The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-05-21
THE CRUMPACKER BILL.

The Crumpacker bill, upon which the
get-rich quick sharpers and other faklrs
have been building their hopes, is dead
so far as this Congress is concerned. 1t
was introduced in the House Dec. Il,
1907, by Mr.. Crumpacker OF Indiana
and referred to the committee on the
judiciary. where at last advices it still
remained. A similar bill was introduce
ed two wears ago by Mr. Crumpacker,
at the instance of a constituent who is
engaged in the patent medicine busl-
ness. in the interest of f. G. Lewis of
st. Louis, promoter of the Peoples
United States Bank and publisher Of
the Woman's Magazine and The
Womans Farm Journal. A fraud order
was issued against the bank July 6,
1905, and March 4, 1907, the publications
named were excluded from the second
class mailing privilege. The patent
medicine man above referred to was as
sociated with Lewis and was one OF the
bank directors. The first bill passed the
House. no doubt through misconcep
ton of its scope and tenor, but was de-
feated in the Senate, although a lobby
was industriously at work in its behalf.
The statements of the Post Othce De-
partment show that the action of the
government was fully justified and in
the interest of the public. In the bank
case the evidence showed that Mr..
Lewis used the mails as his principal
agent in promoting the sale of stock
in his bank and securing deposits
in the bank. The Peoples United
States Bank was organized to tran
sact all of its business by the use
of the mails. Among the false and
fraudulent representations MADE IN the
promotion of this scheme were that
all funds of the bank would be loaned
by committee composed of u dlrec-
tors of the principal banks of st. Louis
and that the funds would not be loaned
to himself Iewis) or other directors"
The Postmaster-G eneral found that In
his early articles in the Woman's Maya
zine and in his other advertising litera-
ture about the bank, Mr.. Lewis repre-
scented that he would subscribe to the
capital stock dollar for every dollar
subscribed by all others, so that he
would own half of the capital stock;
and that later he represented that ne
had pledged his entire fortune, every
dollar he had, and his publishing busl-
ness. in this banking enterprise, and
that his subscriptions would exceed a
million dollars. These representations
were found to be false and made with
intent to deceive. Although the bank
had been in operation seven months,
and had a paid up capital stock OF 81
900, 900, MI Lewis had not co-operated
TO the extent of single dollar OF his
own money, and the directors for the
first year consisted of five employees OF
the Lewis Publishing Co., which was
under the control and management OF
Mr.. Lewis. Hundreds of thousands OF
dollars were loaned to Lewis and to the
publishing companies controlled by him.
No committee of Is had been establish
ed and the loans were made practically
at Mr.. Lewis will. These are some OF
the false and fraudulent representa-
lions upon which the fraud order were
based. This Peoples Bank scheme Is
not unlike other schemes with which
the public is more or less familiar ana
which had hoped to flourish again, al
the expense of the public, had the Crum-
packer bill become a law.
In the superior court of Boston May
18th, William T. Mclaughlin was given
two wears in the house of correction fo1
stealing a pint of whisky from james
Murphy on April 18th. Whether the
1t. ,,, FOR tho theft or because OF