746 
May 3, 1934 
'The 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. 
To paraphrase Coue: 
“Every day in every way you’re getting 
better and better.” 
This dollar is spent with great willing¬ 
ness. I think you give more for the 
money ' ban any other publication extant. 
While I am not a farmer, I am still more 
interested in The R. N.-Y. than any 
other paper or journal I receive, lour 
answers to queries are great. I like your 
candor in calling a spade by that name, 
and lastly, as the “divines” say, I don t 
see how vou do it for a dollar. 
Orange Co., N. Y. w. MEYER, m. d. 
Our degree of modesty has its limita¬ 
tions, as is evidenced by the publication 
of this letter ; but our friends will pardon 
a pride in approval of our work from one 
who does not actually till the soil, but 
who nevertheless is competent to appraise 
service. 
A Maryland subscriber sent Harry T. 
Crandall, Cass City, Mich., an order for 
two pigs, with remittance of $47 in pay¬ 
ment, on April 30, 1923. The subscriber 
hasn’t received the pigs yet, and no evi¬ 
dence that they were ever shipped. A 
New York State farmer ordered a boar 
in August last. The boar was very un¬ 
satisfactory and was returned. No ad¬ 
justment has been made, and no registry 
papers furnished for the two sow pigs. 
The recital of the record is sufficient, 
without comment. 
I wish to write concerning some 
trouble I had with the Federal Art In¬ 
stitute, Newark, N. J. and will be thank¬ 
ful for advice or anything you can do to 
help me. East Summer a man came to 
the house to take photographs to be en¬ 
larged. I let him take a photograph of 
mv husband and me with the promise I 
would surely get my photograph re¬ 
turned; he also gave me a slip. n e 
guarantee to return photograph. Proofs 
were to be submitted and if were satis¬ 
factory I was to pay him $2.9S for each 
head enlarged which would make my 
enlarged picture cost $5.96. I told him 
to bring proofs only on Saturday. lie 
did not come on Saturday and I was not 
at home. He had finished my painting, 
and when again bringing them I had 
moved to this place, so I left word for 
him to bring my painting or send it 
cod Later I got notice from them either 
to 'call in Newark for the painting or 
sepd the $5.96 or appear in court on a 
certain day. r - A - w - 
New York. 
We published the history of this trans¬ 
action with the Federal Art Institute as 
a warning to our people. We have simi¬ 
lar complaints against many of these so- 
called art institutes. In this case, this 
particular company has disappeared and 
left no trace. Possibly, this was the 
better part of discretion, for the Post 
Office Department was getting com¬ 
plaints and would be apt to investigate 
whether they were using the mails with 
intent to defraud. If the company starts 
up again, or literature is received from 
them, the best place for it is in the 
kitchen stove. 
I note your observation regarding the 
Knickerbocker Merchandising Co., 1— 
East 25th St., New York City, on page 
618, and take pleasure in sending you 
herewith more extended reference to the 
same fraud in our issue of March. TLbc 
concern is composed of the cheapest kind 
of cheap fakers, who are making thous¬ 
ands of dollars every week selling so- 
called service contracts which have no 
v.Jue whatever. I have taken the - 
40 years and the - as long as I can 
remember, but I never saw a real farm 
journal until a lifelong friend introduced 
me to The Rural New-Yorker. I can¬ 
not figure out how you can produce so 
remarkable a p^per for $1 per year. It 
I were a farmer. I would not undertake 
to get along without it if it cost $1 per 
week. E - A - s> 
Michigan. 
The above letter from the editor of 
the Michigan Tradesman. Grand Rapids, 
‘Mich., is fully appreciated. In the 
March issue of the Michigan Tradesman 
the Knickerbocker Merchandising Com¬ 
pany scheme is fully exposed. T\ e are 
glad to note that the grocery trade has 
such an able and sincere champion in 
this publication. A trade publication ex¬ 
posing such frauds should be of the great¬ 
est value to merchants. 
I hold some stocks in the All Ameri¬ 
can Brokers, Inc., and have not heard 
from them since last June, when I re¬ 
ceived notice of meetings of the stock¬ 
holders. I was unable to attend the 
meetings. Do you know anything of 
them, and if so what is their standing? 
New Jersey. mrs. r. s. 
This company maintains an agency in 
Newark, N. J., while headquarters are 
located at 19 West 44th Street, New 
York City. The corporation was organi¬ 
zed for the purpose of inducing people 
in this country to place their insurance 
operating here. The corporation filed a 
voluntary petition in bankruptcy an 
September 24, 1923, showing liabilities 
of $16,327 and assets of $12,000, the as¬ 
sets consisting principally of bills, prom¬ 
issory notes, securities, and office fixtures. 
