The evening world., 1911-04-27
BUSINESS AGENCIES
IN FIGHT F0RL LIFE
AGAINST NEW BILL
Measure Introduced at Albany
for Revenge ArouseS Wide
spread Opposition.
HITS WHOLESALERS TOO
Requires License and Bond to
Furnish Information of Gus.
toners Rating.
HITS WHOLESALERS TOO

Business mon and wholesalers in par
ticular are greatly interested in a bill
introduced by senator Stillwell OF the
Bronx, now pending before the Senate
judiciary Committee. which, IT passed.
will legislate commercial agencies out
OF existence. Robert NJ. Harding, gem
eral manager Of Bradstreet's. who at
tended a hearing on tho bill In Albany
yesterday, said to an Evening World
reporter to-day:
when the workings OF the bill arc
thoroughly understood I think there
will be- n protest tina must have effect.
II developed Yesterday that the bill
was introduced by Senator Stillwell at
the request o. G. II. tnvcrsagt, who
admitted that through the workings OF
commercial agencies he was put out or
business in Baltimore q number OF
years ago. lie has also been impris-
oned for conducting fraudulent con-
Germs. He was the only supporter of
the measure, and he made It plain lie
was seeking evcnse. Unvefsagt two
years ago had a similar bill introduced
in the Maryland Legislature. but was
nav I tNul INS IdENdkts
Dispatches from Albany state 'hat
rnversagt admitted that the Postofiice
Department issued a fraud order
against him in Baltimore t~wenty-eight
years ago and that about fourteen
years ago he was indicted in his state
a. the instigation OF the state Bank
sng Department. but the indictment
was dropped. Joseph ~Auerbach. rep
resentlnG Bradstreet's. showed the Sem
ate Judiciary Committee that Unver-
sagt had been convicted and sentenced
10 twelve months In Jail n a fine OF
sou for business irregularities.
Requires License and Bond.
The bill requires the licensing OF
all commercial agencies by the state
Comptroller and the giving OF a hond,'
continued Mr.. Harding. 1T would pro-
hibit a wholesaler from furnishing infor-
nation about his customers To another
wholesaler without first securing a II.
cense. for which he would have Ia
pay 500, besides furnishing a bond OF
5000. one of the practices Of merchants
for projections SAKE would thus ne mad,
a misdemeanor. \ merchant who tod
another about A customer would, in tas
meaning of the law. he a Commercial
agency
Commercial agencies have pro2cr
themselves TO be Indispensable, toI
under the credit system, a man in New
York is able to do business with one IN
Waco. Tex. with confidence. knoNine
the rating OF his customer as furnished
by a commercial agency
The bill requires persons or corpora
stnnE NAn1ttc,fpy ,avpaptt1p upnnPiag -
take out licenses and furnish bonds fol
each branch "a well as for the MAR
once.
No Monopoly Of Business.
we oppose that provision because ",
are not enjoying n privilege or fran
ohise from the state" said Mr.. Harding
THE business is not monopolized, for l
IS carried on by a large number OF indi
viduals rs well as corporations an'
there Is no more justihaction IN l!cens
ing us than any other trade.
I'VE feel that II is not Just for tn
State Comptroller to have access 10 on
books, as the bill provides, because Gu
business with clients Is strictly conf
Dental. As for a bond, I do not know
any commercial agency OF high characte
that has not ample assets &c offset an,
Judgment found against It,"
One provision of the bill forbids agen
Cies from furnishing Information excep
in writing. signed by an officer o
authorized employee of the agency. Thi
would put an end to verbal reports !
the offices or the transmission OF re
ports by telephone or telegraph.
Rivals Could Get Secrets.
Another provision compels agencies
DO bushes with anybody who insist
upon employing them. This is obiecte
20 on the ground mat rival agencie
could become subscribers and secur