Evening journal., 1913-03-21
LUMBER co.
PROFITS ARE
TOLD in COURT
Clergyman, as Inspector, Saw
Only Merit in Promoters
System
LABORERS EVEN
WERE FLEECED

tional Lumber and Development Com
pany TO reap profits on the bodily
ills of the 1000 or more Mexican Ia
horors employed ON It's 2SS,000-acre
plantation in Mexico.
That interesting Information was
brought out yesterday before Judge
Wilmer i'm the United States district
court In Philadelphia when a stock
holders inspectors report written by
the Rev. DR.. Evcrt Van Slyke, was
read 10 the Jury. The jurors enjoy
ed the report. too for they gave a
continuous laughing exhibition while
81 was beng read.
N seems that. according to the re-
port. one of the plans OF John r.
Marklcy and Isaiah b. Miller foi
pushing up the profits and enabling
the company 10 keep up it's payment
Of per cent. dividends TO stockhoid-
crs was 10 charge each poon laborer
81 a month for medical attendance,
whether he needed II or not.
Right off the bat. that gave The
company q revenue alone from that
source of $1,000 a month or $4,000 a
year.
Profits on Sick Poems.
The reference TO the "proht made
ON sick poems In Dr. Van Sykes re-
port was read 10 suhstantiate the gov
crnmcnts contention that the COM
pany paid 81 100000 I'm dividends out
of It's capital stock and not from the
earnings
u is alleged by tho prosecution that
as more and more persons bought
stock and the total amount of divi-
dcnds to be paid out increased, the
company had TO show Increased earn
ings The profit on sick poems was
invented Il is charged to pad the
total of the alleged earnings
Ina roturn for their compulsory
contribution TO the medical aid fund,
the poor. overworked poems who
Seemed to have carried most Of the
financial burdens of the great com
pany. were entitled to the services Of
"youne up-to-date physician" The
doctor received a salary of $500 "a
month I'm Mexican money, which
amounts to $3.50 In the coinage of the
United States.
The young physician had to be con.
eiderably spry to visit the various
iaborers' camps on the great estate,
which covers 4S0 square miles, but he
never Slipped up" in his duty of adj
ministering medical balm TO the
sickly.
But the real profit of tho company
arrived when a peon was taken sich
and unable to toll in the henequer
Hclds and nourishing groves of or
angcs. lemons and lines In othe'
words. a sick poon was more of
source Of revenue TO the compan.
than a perfectly we'll peon.
I'm the event of sickness the former
according 10 the report was hustled
off 10 the hospital and the real rake
OF of tho company began. Drugs. o
course. had TO be administered to the
patient 10 make him well man again
aud on the drugs was realized a tre-
mendous profit.
Inspectors Reports Read.
Profits on hospital and medical al
tendance for the last three months,
stated Doctor Van Sykes report
'was St.29297 Mexican. or az the rat
of S516l As (MeXican) per year. There
must be a profit on everything at Sal
Pablo
"The company's physician Shove,
me through the hospital, in which
were several cases of the sick in vari
GUS stages of disease The dispensar!
attached. he assured me. was fur
nished with all necessary Instrument
for surgery and minor operations ant
a compile stock of such drugs as hi
practice called for He makes regu
lar and frequent visits to each cam
and is easily reached by telephon
from them ALL
The officers and promoters OF tn
international Lumber and Develop
ment Company are charged witt
svindling investors out OF more thai
$6.0O0.00O by circulating false an
misleading literature through tn
mails
For the purpose Of showing that tn
company lured on credulous person
10 invest IN stock by exaggerated re
ports of conditions on the plantation
sent through the mails. United State
District Attorney Swartley caused tn
reports of several stockholders in
spectors 10 be read
The government contends that IN
reports were calculated 10 rcinforc
the confidence of timid stockholder
cause them 20 Toad up" with NOR
stock and influence their friends I
buy.
Among the reports read were thor
of Or. Andrew S. Slayer. of Altoona
who visited the plantation IN Jun
1906: G. r. May. Of Lancaster. WI
went 10 Mexico IN May, 1909; the Re
Or Van Slyke. who was IN Mexico
1910 and the combined report Of u
A. S. Thayer. T. c. Rome. G. r. Ma
and S. S. Brumbaugh. who inspectl
the companys Garden of Eden"
June. 1911.
School Teachers Bought Stock.
The report of Doctor Slayer y
rhetorical effort of a high orde
There Is no question but that the A
toona physician would have shone
a writer of foreign-travel articles.
The report impressed many Altooi
school teachers, who invested the
savings in the company
The jurors were greatly entertain
by his eloquent descriptions OF troI
cal Mexico. and they listened in wo
derment as the report enumerated d
riches of the company's estate.
The jurors got an insight into 4
vastness Of the companys estate
the following:
I want il understood that in my r
port to you you will find only 4
facts as ! found them myself durir
three weeks Of close and actual i
yestigation on the PLANTATION.
In order that the fullest and mo
correct Information be obtained. y
were obliged TO travel more than 8
miles on horseback. carts and car
often under the midday heat Of 4
tropical sun, and al no time did \
reach the limit OF the compan,
nronorfv