The New York Herald Newspaper, June 27, 1876, Page 8

PERSECUTED WORKING GIRLS Swindling by the Sewing Machine Agents. FIFTY THOUSAND STRUGGLING WOMEN. The Help They Need and the Enemy That Is Opposed to Them, From time to time oecur cases of flagrant outrage which show what a hard siruggle poor young women Dave to earn a living. The sewing machine having be- ome a nece-sity in needlework 1t bas been used to no mail extent as a means of extortion and oppression, and numerous instances of depiorabie wretched- Bess have come to light iu the exposure of the rascali- Mes perpetrated by sewing machine agents, Some time ago the sysiem of cruelty practised in the selling of sowing machines was so adroitly carried on, under the protection of legni technicalities, that it was dim- pult to seize upon the evil doer, and the victims qui- ly submitted (o the iniustice to which they were sub- jected. By the sid of the Working Women’s Protec” ttve Union, whose offices are at No, 38 Bleecker street, bese frauds were to a great extent exposed, and with repeated oxposures the swindling gradually dimix- ished. For along time the sewing machine agent was THK TERROK OP THE POOR WORKING WOMAN Mruggling to earn above her seanty expenses the few dollars needed to pay for the machine. 1+ was only when the Working Women’s Protective Union auder- took to redress the wrongs of their suffering nine that the agents began to understand that there was some limit to which domineering Ignorance and heart- lessness might be permitted to go. Fortunately the class of men Who 80 long held the position of sewing | machine agents has been vory muel improved. and the axents of the principal sewing machine companies arc Duw, with some exceptions, a set of men far more Fespecto ble than their predecessors, Aa proof of a step fn advinee it may be mentioned that in Wheeler & Wilson's establisument the agents bave among them- selves an organization, one object of which 1s to secure good conduct among themselves, as the lollowing seo” tion of their bylaws will show'— the conduct of members on all pubile edcaatons of the les ec mee member is to Le thought agentieman, ans member lorfelting his elaim on auch uceasions by con: duct unbecoming 4 gentleman and bringing his associates into bad repute by bis actions, shall be fined $5, and he shall apologiae in open meeting to his fellow members tor his of- fonce, Lu tuilure to do so his name shall be dropped trom the roll and he shall forever be ineligible tor membership, ‘Though this rule only here applies to “all public oc casions of the association,” still it is understood tha; It practically applies to business operations of the agent, and any dereliction in the discharge of his du- ties us an agent is considered to bring ‘his associates into bad repute by his actions’? Other large Orme have not gone so far as this, but it is sald that the agents as a class are now more humane than they were formerly, One reason for this may be that the large firms have learned to understand that they cannot fight against public opinion, and accordingly extend a gen- erosity to the poor people upon whom they depend for the largo profits which accrue to their patent rights And their manulactories, Still CASRS OF A MOST BRUTAL CHARACTER from time to time occur which show that the evil has not been entirely eradicated. While the writer was yesterday speaking to one of the lady officers of the Women’s Protective Union he was informed that 80 ate as last weck a most painful case was brought to the notice of the union. A poor woman had a machine which she was unable to pay tally up tor, bat with which she was eking out a kind of existence, and dur- ing her absence from hor room the agent entered and was in the act of taking away the bread winner when she returned, Seeing this, and knowing that the means of subsistence was being dragged out of hi grap, sho begged that It should not be taken away and made some little show of resistence. The agent brutally poxbed her out-of his way and acted in a manner which showed that still farther force was in store for her if she inverfered with him. Scarcely a week pas: without somo poor woman being obliged to ask lor the intervention of the Women’s Prvtective Un'on, in or- der not to be crushed by asewing machine agent. It | is only fuir to state, however, that the lady officials above reforred to admilted that when the union sought redress {rom any of the principal sowing machine com- panies tho groatest courtesy was extended, and, asa tulo, every opportunity afforded to the working woman to retato the machine, There was no hard driving for the money, and even kindness was invariably shown, But then it must be remembered that the sewing ma- thine agents are responsible only to the firm that em- ploys them, and brutalty in an agent may be band- somely set off by tho courteous generosity of his em. ployers. In former years there was a good deal of this sortof thing done, but, as has been said, the firms themscives bave come to learn that the working girls aro not without the sympathy of the public gonerally, and for this reason, as well as for the substantral one of ecouomy, she larger firms now act, all things con- sidered, tolorably well. But there is A CRYING FYIL in the sewing machine business which should be at once stamped out by some means or other, and this ts the one chief fraud which now the sewing machine classes have to meet. There are several dealors in sew- ing machines in this city of. whom the worst sort of stories is told, and some of them have already been be- fore the courts in suits brought by the Women’s Pro- tective Union, These dealers publish advertisements B the newspapers to the effect that they will seil the different classes of machines at much lower prices than the manutacturers