78 
January 10 , 1020 
^ RURAL NEW-YORKER 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
All letters to Publisher’s Desk depart¬ 
ment must be signed with writer’s full 
name and address given. Many inquiries 
are answered by mail instead of printing 
inquiry and answer, hence unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no consideration. 
.Referring again to the policy of recom¬ 
mending investments, let us illustrate by 
reference to a single case. The Manhat¬ 
tan Railroad Company owns the elevated 
lines in the city of New York. This has 
been classed as one of the best railroad 
properties in the country. When the 
subways were built, the Interboro Com¬ 
pany, which operates them, took a 00- 
year lease of the elevated lines and guar¬ 
anteed seven per cent dividend on its 
stock for the 90 years. The Manhattan 
stock became very popular, and sold as 
high as $143 a share. Now the Interboro 
is in trouble and may default in the pay¬ 
ments, and in consequence the Manhattan 
stock sold last week at 44 cents a share. 
Five years ago everyone recommended 
this stock as a good conservative invest¬ 
ment. It would be today if the roads 
were honestly run in the interest of the 
stockholders. They have been used, like 
most other properties of the kind, for 
stock-.iobbing purposes, and the innocent 
investors are the losers. No wonder such 
properties find difficulty in getting money 
to finance improvements. If public utili¬ 
ties were honestly operated they could 
give a good service for less fees than now 
paid by the public, and with a sure and 
steady dividend, the securities would 
always have a steady market. Now they 
are gambles, with marked cards and 
loaded dice. 
I placed an order with Electro Import¬ 
ing Company. 233 Fulton Street. New 
York City, the first part of last April, 
1919. This order was for $S.60. Up 
to date all that I have received is $2.50, 
leaving a 'total of about $6. Will you 
investigate the matter, as they will neither 
send the goods nor my money after sev¬ 
eral demands? n. w. 
New York. 
There are so many complaints of this 
kind against the Electro Importing Com¬ 
pany that we cannot regard the experi¬ 
ence due to an accident or oversight. 
This house is either badly managed «r 
deliberately ignores the rights of cus¬ 
tomers. In either case the result is an¬ 
noyance and loss to its patrons. 
Is this a case of usiug the mails for 
fraudulent purposes? About five years 
ago I sent a banjo to a music house in 
St. Louis. Mo., to be repaired. They 
sent me a bill of $11, and I sent them the 
cash. They sent me a receipt, which I 
have in my possession: but they never 
sent me the banjo, although I sent them 
several letters. They will not answer. 
I have written the postoffice authorities 
at Washington, and they advised me to 
see a lawyer, but the St. Louis firm would 
not answer his letter. Can you advise 
me what to do? j. s. c. 
New York. 
We have little success with accounts 
as old as this, but we feel C. A. Lohman, 
505 Market street, St. Louis, Mo., de¬ 
serves publicity. The Postoffiee Depart¬ 
ment can do nothing in a case of the 
kind, and the only hope would be that a 
local lawyer would be able to make the 
collection. It is better to have such work 
done nearer home when possible. 
The Interstate Commerce Commission 
has decreed that the provisions in freight 
bills of lading providing that suit for 
damages "are debarred after two years is 
unreasonable and unjustly discriminatory. 
Under the new order railroads must de¬ 
cline the claim six months before the ex¬ 
piration of the two years, and in all 
cases the shipper shall have six months’ 
time in which to file suit for damage or 
thinking of taking a course which costs 
$18, and they are to get me a position as 
fireman when it is completed. Can you 
give me any information concerning these 
people? E. L. D. 
New York. 
The proprietor of the Railway Educa¬ 
tional Association was indicted under 
charge of fraudulent use of the mails some 
years ago. Our records do not show that 
the indictment was pressed. At any 
rate, the proposition is an “easy-money" 
scheme. We have little faith in corre¬ 
spondence courses at best, and the variety 
promising a job as a bait to sell the 
course is particularly to be avoided. 
Cau you give me any information about 
the II. V. Greene Co. as per enclosed ad¬ 
vertisement? They are offering the stock 
of “First People’s Trust,” and are em¬ 
ploying solicitors here to sell stock. It ' 
seems to have some appearance of a gold I 
brick. s. F. r. 
Maine. 
The Financial World of December 29 
publishes the following item regarding the 
stock of the above banking institution 
and other promotions of H. V. Greene & 
Co.: 
A Station unique in the way it is be- ! 
ing promoted is attracting some attention 
in conservative financial circles. It is 
the “First People’s Trust & Savings 
Bank.” with a capital well iuto the mil¬ 
lions. The fiscal agents for the new bank 
are H. V. Greene & Co. of Boston, who 
have promoted a number of concerns for 
lending money on automobiles, similar in 
character to the Commonwealth Finance 
Corporation of New York, which has be¬ 
come a bone of contention between its of¬ 
ficials and its former fiscal agents, Sar¬ 
gent & Co. In order to sell the stock 
Greene & Co. have established offices in 
many cities and a high pressure stock- 
selling campaign engaged in to interest 
investors. It is somewhat of a new idea 
in financing banking enterprises, and con¬ 
servative bankers do not look upon such 
methods as applied to banking ventures as 
conducive to good and conservative bank¬ 
ing. 
