The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-06-18

up to Caldwell Business Man.
The Tribune has it on reliable in
formation that the Empire Home
Company of Boise is about to be re-
organized. We understand that a
new manager, a Mr.. Kennedy, has
been appointed; and that Mr.. John
T. Morrison will succeed Roger Craig
as president of the company The
activities of Mr. Craig have not been
TO inspire confidence in the Empire
Home Company. Since The Tribune
called attention to the impracticability
and misrepresentation of the COM
pany business has not fourished 1t
is hoped by the stockholders that the
reorganization of the company will
assist in restoring confidence.
A change in the management of the
Empire Home Company is highly de-
sirable if the concern is to serve any
useful purpose in the world This
change must also be followed by a
change in the methods, promises and
schemes of the company. 1t will
serve no practical good to fail through
ignorance rather than fraud The in
any better to have had their savings
dissipated by men of good intention
rather than by men of bad intentions
The Tribune is charitable We be-
lieve that the reorganization means a
complete change. We are confident
that local men like Mr.. John T. Nor
rison. Mr.. Frank H. Hull, Mr.. John
Vissar and others will insist that the
company be placed upon a sound
practical basis.
Objectionable Methods.
The Tribune has called attention
to certain Misrepresentation the
Empire Home Company is guilty of.
We now call your attention to Para
graph II, Cash Bonus in Lieu of
Loan, in the pamphlet entitled "The
Empire Method of Meeting a Modern
Need" This paragraph reads:
Should the holder (of a bond of
the company not desire loan when
the same is offered by the Committee
of Management, the holder, may,
within fifteen 15) days from the date
upon which notice to this effect is
given him or her, decline said loan
and surrender this bond to the Com
pany and receive therefor the sum of
$4,000 together with all dues paid
thereon. Should loan not be offer
ed to the holder until this bond has
been in effect for a period longer
than one year, then upon its surrender
the Company will pay the holder the
sum of $4,000 together with all dues
paid thereon"
The understanding that any man
would get from that paragraph, and
the understanding intended to be con-
veyed to him, is that if he invests to-
day that within IS months he can get
a per cent loan for $1,000, a fifty
dollar bonus instead of the loan or
the company will make him a pres
ent OF $lOO.U-the latter in the event
that the company has not funds avail
able for the loan. These promises
are made but they are not intended to
be kept and particularly the last one.
he hrst two promises, provided
funds are available are reasonable
and can be kept. The third cannot.
Let us illustrate:
If ten men should subscribe for
bond today at the end of 10 months
they would have paid into the COM
pany $l3OO0OO. At the end of thir-
teen months one of the ten and only
one', could get his one thousand dol
lar loan. The other nine would be
entitled to $4,000 and all dues paid
n, which would amount to $500
This $500 is to be paid out of the bal
ance of $4,000; said $4,000 will also
he called upon to pay Its proportion
Of the expenses of doing business and
OF the dividends to the stockholders
A Remarkable Proposition.
A representative of the Empire
Home Company was in Caldwell one
day last week. He called on a local
business man in response to a letter
OF inquiry and put up to him a pro-
position that brings in question the
entire sincerity and good intentions of
the company. The local business man
mad asked concerning loan. The re-
preventative OF the company said that
if he would buy two one thousand dol.
lar bonds and pay thereon ten in
stallments of $1,000 each and 5000
bonus the loan could be had, at once
This is the identical proposition that
was put up by the notorious George
E. Stillings of Seattle to his dupes,
1t is the Identical proposition that
was put up to and accepted by DR..
r. (. Button of this city by a Den
yer outht. In the case of DR.. Dutton
not only did he fail to get his loan
but it cost him $4,000 to recover the
money he had put in.
The closer the Empire Home Com
Pany is investigated the nearer we
md its resemblance to fake and fraud-
ulent companies that have started ND
defrauded the public and finally gone
INTO bankruptcy. 1t follows that no
matter who is at the head of tbiS 60,
Germ its methods and scheme must he
radically changed.
The innocent men who have be-
come identified with the Empire
Home Company may be exonerated
but only at the expense of their good
sense. Those who are not so limo
cent will have to sacrifice their repu-
ttation for sense or for integrity and
honesty. We sympathize with them,
We suggest the manly, straightfor-
ward course of reputation of the
present scheme.