themeclves sell them. Not only | Wits, but they promise to secure or give work to the purchaser for a certain length of time, thas enabling the girls, according to the advertisement, to be cortain of paying for the machine. Both jorms of the adver- Msements are aswindle, In the first place these deal- wes do not seli now machines for the prices announced, axcept old ones revamped and burnished up with puity snd varnish can be said to be now; and in the second piace the promise to sup y work 8 rarely if ever at all {uililied ere is hore ‘he trouble lies Tho girls are disap- pemotiet he % Ybe machine may have cost the | Peltier ‘‘or §15, und he seis it at perhaps $30, Ho | ives she gir 5 worth of | The trator is (hus reimoarsed for what the second hand | machine cost hi:n, the girl gets no nore work, the vext mstalment of the money due ts not paid, the dealer waiks ‘u and seizes his machige and leaves the girl to Wondet atthe whole affur. Another tictim is soon caught, the same machine 1s made to do the work, an- other girt pays him $10 ur $15, work ix discontinued, the machine t8 again sezed, and another poor giri is | left to moarn the duplicity of sewing machine men. } | Bome time since in chia caiy this sort of business was tarried oO extensively, but it was to the profit of the winx macnine firms to set their faces against | fhe: mi and they consequently aided the Work- ing Women’s Protective Union in a stropuous effort not oniy to dluel is rom these Larpies, but to sop the scHeme: and trickery altogether At the present time there aro only some eight or ten of this class of Tascais leit, and these are waiched closely. $ ALARMING NUMBER OF DKPRSDENTS, | There are now avout 50,000 sewing machiwes out” | fo this city, and it may be understood from this fact jount of misery might be oo. aay, | podr creatare might be haraseed and her agents, The reporter bad a conversation yesterda ‘Wit a prominent member of one of the sewing machive houses, and that gentieman informed bim that it was But the terest of the respectable sewing machine firma io annoy their cu-tomers, as whon the machine | was seized or ret it had to be sold | as second hand at small price. He stated | 4 that though (he cost of a machine seemed tigh, fb Was impossible (o sell it lor less the losses and tie length of time ( to wait tor payment “If,’’ said machines iD the same way as merchants ordi allord to make It is not generaily known,” he ow real are our services to the powr work- ing Womed—in fact, we are their Lest irienas. You will Bear 0} some tale of distress, eching about a woman | being deprived of ber mach Jali that, but there sre two sides to the story, 4 months ago, for im. Mance, # case occurred + Two years ago a ding on >to! where | reside tour uy has never since \ her neighborhood very poor Fi of one— on @nd Could Bot meet any ike. Bhe had been notified to pay in the With boudreds of Otuers—anod that this machine wa the ouly means of making # ‘ving possessed. 1 seid to this gentieman that if be and som: rr Would subscribe $29 1 wou subscribe $5, ‘of the $72 would be forgiven. Now, I nave not word irom that geptioman mace. The ma | Bridget Barry, or Maria Kenny (aa she gues by bon NEW Y ef cruelty.” As to the reduction in the eost of the ma- ebines, the reporter was informed on good authority ‘oat the profits in sewing machine manulactories must be enormous, And against the statement that drms have to watt so lon; a chie! reason tor ¢) price 18 so bigh the thie way, when « few dull w: tng wo: thrown completely only con’ occur, th bebindhand. Bat the fence that would seemingly happen to the urchaser, if the price was-reducea to a reasonable igure, would be that, as the money was all paid up, the frm would not have to wait for the balance of the exor- Ditant charge. & WaRuIxa, Whetber or not the large firms act as respectably as they say they do, evidently important that pur- cbasers of sewing machines sbuuid avoid those people who profess to sell machines tor leas than tae mal facturers themselves offer them. When agents of rge firms act either harshly or pinchingly wor! youen would do weil to place themscives at once communication with the Working Women’s Protective Union, which seems to have rendered good service against the ewindies attempted to be perpetrated by sewing machine agents, Where there i reason to Prosecute the case will be proceeded with by the union inst any of the firo:s, and complaints against agents who seek to harass or annoy will alxo meet with tention they deserve. In view ot the facility to torment these poor, bara- males 18 so great, and that they so friendiess and helpless, added to the consid yn that the number of them dependent upon the humanity of the sewing ma- chine firms is so large, it becomes a public duty, as well as a charitable one, to expose any and all attempts to cheat them or starve them. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY. ‘To run Eprror or THe Hrnatp:— The action of Justico Dufly mm discharging Bridget Barry on our charge of ‘*malicious mischief" for break- ing the windows In the building we occupy not ta accordance with law or justice. The public generally do not understand that the powers of a police justice are discretionary, and to be weed accurding to his sym- pathies in disposing of cases brought before bim, with- out regard to law of justice, if he sees fit to ignore them, as Justice Duffy did in this case It took names) twenty months to work herself into the trenzy for bréuking windows, and after having ap- THE POST OFFICE. Official Investigation on Building Expenditures, THE COST OF MATERIALS USED. How the Purchases Were Arranged and Perfected, The sub-committee of the House Committee on Ex- penditures for Public Buildings, charged with the investigation of the expenditure