1366 
Thi RURAL NEW.YORKER 
October 25, 1924 
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. 
The It. N.-Y. has been accused of be¬ 
ing prejudiced on the work-at-home 
schemes for selling knitting machines. 
Here is a question and answer from the 
conservative Herald-Tribune which is en¬ 
tirely fair to the company in question 
and the knitting machine enterprise as a 
whole: 
Question—I am always following your 
advice to people about investing their 
money and will be very thankful to you 
in my personal case. I am a clerk and 
my mother got some pamphlets from the 
Auto Knitter Hosiery Company of Buf¬ 
falo about a knitting hosiery machine 
for which they ask $75 and agree to go 
in a contract to purchase all hosiery so 
knitted for cash at $1.75 and $2 a dozen. 
This would suit my mother very well, as 
she could earn her livelihood at home, if 
this could only be true. Will you kindly 
tell me whether I do not take a risk by 
buying this machine? We absolutely can¬ 
not sell the hosiery locally, and the idea 
is to sell it to the company. Are we as¬ 
sured that they will take all the hosiery? 
I cannot afford to lose and want your 
advice.—H. A. Y T . 
Answer—You would be assuming a 
greater risk than your financial circum¬ 
stances warrant in buying a knitting ma¬ 
chine under the plan offered by the Auto 
Kjnitter Hosiery Company. Earnings of 
this company are not producing the net 
income reported previous to the time a 
public offering of stock was made at 
$22.50 a share in February, 1923. The 
first quarter of 1924 showed a net loss of 
about $11,000. Nothing was earned for 
the stock in 1923. As the current market 
price of Auto Knitter shares is about 
$2.25, as against $22.50, the price the 
public was asked to pay in February, 
19,23, you may readily determine from 
these combined facts that fair sailing m 
the affairs of this company is not made 
plain. If the company saw fit to reject 
the hosiery made by your mother for any 
reason of their own we do not see but 
that you would have a comparatively un¬ 
productive piece of mechanism of little 
value on your hands as well as loss of 
your mother’s labor. We do not con¬ 
sider the project practical from a busi¬ 
ness or investment standpoint. 
We would add that this young man 
would be taking the extra risk that his 
mother would not be able to operate the 
machine at all. 
Can you collect a bill for me which it 
seems impossible for me to collect? In 
January and February of this year I 
shipped five cases of eggs to H. W. Keim, 
436 Orange St., Newark, N. J. He paid 
for four cases; the one he said he did 
not receive, and so has never paid me 
for it. I went to the express offices and 
made a complaint. The agents both told 
me they would have to have my express 
bills. I let them take them. When they 
were returned to me there were two miss¬ 
ing. I have had several letters from 
them, saying they were trying to trace 
the lost case. This last two months I 
have not heard from them. I know now 
there is something wrong, -so I am writ 
ing to you to see if you can help me to 
collect the bill. II. W. Keim was my 
butcher for six years when I was a resi¬ 
dent of Newark. I paid the express on 
all the cases except the first one. On 
that one he deducted 80c, which was only 
02c. If there is any way you can collect 
the bill I will be very thankful to you, for 
I cannot afford to lose it. F. v. M. 
New York. 
The express company showed delivery 
of these shipments to H. W. Keim of 
Newark, N. J. Mr. Keim pays no atten¬ 
tion to the inquiries we make or bills we 
send, and while there may be some mix- 
up, we are inclined to believe from his 
silence that he is a pretty good party to 
leave alone when making any shipments. 
Our oft-repeated advice holds good; to 
investigate before sending any goods to 
any unknown parties. 
The enclosed from Macedon Creamery 
Corp., Macedon. N. Y., may interest you. 
It is the kind that probably needs in¬ 
vestigating and it will certainly get it 
from The Rx'ral New-Yorker. If 
patriotism is the last resort of a scoun¬ 
drel. stock selling to the public is often the 
last resort of a bankrupt. It is certain 
your subscribers will follow your ad¬ 
vice. J. o. 
New York. 