On October 15, 1923, Judge Learned 
Hand dismissed this voluntary petition 
in bankruptcy, on the ground that the 
resolution authorizing the filing of the 
petition was improperly adopted. The 
company continues as broker for insur¬ 
ance interests, and the effort to secure 
the writing of policies in American con¬ 
cerns but reports show that the business 
has considerably diminished during the 
past year. 
Farmers in various parts of the coun¬ 
try are. receiving through the mails an 
invitation to part with $2 in a novel 
manner. 
A small advertisement appearing in 
farm papers reads somewhat as follows °. 
“Wanting to hear from owner having 
farm for sale.” 
Persons responding to this advertise¬ 
ment received a letter from the New 
Land Sellers’ Guide Publishing Company, 
721 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo., in which is 
inclosed a printed notice attached to a 
self-addressed sealed and stamped en¬ 
velope. The notice contains this an¬ 
nouncement : 
“Do Not Open !—This scaled envelope 
contains the Revised New Land Sellers 
Guide, in which are the names and ad¬ 
dresses of 260 new farm land buyers. 
Should you wish to keep the revised 
guide, remit according to the terms of the 
enclosed special acceptance offer. If you 
do not wish to sell your farm or take ad- 
vantage of this offer, remove this slip 
and drop the letter in the IT. S. mails, 
without being opened. We have a com¬ 
plete record of this envelope, which has 
IT. S. postage attached, and must not be 
tampered with, unless you wish to keep 
it, as per the terms of the inclosed offer. 
Fill out the inclosed offer blank, remit¬ 
ting only $2, and this valuable index of 
of 260 farm buyers belongs to you. The 
inclosed guide may be worth thousands 
of dollars to you.” 
Thus the impression is created that 
there is a liability attached to the open¬ 
ing of this sealed envelope unless $2 is 
remitted. 
A complaint has reached us to the ef¬ 
fect that a number of letters addressed 
to some of the “260 guaranteed cash land ' 
buyers” have been returned to the sender. 
These facts are presented for the in¬ 
formation of those likely to become in¬ 
terested in such a proposition. 
NATIONAL VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. 
Here is another variation of the real 
estate schemes which The R. N.-Y. has 
been exposing for the past 25 years. Os¬ 
trander started the ball rolling by inaug¬ 
urating a plan to get easy money from 
farm owners on the pretext of finding a 
buyer for the farm. Cornell, Black and 
dozens of other adopted Ostrander’s idea 
or improved on it, and all with the same 
idea of swindling farm owners of some 
amount of money. This particular scheme 
would come under the head of “petty 
swindling.” 
In November, 1922, I shipped Walter 
C. Morris, 105 Hudson St.. New York 
Citv, three crates of comb honey which 
came to $95. He admits receiving it in 
good condition, and selling same. After a 
number of requests he sent me his check 
for $50. which left a balance of $45, in 
March, 1923. My requests for payment 
of the balance have been met with ex¬ 
cuses. and now he does not answer my 
letters at all. F. J. M. 
Pennsylvania. 
Our investigations disclose the fact 
that Morris seems to be a honey broker 
with desk room only at the above ad¬ 
dress. We have four open claims amount¬ 
ing to a considerable sum for honey 
which was sent him upon consignment, 
which he sold and for which he made no 
returns to the shippers. No satisfaction 
could be obtained from him,- and he is 
now being sued on separate counts by our 
attorney. Our subscribers reading this 
article will kindly pass the news along to 
their friends who have honey for the 
market, and who might be caught by his 
solicitations direct by mail. 
And the “premiums” are insignificant com* 
pared with the protection received. 
♦ 
Without oil your tractor is worthless. With 
an ordinary oil of low heat resistance, it 
is only a little better. To get full power, 
profitable operation, only minor repair bills 
and longer life—your tractor needs an oil 
especially prepared for tractor requirements. 
♦ 
That’s what Socony Motor Oil for Tractors 
is—carefully refined, with a high heat resis¬ 
tance and tough body that ‘ ‘ stands the gaft” 
in the hottest days of August. 
♦ 
Everyone carries fire insurance on his house. 
Every farmer should insure his tractor motor 
by using Socony Motor Oil. There’s a type 
especially recommended for yours. Consult 
the Socony chart at your dealer’s. Delivery 
in 30 or 50 gallon metal drums, with 
faucet, probably will suit you best, and it 
costs no more. 
Call or write our nearest station. 
STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW YORK 
26 Broadway 
SDCDNY 
MOTOR OIL 
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