of $227,000 in excess of the appropriation for constructing and furnishing the United States Court and Post Oilice Building, re- sumed their session yesterday. The morning hours were consumed in the examination of Mr. Barton, the Imspector of materials, whose testimony showed the amount of the deficieucy as follows Henvelman, Haven & Co., trop works United States Vireproof’ Shatter Com} shutters Kellogg Bridge Company, irov wor ©. T. Hurlburd, swary’ and traveling exe ined percenta; penses ..... « Hatherton & Co., retai plumbing .... a vedesbabobien Leonard Attwood, hoisting elevators .. Holmes & Co., electric annunciators .. K A Boyd, glass... Tucker Mantacturi Pottier & Stymus, furniture , plied to the “Woman's Protective Association’’ for re- dress, which, after investigation, dismissed the case be- cause there was no just cause jor complaint. The article in the Hanaup of the 22d inst, misrepre- sents us and our busimess, cither maliciously or Uhrough wilful ignorance, by the party who wrote it, and for that reason we ask for equal publicity im reply, that the thousands who bave supplied mselves with machines through our Hiberal system of “leasing,” and who can and do testify to our charity and liberality, may not be misled by one WRO seeks, vunder anonymous signatiren, te siauder us, Yours respecttully, C. C. FUWLER, Jr., Monager New York Branch Weed Sewing Machine Company. A BOOKEEKPES'S STATEMENTS. Naw Yor, June 2%, 1876, To Tus Eprron ov tas HrxaLp:— 1 Bnd that the Hexano is troubling iteclf a great deal about a business it knows nothing whatever aboat— viz,, the sale of sewing machines of tnstalments—and Uses Its Columns for the parpose of expatiating on the wrongs which it thinks are done to purchasers, It goes so far as to Justify the deliberate destruction of | property by women who refuse determinedly to pay for the articles they buy. Now I myself am buta bumble bookkeeper, and am compelled to work hard for my living; but I must say that auring my long experience in the business, and also in the piano business, which selis on similar terms as the sewing machine companie: have seen nothing but the kindest feelings displayed by the companies toward tue purchasers. As bookkeepor, I find tbat only one-third of the customers pay regularly as they agroe to, one-third ure trom three to #ix months be- hind, and one-third are what we denuminate bad cases, from whotn it 18 difficult to collect even the small- eat sums, and who deligtt to browbeat and insult the collector. As to the alleged immense profits made by the companies, I know that most of them bave made ho money during the last fow yeurs. They all have heavy expenses and pay large commissivos to agents who seil their goods, ir business is certainly oar- ried on in a far kindlier and Christianiike spirit than that of the Hxna.p itselt, That pauper demands oush in advance tor all its advertisements, charges high prices, which enable everybody employed on the paper to obtain the highest wages, and never makes & coneession of a singlo word in an advertisement or takes one cont iess than 1 demanded at the desk. Tho rule of that paper is as strict as can bo and as strictly Carried ‘ont. Tu ite, Business thattors its like a mar chine, and shows no heart or feeling tor any one need- ing tho use of its columns Can the same be said of the sewing machine companies and the piano compa- nies and others selling on instalments? I say no, Their books show clearly that they extend the ucmost lenioney ible toward their customers, although many of them are hard pushed apd neod every uollar they are entitied to, I would sigo my name to this communication, but my bosees would over allow it. They are coutent to do their business in the honorable way that generally distinguisbes the trade, but I will send it nevertheless, and you may or you may not, as you tike, try vo ascertain it my state- ments are correct, 1 must say 1am astonished that a paper which arrogates to itself the title of the leadi: Paper of the United States should deliverately in editoriais do its best to bring the law to defiance, to de- | stroy the oblizations of contracts, and to abuse bonora- ble and respectable business meu and firm: unfortunately, command business in pendent style as the Hxraup. A PLFA FOR DRY GOODS CLERKS. To Tax Eprror or tar Henarp:— Approaching our nation’s greatest holiday, the cen- tennial Fourth of July, the dry goods retailers could not center a greater favor on their hard worked clerks ‘than by extending the holiday of the Fourth of July from the 3d to the 6th. Dry goods clerks have rarely the opportanity of enjoying themselves. The long hours on Saturday, from hall-past seven until hall-past eleven at night, compel them to rest on Sunduy to be | fresh for the following week. Every year will bring & Fourth of July, but every year will not bring an Exhibition, and our emplo; could not mark their appreciation of this 100th y of the nation’s forty-e a independence better than by giving us t hours’ holiday instead of twenty-tour, Knowing we xball be heard through you, 1 remain, very respectiully, J. McDOWELL. BROOKLYN MUNICIPAL © GOVERN- MENT. THE HEMPSTEAD RESERVOIR MUDDLE AGAIN— STREET CLEANING-—-CENTENNIAL CELEBRA- TION, Ata rogular session of the Brooklyn Board of Alder men, held yesterday afternoon, President French in the chair, a communication was received from Corpo- | ration Counsel De Wit in reply to inquiries made of | him ‘‘as to whether the city is lawfully in posseasion | of the storage reservoir and may build the dam and gate bouse,’’ The Counsel is of the opinion that their Kimitation might confine the future expense for the work to $30,000, With regard to the question as to | “whether the adoption of the act of 1875, under the opmion of Messrs Evarts and Tracy, would imperil