This is an offer of units of 10 shares of 
preferred and 10 of common stock of the 
Macedon Creamery Corp. The pros¬ 
pectus gives no statement of assets or 
liabilities or earnings. The only intima¬ 
tion of the earnings is that 8 per cent 
has been earned and paid on the pre¬ 
ferred stock. The substitute for a fi¬ 
nancial statement is that $500 invested 
in Bordens has returned to investors 
more than $45,000; and the same amount 
in Ilorlicks, $140,000. We do not dis¬ 
pute these statements, but granting their 
accuracy this affords no basis for an in¬ 
vestment in this creamery project. The 
big earnings of concerns in similar lines 
have been the bait used by promoters as 
far back as our records go. Such ap¬ 
peals only causes suspicion in the minds 
of conservative investors. As a choice we 
prefer to encourage a concern that makes 
a market for a farm product, but while 
the members of this corporation are per¬ 
sonally favorably considered, we find 
nothing to justify an investment in their 
stock. 
I received the silverware from United 
Advertisers, Inc., Chicago, Ill., but not 
as ordered, or according to their agree¬ 
ment. I sent 900 cards or coupons which 
entitled me to 18 spoons. They sent six 
spoons and three table knives. It looks 
as if they want me to buy three table 
forks to match knives. I am through 
with them. I wrote them several times 
and they did not answer until I registered 
a letter stating that I was going to in¬ 
vestigate whether they did a legal busi¬ 
ness or not. I thank you for trouble 
taken and help you gave me in getting 
what I did. r. r. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
This refers to one of the premium 
schemes in connection with which local 
dealers are induced to purchase coupons 
or cards to be given with purchases of 
merchandise. The scheme is an abom¬ 
ination both from the standpoint of the 
merchant and the customer. We are 
constantly receiving complaints from 
those who do not get the premiums to 
which they are entitled. 
Is the Mantle Lamp Co., Chicago and 
Philadelphia, all right to deal with? I 
enclose their offer to me. h. m. p. 
Pennsylvania. 
We do not regard the Mantle Lamp Co. 
worthy of confidence. The firm’s adver¬ 
tising is misleading and we have com¬ 
plaints that the firm does not live up to 
its guarantee or trial offer in a fair 
manner. 
Please return the enclosed letter of 
Goodyear Engraving 'System, 147 West 
23d St., New York City, and tell me just 
What you think of it. Is the company 
reliable? a. l. b. 
Vermont. 
This concern alleges that it wants 
home workers “to cut out blanks for en¬ 
graved identification plates.” It agrees 
to pay $12 per hundred. The worker is 
required to send a deposit of $6 as a 
guarantee that he will do the work in 
accordance with requirements. We do 
not know just what the nature of this 
work may be, but the circular letter has 
all the “earmarks” of an easy-money 
work-at-home scheme. Don’t send money 
to any concern on the prospect of thereby 
securing profitable work at home. The 
houses sending out home work on a legiti¬ 
mate basis do not require deposits. Ap¬ 
proaching the Winter season the mails 
are filled with these petty swindles. 
On June 27, 1923. I paid one of the 
agents of the United States Circulation 
Department, of which Victor W. Bellevue 
is the active head, $3 in cash for one 
year’s subscription to the Annals of 
Good Ste. Anne de Beaupre. and hold 
a receipt, subscription No. 79935A, 
signed H. A. as their representative. As 
yet I have received no paper. i. c. b. 
New York. 
The true facts disclosed through a re¬ 
cent investigation show that the Re- 
demptionist Fathers of Quebec withdrew 
all authorization from the LT. S. Cir¬ 
culation Dept, of 135 Nassau Street, 
New York City, in March, 1923, to solicit 
any further subscriptions to their mag¬ 
azine and this one along with others, was 
taken, even up to June. The subscrip¬ 
tions when sent to Quebec were returned 
to the U. S. Circulation Dept., but they 
in turn retained all of the money and 
our efforts to have it refunded to the 
subscribers have availed us nothing. 
There is much trouble over subscriptions 
given this class of general subscription 
agents. 
“Why do you always bait with min¬ 
nows?” “Well, if I catch anything it 
will have to be. a size larger.”—Louisville 
Courier-Journal. 
Farmers and Electrical Engineers 
are putting their heads together 
I T doesn’t pay a farmer to carry a single bushel of wheat to the 
railroad station. He is a bulk producer. He must sell in bulk. > 
So it is with electricity. 
A National Committee of economists and electrical and agri¬ 
cultural engineers has organized state groups of farmers to 
whom electricity is being supplied. These groups will receive 
electrical facts from engineers and will in turn give the engi¬ 
neers farming facts. The state agricultural colleges guide these 
groups—show them how to apply electricity and how to keep 
records of power consumed, time and labor,—records which can 
be compared with those obtained under non-electrical conditions. 
