The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-11-23
ALLEGED GRAFT
FOR CIRCULATION
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WORK
FOR MAGAZINE SUB
SCRIPTIONS.
They Are Said to Have Told Stories
of Working For University Tu-
itiOn and Expenses.

| PROBABLY one OF the cleVereSt gratis
perpetrated on the citizens of this sec
ton of the state was explained in de-
tail to a representative of the Leader
yesterday-a form of deception which
works on the sympathies of those who
| belive in and are willing to assist any
worthy young man or woman to a
| higher education, which of necessity
makes for better citizen.
1t is alleged that a gang OF from
forty to fifty young men and women
are organized by a crew manager"
and the members of the crew are then
| assigned to their territory to work
During the past week part of the
crew has been operating in Water
| town. Madison, Columbus, Portage,
Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Juneua, and
other cities, according to the Leaders
| informant
The crew working Watertown is al
| legged to have approached the intended
victims with the story that to sub
scribe for one of two or three maga-
znes for which they were canvassing
votes, and after acquiring the number
demanded of the publication they
would be presented with a scholar
ship and expenses for a course in the
University of Wisconsin.
Those who feel kindly toward young
people who are trying to acquire a
higher education by their own efforts
would naturally become easy vistims
to such a plausible story and would
readily pay the amount asked, usually
S1.OO; but, should they hesitate, the
solicitor would ask them simply to
advance postage, which is only eight
pennies per month";" thus collecting
So cents, the postage" for one year
in advance.
One member of the crew who was
canvassing Watertown, is alleged to
have become confidential and told the
story that his home is at Van Vert,
Ohio, and that not one member of the
crew canvassing Watertown was d
Wisconsin citizen. He further told of
cities that had been previously work
ed, boastiEg of revenue he made, and
explained that if the person canvassed
paid SO cents, 10 cents of this amount
goes to the crew manager, and the sc
cents remaining in divided equally be-
tween the solicitor and publication.
Should the patron pay 81, the extra
10 cents goes to the canvasser.
The unjust manner in which the
public is being treated can be further
understood when it is alleged that a
member cf the crew openly told with
considerable gusto of the amounts of
money he lost in a poker game, and
another young man deserted the crew
in Watertown and returned to his
home in Grand Rapids, Mich, saying
that the methods employed to get sub
scribers were so dishonorable that he
did not care to maintain bis connec-
tions.
One thing, however, must be borne
in mind: Those who subscribed will
get the publication for the term for
which they paid, but the allegation is
that the canvassers are picked with a
view to having at least the age APP
pearance of students, and are instruct
ed to work the university course as
sympathetic leaverage for gain, when
the facts are said to be that they dc
not intend to avail themselves of high
er education, but let it be known that
they are on their way to the Pacific
coast.
OF the portion of the crew working
in Watertown there were four men
and one young woman, and should
they devote as much energy to actual
ly getting a university education as
they do working a sympathetic game
for the commission they receive, they
would without doubt in time be mum.
bered among Americas most brainy
men and women. Should they persis
in the course of deception now being
practiced it would appear that "easy
money" will some day find them work
ing for the state, and their task master
will emphasize his authority by carry
ing loaded Winchester in perfectly
good working order.
Then again: What can be said II
favor of a magazine which will permi
it's solicitors to indulge in deception
to procure circulation?
Gaorna HfTnnnIar9 IN.