the detence of the city in the suit brought by Kingsicy and Keeney to recover $178,000, by enlarging the orig- tnal appropriation of $1,400,000, and thus cutting off | to the defensive position that the contract ended when the $1,400,000 the adoption u and continues the old,"’ Mr. Do Witt says that the reservoir can and ought to be completed under corporate powers, and particularly under the act of 1859. After some discussion a resolution was adopted by the Board calling upon the Mayor to suspend the mem- bers of the Board of City Works im case that body failed 10 compel the contractors for cleaning streets to carry out their contracts. It waa resoived to completo the dam and build the gate houses of the reservoir for was of ), 000, It was resolved to Increase the appropriation for the celebration on July 3 $1,000, making the total fund $7,500. From 35,000 to 40,000 persons will parade on the evening of July 3. HOMICIDE IN BROOKLYN, PAaTAL RESULT OF A. SATUBDAY NIGHT STRERT AYPRAY. Coroner Simms was notified yesterday to hold an inquest over the body of Patrick Corbett, who was foand dead in bed by his brother, James Corbett, at three o'clock fm the morning, atthe tenement house No, 64 Franklin avenue, Brooklyn. Deceased, wbe | was forty years of age, on leaving ois bow: Sature day night, saw Michael ¢ Darmody, Henry Sweeney and James Byrnes, turee young men, standing near by on the sidewalk, He ordered mio goaway. They refused to go off and jeered Corbett, whereupon he raised a hickory stick and niruck Byrnes op the head Sweeney and Darmody t and leit him insensiblo vam Kelly, proprietor of the saloon at No, 58 Franklin avenue, and Edward Graham, bartender, picked bim up and carried him into the house, where they left him in eharge of his brother Jamea No physician was summoned to attend him, When the case was reported to the police yesterday Officers Kiggs and I'rice were sent in search of the par- ties concerned im the aflray and arrested tuem. Byrnes says:—"-Corbett caine up ¥ on w dizzy, and had to grasp the fence Th xt I knew | saw Corbett ik, but who knocked is more than I can tel Corbet Stick was smeared with blood. Coroner the body, and empanelied a jury yesterday Dr, Shepard will make a post-mortem examination of John A. Liebert, lumber, + 1,885 05 Julius Starke, furniture . 8359 26 | Bader & Wivans, turniture + 1,076 25 Pattetson Brothers, bardwai see 1,528 66 Barrington & Milis, furniwure. « 18,729 80 Jobn McCiave, tarniture. + 6,886 08 Joveph Schieder & Co., furniture. . » 61312 F. Bestian, farnivare ye + 21,968 51 Bartlett & Robinson, estimated value of iron work delivered (no bill presented). . 38,999 89 | MeClave amounted to several thousand dollars it Falue Davidson & Mars, tor elevators an Total... Al the alternoon session the committee called C, T. Harlbard, who was swora and testified that he was ex- amined before the Committee on Expenditures in Wash- ingion, about June 20; resides in St. Lawrence county, New York; stated in former testimony that he bad been superintendent of the New York Post Office Bultaing since its commencement; it was his business originally to employ master mechanics, procure material as it was needed, supervise the payrolls, issue vouchers therefor, &e. ; was under the direction of the Supervising Archi- tect at Washington; was not bound to obey any other orders than the Supervising Architect, except direct from tho Secretary of the Treasury; the Supervising Architect gave me written instructions as to my du- ties (the copy was called for); had circulars {rom the Treasury Department every year, giving general in- structions sent to all supervising architects; there were letters from time to time, and, as the building ap- proached completion, gentiemen from the architect's office were here nearly every week; previous to last January a letter was received from the effice of the Supervising Architect requesting me not to express any opinion as to the rapidity with which the building could be completed. Witness pro- duced the letter; it contained s letter trom a writer signing ‘John C, Hamilton, New York,” compiaining of the delays in the progress of the Court House and Post Oftice Building. Tho Supervising Architect, in di- recting witness not to give opinions on the work; wrote that he did not know Mr. John C, Hamilton and did not want to know any one so stupidly ignorant and wilfully malicious as he appeared by his letter; wit- ness was called upon for # statement of the amount of disbursements of all kinds on the buiiding up tothe time of the closing of work, about the 1st of Novein- ber last, and said that it wouid be shown in the last re- port, which was made up from all of the books; it Was $8,010,474 26; in hia former examination witness stated that expenditares were made at Washington whick he did not know about watil vouchers were sent on here for approval; couid not give the amounts; the Youchers were seut on bere to ascertain if the mate. riat had been furnished; in one instance it was a por tion of the rooting; 1» another it was for the Tucker Manutacturing Company ; had uo idea what amount over that given above had beon expended; that, he supposed, | could be obtained in Washmgton; the débris, lumber and iron used in tho construction of this building -had been used, some of it, several times; the amount received for sand excavated, sale of cement and débris, and rent of fence, was deposited in the Sub-Treasury; latterly was directed to use the receipts for débris to pay off abilities and in exchange for material; never kept any books of the amount, but thinks the in spector did; thinks a portion of the débris is still in the building; the refuso lumber and broken iron were sold by tho inspector, virtually representing witness; told Mr. Barton to got the highest