Farmers do not profess to be electrical engineers, and electrical 
engineers do not profess to be farmers. But by putting their 
heads together they are adapting electricity to farming. Ways of 
utilizing electricity could be discovered that would be profitable. 
Co-operation of this kind is now bringing about greater electrification. 
As a result both the 500,000 farmers who have electric service and those 
who have never had it will profit. For electricity will be applied in ways 
never dreamed of before. Crops will be produced and handled with less 
labor and at lower cost. The standard of living on the farm will be raised. 
All the conditions to be faced are not known. And as soon as they are 
known—and that will be very soon — there will be fewer farms on which 
men and animals do all the work. 
The Committee in charge of the 
work is composed of economists and 
engineers representing the American 
Farm Bureau Federation, the Depart¬ 
ments of Agriculture, the Interior 
and Commerce, the Power Farming 
Association of America, the American 
Society of Agricultural Engineers, 
and the National Electric Light 
Association. 
A booklet has been published by the 
Committee. It will be sent on re¬ 
quest free of charge. Read it and 
pass it on to your neighbor. Write 
for it either to Dr. E. A . White, Amer¬ 
ican Farm Bureau Federation, 58 
East Washington Street, Chicago, 
Ill., or to the National Electric Light 
Association, at 39 West 39th Street, 
New York City. 
NATIONAL ELECTRIC 
LIGHT ASSOCIATION 
2 
in 
wmmrn 
ENCES 
“Super-Zinced” Fences 
are protected against rust 
by the heaviest armor of zinc 
that can be successfully applied 
to wire. We use our own basic 
open hearth steel, and by our 
improved process the zinc is so 
thoroughly bonded to the wire that 
it will not crack or peel. This gives 
superior rust resistance, and we guar¬ 
antee our fences to be unexcelled in 
quality and durability. 
Pittsburgh Perfect & 
Columbia Fences 
are made in the Government approved 
styles for farm, poultry and garden, 
and include our superlative attractive 
Lawn and Flower Fences. Both Col¬ 
umbia and Pittsburgh Perfect Fences 
are “Super-Zinced”, giving greater 
rust protection at no increase in 
price. They add to the appearance, 
value and profit of your farm more 
than any other investment you can 
make. 
FREE—Vest pocket size book with 
pgrrf 72 pages of farm accounts, 
fKIt/ cr °P information, etc., also 
“Super-Zinced” Fence Cata¬ 
logue, free upon request. 
Pittsburgh 
Steel Co. 
701 Union Trust Bldg. 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
To Farm 
Owners- 
This Useful 
Vest Pocket 
Book 
l 
Raphael Asbestos 
Roof Coating 
will not run in the Hottest of Weather regardless 
of what degree surface to which it is applied. 
Absolutely guaranteed not to contain Coal Tar. 
Pure Asphalt Product and Asbestos filler, fire 
resistant, durable and inexpensive. Easily ap¬ 
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SPECIAL OFFER 
5 gals. . $8.00 10 gals. . $15.00 
Roofing Brush With Every Order 
C. O. D. with order. 
Money back if not Entirely Satisfied. 
Raphael Asbestos Roof Coating Corp. 
Dept. AA 799 Broadway New York City 
GALVANIZED ROOFING 
For immediate acceptance. We can furnish 
you No. 1 First Grade Galvanized Roofing. 
Compare our Prices — Quick Shipment 
2 V.” Corrugated 
lh” Corrugated 
2 V Crimp & 1 Stix 
3 V Crimp & 1 Stix 
Self Capping Rolls 
29 gauge 28 gauge 26 gauge 
per square per square per square 
•4.60 S4.76 $5.26 
4.65 4.80 5.30 
4.80 5.00 5.45 
4.90 5.10 5.60 
4.90 5.10 5.60 
Ridge Roll 8c per foot. Nails 10c pound. Lead- 
washers 20c pound. Freight prepaid. 
Quality Guaranteed 
CONSUMERS’ MFC. 
P. O. Box No. 342 
& SUPPLY COMPANY 
Moundsville, YV. Va. 
—— ( -.SAWS 1 
EASILY THEEa 
EARBIED J . 
'BMmflES \WElGHTOMy j 
^4SLBS' 
THIS LOG AND TREE SAW $01 95 
Fitted with Atkins Special Steel Guaranteed Sawdfc A 
9 Cords in 10 Hours by one man. It’s King of tha 
woods. Catalog Y 68 Free. Established 1890. 
Folding Sawing Machine Co., 2633 S. State SL, Chicago, EEL 
