inducements. Those who
agree TO act ms agents siEn n contract
which is mn agreement To pay for such
goods M may be- sent to them on con.
alignment. The sample outfitS which
are forwarded. or tho small stock Of
goods. are billed In such n way ~ to
allow the concern an cxorbitant pront.
II the agent succeeds In sciiin. tho
goods and RENTS promptly there Is
not likelihood Of being any trouble.
but generally the goods are NO poor In
quality that they remain dead stock
In the hands OF the canvasscr. and
he will ind that tho agreement he has
signed will hold him TO pay for tho
goods.
One Of the humbigs that IL pcrpc.
'ratcd upon the people OF many com
munitics is tho selling OF stock In co.
operative mercantile companies. Dur.
ing the past three or four years tho
residents Of many small towns and NJ.
ricnltural districts have lost hundreds
Of thousands OF dollars. II not mil.
lions. through the buying Of stock In
alleged cooperative establishments In
large cities. Ono company with head
quarters In Chicago. doing mail
order business. sold stock In excess OF
$l.000.000. and when the concern went
into the hands of a receiver about n
year ago there was not ten per cent
OF assets to return to stockholders.
Other alleged cooperative deals In.
voive what Is termed n profit sharing
plan. This plan does not require tho
purchase Of stock. but the cooperative
part Is purely scheme devised for
the securing of trade.