prices for it and use the money to defray bilis tor material as far as possible; think it was done; the amount of money since the commencement hus first yoar it was several thous Burton’s department business counts of such money; tue master mecn: have some control of old material to th tuking out what he vould use; in September or October last witness received instructions to surntsh such material to Lim on his requisition aad it was done; Witness did not know that three days were ever cectified that was not done on this building: was told to allow certain materials to go for fepnirs of the Custom House, Assay Office, &c. ; tbat was material that we called vid and not required; like timver which had veon used as long as we wauied it and then it went to the other places in order to save ihe purchase of new material; had ne knowledge that aay such riul was charged to or paid for out of any appropria- tiuns charged to those buildings, Witness then de- tailed the manner of purchasing the lumbor used in the construction of the buiding by inviting bide tor for- uishing indefinite quantities where the quantity re- quired was small and purchasing trom the lowest bid- der, and where the quantity was large and known ask- ing bids for the delinue quantity. @ On December 17, LsT4, an invitation was sent out | for 50,000 ieet of Western cherry. Answers were re- cerved on the sume day {rom John MeCiave & Cu, and Watson & Pettinger, Oniy an approximate given, neither width, thickness vor jeugth to three days three vids were rceived. ine of materiais d ow, | could notall the jumber used, except, perhaps, a board why | here and there, have been purchased in that way? A. In this case I bad furoished to us an approximate statement of how much would be wanted; so I bad when flooring was required, aud theu J purchased it in that way. Q Inseptember, 18/5, the lumber purchased from How was toat luinder purchased? A. [ think [ was a here at that time, Dut think the inspector visited the yards and purcbased at the jowost Ggures for seasoned Wood of best quality, Q, Ln October, 1875, there are 1teme of lumber from the same tirm reaching $500, Was there ai | course taken In purchasing thea except the one indt | cated by you? A. The inspectors Were sent to the yards and the umber selected as above Q@ When the work was approaching completion and You could ges answers within threy days \o proposals could you hot have got the lumber that way imstead of purchasing without ‘contracts? A We bad to turn Over MxXty Of seventy carpenters to build desks aud | tab.cs in the Pos, Oillce Di ' ing authority from the de- partment, when he will be furnished with forms and full instructions.” The Chairman—Yea, so 1 supposed. But did you ‘not pay some one as high as five cents @ foot above what was camed ia another contract? Wiiness—Some ot the Duryea black walnut fur- Dished under contract was eo wet that it had @ Do you mean to from a coatractor lumber that w prepare it for ose? A. 1! mean to say that it was impoamibie to teli whether it Was scagoned or not; some of Ib waa said to have been sawed ous of the logs just before it was sent here for use; sowe of hat wood is sown in the doors u the authorny so buy lumber was never deregated 10 any one without my Knowledge; we did not cali ita formal when we invited bids by letter; ha seen @ schedule of accounts and bills eertined by u Supervising Architect; | belteve the material has bee labor pertormed as claimed in that ed al! of the bills; T starement; | bel did notadd them wy ington | have looked over the building, and can tou. morrow morning, aiter a little thuughi, give a better account of the material used and the cost o! the work dove since the exbaustion of the appropriation; witness bad not feceived any distinct novice ot the exhaustion ppropriaioa; lo my reoliection, alter we had the appropriation was exhausted, worth of work done on the con- and that work was Wiwation in Wash- | testimony gi tion of a letter from the proper department at Wasn- ington ancing the exhaasiion of the appropriation, the body to-day at the Morgue, and tho lequest will be commenced on Wednesday. Kelly, Grabam end An- \d are held as witnesses ‘7. drew Ryan were an i Une case, 7 intendent of this building, having the books under your charge, the condition of the appropriation?” “I was bot so instructed, ’* ' “Could you not have ascertained the amount of the appropriation (rom your books?" e ascertained the amount of expen- tamination of your books?” that had been expended here under my direct! “Will you now take your books and give the amount of material received, work done and the indebtedness of this building afier September 11, 18751” “I cannot give thas from the 11th of September with- out going over the time books, payrolis, &c., but we ive it tor the full month, the accounts bei cy the mouths we may be able to get the ans’ Lid Adjourned until ten A M. to-day. PREPARING FOR FIRE. MEETING OF THB BOARD OF UNDEBWRITERS— PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRES ON THE FOUBTE oF JULY. The Fire Patrol Committee of the Board of Under- ‘writers sent ont a circular last Thursday to all insur- ance companios doing business in this city, requesting ageneral meeting at the Boari rooms yesterday et twelve o'clock to discuss the danger to property arising trom she Centennial celebration, with its attendas parades and Greworka, on the 8d and 4th of July. The circular was well responded to, ung about 100 gentiomen, representing the different insurance com- panies in this city and vicinity, met yesterday at twelve o’clock in the Buard rooms pursuant to the call. Mr. Crowell, chairman of the Fire Patrol! Committee, called the mecting to order, and Mr. Heald was chosen chairman and Mr. Anderson secretary of the meeting: After the