A man claiming the name of Smith 
some time ago canvassed this section to 
list farms. He wanted a fee of $25 to 
list my farm—larger ones more. He 
claimed to represent D. B. Cornell & Co.. 
who have an office in Great Barrington. 
Mass. He claimed that they obtained 
wealthy buyers who were willing to pay 
good, big prices for farms that suited 
them. Is the firm reliable? j. r. c. 
Virginia. 
We have exposed the above scheme of 
D. B. Cornell so many times that it may 
seem to some readers that we are harp¬ 
ing on an old string. It is just an easy 
means of getting $25, which the agent and 
Cornell divide—perhaps on a 50-50 basis. 
We have repeatedly called for reports 
from anyone who had either bought or 
sold a farm through Cornell. We have 
yet to learn of any case. Virginia far¬ 
mers will do well to be on watch for this 
agent. Smith, and call the dog as soon as 
he identifies himself. 
We again request our readers to advise 
us promptly when they receive settlement 
of any claim they have sent us. In one 
mail we received 18 letters from various 
express agents stating claim which we 
have been following up continuously had 
been paid. Dunning on paid claims not 
only nullifies our work on other accounts, 
but gives us the appearance of inaccuracy 
and leaves us open to criticism that our 
records are kept in a loose way, which 
is not correct, and is unfair to us. The 
expense of the Publisher’s Desk work is 
considerable, and delay in advising when 
payment is received adds to it. 
For the good of all concerned, please 
write us as soon as you receive settlement 
of any account you have sent us. 
Discharging Eyes 
What is the matter with my cow and 
what cau I do for her? There is a white 
and yellow matter which runs from her 
eyes. r. f. 
Maine. 
To try to control railroad 
rates by arbitrarily limiting: 
profits is to put the managrer 
who makes his profits by 
efficiency and economy on 
the same level as the one 
who tries to accomplish the 
same result through extor¬ 
tionate charges. 
— Hadley Railroad Securities 
Commission ; Report to tin 
President—1911. 
T HE old-time pack-bearer could carry 
a hundred pounds ten miles a day. 
The railroad is the modern pack- 
bearer. For every employee it carries 
2,000 times as much. 
Back of each railroad worker there is 
a $10,000 investment in tracks and trains 
and terminals, with steam and electricity 
harnessed like a great beast of burden. 
Without this mighty transportation 
machine the railroad worker could do no 
more than the old-time packer. But 
with it he is enabled to earn the highest 
railroad wages paid in the world, while 
the country gains the lowest-cost trans¬ 
portation in the world. 
The modern railroad does as much 
work for half a cent as the pack-bearer 
could do for a full day’s pay. 
The investment of capital in transpor¬ 
tation and other industries increases pro¬ 
duction, spreads prosperity and advances 
civilization. 
To enlarge our railroads so that they 
may keep pace with the Nation’s in¬ 
creasing production, to improve them so 
that freight may be hauled with less and 
less human effort—a constant stream of 
new capital needs to be attracted. 
Under wise public regulation the 
growth of railroads will be stimulated, 
the country will be adequately and eco¬ 
nomically served, labor will receive its 
full share of the fruits of good manage¬ 
ment, and investors will be fairly re¬ 
warded. 
D'hid advertisement is published bp the 
(Association ofSiaikcap doxecutiwx. 
Those desiring information concerning the railroad 
situation mail obtain literature by writing to The Asso¬ 
ciation of Rail way F.xecutires, til Broadway, New York. 
loss. 
This decision was on a freight case, but 
it will probably be held also on express 
cases. The practice of some of the roads, 
and particularly with Adams Express 
Company, has been to delay investiga¬ 
tions until the time l.mit expired, and 
then calmly decline payment on the 
ground that the claim 'was outlawed by 
the two-year clause. The new decision 
corrects this decree. 
Cau you tell me anything about the 
Railway Educational Association, 227 
Monroe street, Brooklyn, N. Y.? I am 
Twice daily wash the eyes with water 
containing all the boric acid it will dis¬ 
solve when hot. Use it cold. Or cover 
the eyes with a soft cloth or compress to 
be kept wet with the boric acid solution. 
Every other day put a few drops of a 
15 per cent solution of arg.vrol between 
the eyelids. It would be well to have the 
eyes carefully examined as foreign objects, 
such as chaff or particles of cinder, etc.! 
may be causing the irritation; but in most 
cases the condition is due to epizootic 
keratitis or “pink eye.” In the latter 
case the disease spreads quickly to ail of 
the cattle in the stable. Write again if 
we have not rightly understood the con¬ 
dition present. 
WE WILL PAY Y( 
FOR YOUR SPARE II! 
best subscription season. Sent 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, Dept. “M 
\¥T If you will use it to 
/ secure new and re- 
__ newal subscriptions 
l/jp to The Rural New- 
(llj Yorker „ Th«s is the 
i for terms. 
1,” 333 West 30th St.. N. Y. 