calling of the roll Mr. Crowell stated the purpose of the meeting, and read a set of resolutions, with preamble, proparea by the Fire Patrol Commit, tee, concerning the precautions to be taken in the case of house illuminations, and recommending that Policy holders should be notified that, unless the pro cautions prescribed were taken, thetr policies would de vitiated. This resolution was objected to by several, who thought that the Board of Underwriters, though they could recommend certain precautions, had no legal right to say to the policy holders that they should ase this or that method of illamination. One gentleman suggested that the words ‘might vitiate the policy” be substituted, as Court, subsequently, would deter- mine Mr. Driggs, of the Williamsburg City In: pent said that be thought the Fire Patrol u could not exercise too much vigilance, ns trade was vory dull at present, and from the last reports of losses by fire during the year it was computed’ that nearly one-halt of the losses wore occasioneu by the work of incendiaries. Therefore the precautions and resiric- tions could not be too strong or too many, when #0 tnany dishonest people were liable to set their places on Gre and lay the viamo on the fireworks. spoke on the same ly by excited crowds was from the illumination of the houses, Crowell said that the Fire Putrol Committee Mr. would double their usaal force on the Fourth of July, having two patrols at each station, besides a temporary patrol in the neighbornood of Ninety-fourth street for work in Yorkville and Harlem. The members of the committee would also give theif personal attention to the matter during the day. Mr, Driggs thought there would be more danger from Fire Patrol Committee, and the following preamp! and resvlutions were adopted as the sense of the Board: as the oslebration of the approaching vives promise of being aecompanied vy of danger Hite’ and jroperty, in of popular patriontone inspired by tion of our Republic's first Whe holiday elements exuberance always be! aweach year publishod programmes of local celebra Other large cities, include beyond prevede bination of incendiary and explosive whereas the 3, in our own and but with no extraordinary provision for the ntion and extinction of tke Gree whieh under these unusual circumstances Hureaten whe commanity. and wheress in our ow city in particular the arrancemients now in progress for the eelebra- tion of the Centennial Fourth .are upon ascale of unusual maguitude by means of iiluminatious, bonfires. torehlight rocensions, ke, &e., which must endanger property Tie remarkavie degree; therefore, That the occasion i one which M opinion (bi ve ry ra} cali vr the Protection of it at of others. It a PHdurth® shall pase over our city without leavin the sad evidences of some terrible cat: tion, it will only be as the reauit of and Lem reprises = ne Pp tt jan,cer that ret Resolved, That the Gre underwriters of New York and of luealities bere represented deem it their professional duty to councel an unusual degree of caution In the hi Ling, storing and, using on the Sa end of J of the community be the of uecessity for thie caution. “Only by exch assum- ing nie full share of personal respousivility for the public eatery can our citizens hope to ward off the impending rl. The danger is « ‘One, since the rau Petent of fires, olice started, are often beyond human Tatton, and at duch & thm wenne, become “his brot! Stinet of self-detence tion. hat we from the manteipal sin this time of unu-ual peril, and especially from the Fire and Police Commisst: ion for id tor the interests 4 ‘and efficent as ate ont Fire and Police depart: ments under ordinary elreumstances, we feel that the pros- ent occasion demands redoubled vixilance systematically sna continuously exercised to prevent fires, and also un- wenried energy to secure tbe quick extinetion of such as may aamital iva serious col he moat thorough and compr J@otion which the oc roperty wud lives. ant they Pre Underwriters Nere, represented will nct consent to the display of fireworks within or fiom any building, nor will they grant permission to illuminate public of private buildings except in the following man-. ts are at least twelve inches and no cartains, bunting or dra- ach of the lights. with tt of tallow candles u Outaide fi . ighted with wax or tallow can- dies or tapers secursd it mota fastenings, or by lard, sperm or olive out in metal c ¢ lanterns to be placed upon stone or iron wind est alx Inches from wood- all cases that » 1 be stationed on every floor. tention of policy hilders be called to hasard, without the consent of at work, the boxes to be filled with ft being s condition a rexponeible part Herol DROWNED AT COMMUNIPAW. A voy named Iarael Woods, reeiding at No. 189 Philip street, Jersey City, was standing on the bridge hear the Communtpaw abattoir, at balf-past two o’clock yesterday afternoon, when he was serzed with ‘a Git and fell into the water. Before assistance arrived he was drowned. ACOIDENTAL DROWNING. James Redmond, aged eighteen, of Thirty-second street, aear Seventh jue, while bathing at Riker’ Inland, was seized with a cramp and drowned on San- day afternoon. His body was recovered yesterday and iriends were notified. DROWNED WHILE BATHING, Silas Smith, aged ten, of avenee A ana Bighteenth atrect, wan drowned while bathing yesterday ater. 6 toot of Kast Twenty-Arst street, His body ered, FOUND DROWNED. The body of a drowned man was foand yesterday in the river at the fect of Main street, of the Empire Stores, Brooklyn, and was removed to the city Morgue to await identi ton Deceased was about fifty. six yeara of age, fret eight haifand mastache, Ho ry loons and vest. The corpse had beca in the water but a lew days, : SUICIDE OF A MOTHER-IN-LAW. Mra Margaret Sasse, ged Ofiy-elght, committed suleide un Sunday night, at the bouse of her son.in law, Mr. John D. Lab & grocer, corner of Seventh avenue and Twenty-first street, She was discovered yesterday morning lying neo jaco in bed, with ber th ro to ear. had exhibited signs of mental deran, for some time. Dr. Hadson was sammoned, but found life extinct. Coroner Kickhof has the case, THE LITTLE CONVALESCENTS. New Youu, June 23, 1876, To tnx Eprror o ree Herat. :— For somo years past many charitably disponed per. eons have kindly sent to Saint Mary’s Free Hospital for Unildren, No, 407 West Thirty-fourth street, con- tribuvens to the “Upen Air Fand,” affording the littie jammer drives in the 1 would bespeak the influence of your paper in behalf of the fund, Only a very tew ‘sons have remembered it this year. Aimovt At the little sufferers forward vory weneriy + u ot He must havo derived the niormation irom some other source, for the letter was not on file, and now thinks that no such letter was “Was it not your plain daty to know, as the saper- ORE HERALD, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET, “CORRUPTION” IN. AMERICA Our Republic Defended by a Celebrated Englishman. INTERESTING REMINISCENCES Professor Goldwin Smith on Republican Institutions. Professor Goldwia Smith writes the following sbie and Interesting letter to the editor of the London Adver- tiser, of Ontario, one of the leading journals of Canada:— Bin—| have just been witnessing a political pbenom- enon, about which a good doa! bas been saia and writ ten here, and from which sinister inferences have been, I think, incorrectiy drawn, I mean the move- ‘Meut against corrup! im tho United States. Public alarm and excitement there bave mounted almost to the height of panic. i think this may be said with truth wheo such a charge us that againet Mr. Kerr can Gnd credence, or even be seriously entertamed fora momeut Mr. Kerr stood bigh in every respect; he mfght well have aspired, aud probably did aspire, to the party nomination for the Presidency; yet he was seriousiy charevd with having sold himeel! and all bis lang 1p market overt tor the sum o! $450, a door- eeper of the House being employed as the agent of the transaction. ‘Ts8 rorisu Lot.” One ts almost reminded of the extras agen! picions which BS jailed amid the cruel frenzy of the Popish Piot. But panic is not the only sourco of exaggeration. ‘The ovii spirit of party 18 flercely excited by the Presi- dential election and parusans are striving to mount to power vy the usual stepping scone, a pile of slaughtered reputations, The aristocraue press in England, of course, revels in theve disclosnres; echoes as sober } truth the wildest tirades of alarm or partisanship, ead Points the welcome moral against popular govern- ment, OORRUETIUN In RXGLARD. jovernment in Baxjand puro while the aristoc- ned withous check and was at liberty w.show pature? Metmbera of Parliament were bought by the source, as you would buy goods over 9 atull;' and at one time the Speaker of the House of Coinmons was the Principal agent ip the traffic Lord Bute, the tavorite carried the disgraceful treaty which ain’s victories through Parliament by sneer dint of money. It ig said thas in one day he issued £25,000 to the order of hia agents. He raisetl ent ioun by private subscription among bis ts on such terms as ip vilect to distribute £250,000 of public money. t the money voted for the ser vice of the Grown on olectoral corruption, and called it giving “golden pills’ It is needicss to go back to earlior Limes, when inore than two bundrod members of the *Pensioved Parliament” were believed to be in the pay of ihe government, and when peerages were shamelessly sold, the price beihg sometimes entered in the books of the Exchequer. This was aristocratic Corruption in its coarsest form. But the government disposed vesides of a vast mass of sinecure patronage, whith was employed wholly for the purpose of pur- chasing political support, CORRUPTION IN THR CRURCH. It was common to see the clerical member of family wh b owned a rotten borougu in the enjoyment Of @ Couple of cavonries, o: of two or three behelices with care ot souis, the tithes of which he drew as a uou-resident. As to the administrauon of Irelund duping the same period it was corrupuion and nothing elae; the goverument bad no other ineuns of cartyin ite measures. The Union wus carried through tne Aris! Pariament by a wholesale bribery ot legisi: ors, of which Lord Cornwallis, a man of hunor compelled to do the work of infamy, speaks with utter disgust, and which casis into the shade the worst American revel: tions, Nor did the reign of corruption at Dubli minute, or even greatly abate, when the Parliat Ireiand ha! peen abolished. Sir Arthue Weilesiey, Jound his task pretty much the sume as that of administrators before the Univo. Lt was during bis tenure of offic, if | remember rightly, that some enthusiastically loyal politician endeavored to stem the tide of disaffection by stealing the goid pro- vided for the coliars of the Order of St. Vatrick, ana replacing it with copper. y MODERN CORRUPTION. Yet from this corruption the British government emerged, when, by tbe Reform biil of 1832, a voice ‘n the wanagement of their own affairs and avew on abuses were conceded to the people Littie of it now remains, except the employment of tities as rewards for politioal partisapelip, and the expenditure of mil- hoonaires in ‘“nursing”—that is, in buying up con- stituencies which they seek to represent in Parlia- ment Let us not forget that corruption has many Shapes, and can assume the reiined form of a ducati cor- onet or of a muniticent subecripuon or of a sumptuous entertainment, as well as the coarser iorm of a roll of reenbacks or wn allotment of paid-up stock. Macaulay observes, trath, that Eeghsh corruption orst of times Was eaciusively political; 1 did not extend to the judiciary, which remained upright, or to commerce, which remained sound. The important question always i whe malady ‘6 general or local; whether It perv: the body of the poo- le or is coufined to the politiians. My bdeliet is that im the United States the chiet "seat of the ovil which exists is among the poiiticuns, and that tho national character generally, though not witpout defects, 1s sound. It may be iairly said that the sume is the case in Canada also; and that among us too the politicians, with their Pacitic Railway scandal and big pughos, are not samples of ihe ndtional c! ter, but an exceptional class, If it were rot so there would be littie nope for our country. REPUBLICAN HONESTY Go not to the lobby at Washington, vor to the gold room at New York, but to auy country town or tarming district in the United States; mingle with the mer- chants and farmers; observe the diffused opulence which testifies to the general presence o! steady in- dustry; the moral ands religious habits of the poop! their respect ior law; their political intelligence; ther Jove of their country. Bhen consider bow their charac- ter and tustitutions bave borne the tremendous strain ol the greatest civil war in bi You will probably come, like other observ conclusion ut, reat’ as ard the evilé upon the suriae of Ameri- can society, and+ urgentiy as they call for drus- uc remedies, lest m course of time they shoula spread over the whole community, at present the Republic is sound below, aud (nat the work o! the though erduous, is full of hope, We in Cau- fe that it 18 80, and great mass of politi- cal corruption scatiering infection at our side. THE RELKNAP Cask, which ws the worst of all, is traceable to a special cause apart from anything in the general charicter of the American people. Living in society at Washington hus become very expensive, mainly, it is said. owing to the unrestrained extravagance of the women; while the saiafies rewain on tue republicanscale. The was tempted through his wife. Wider 1 can hardly be drawn irom this affair thau from the af- fair ot Lord Melville or the more recent one of Lord Westbury, both of which were instances of individual failure to resist temptation, not specimens of sugiish public life, The morals to which the Belknap caso poipts are the equalizgtion of official salaries 10 neces- sary soctal expenditure and the reduction of socin! ex- penditure itself to sonudie level 1t 18 said that the discipiine of those bard tines joing something to bring about the iater purt of the retorm. MOW TO CURR CORRUPTION. Another lesson taught dy toe Beiknap case, alike with regard to the United States and to ibis country, 4s the expediency of iraming a clear. sharp law against political corruption and instituting a trusiworthy and uvailabie tribunal for the puaisament of ihe offence. Public tnett ought to be puuishabie by a reacier more than that of a pompous and cumbrous impeachment. bught to stand in the same jus The robber of the = ith the common thief and to bave lice meted out to nim by tue same hands Frat the part of trustees were at one time becoming very common 18 Englaud, and it was difficalt w bring the ing to the want of a speciiic jaw. A spect was Bir Joba Pawi and Mr. Strachan were sentenced under it to penal servitude, and the must salutary effect was produced. Political of official corraption sa crime perfectly capa- ble of legal definition, and one which domauds the prompt attention of jegisiatures on ooth sides of the lag Depend upon it, when a politician who has betrayed his public = trust ior = mor by selling his vote of af appointment or as charter i» seen in & prison van on hie road to penal servitude the rest uf them will oe to be tired of the game At present there isa doubt in the minds of many people whether corrup- tion is a crime or only a slight and rather ai Grmity, One criminal conviction would settle that doubt for ever, THR RAILWAY MANIA. Ratiway corporations, again, with their unscrapuloas cupidity and their jarring interests, Lave boen special enemics to legislative imtegrity im avery country in ol free tride im railways bas pre- ritish Parliament is aliowed by all 0 be generally pure, yet is imtegrity was severely shaken duriog the years of the reiiway mana. The House of Lords was just as bad as the House of Commons; 1t, 1m fact, lormed one great wh:eb exacted (rom @ of compensation ivr mber of the House who chanceu Lo have prop- erty @ line and who chose to raise am opposition. The Perhamentary expenses of the London and Brighton Railway were $15,000 ry mile, and if the details could be broughy to light Engheh journals would, perhaps, tind themselves coustraiued to 10 more lenieat terms, even of the Washington lobvy, di testable as it Is Politicul assembiies are not properiy qualtied to andertake swcn a work us the laying out of Failroads. It would be bettor intrusted to a board of fc men, actin, 'y authorit and control, who would jult with their proicevional reputation, just as the tris! of election pe- tions, beiug judicial business, has been banded over to the Pooper though still under the supreme con- trol of Parhament, ROW IT 18 DONR IX FRANCE In France the railways were iaid out by an authority of this kind and the Legislature was thus preserved from corruption, of which, generally, there France than either in land of the Uni which the ¥, ied. The nd properly qualifieg ter, is the wast of a permanent civil service, No government !n the world, I believe, is mow purer than that of British India. You never hear a word of suspicion uttered against 1%; yet m the of War- ren Hastings it was a sink of jobbery an ne, The happy change ts due mainly to the organization of the civil service as a regular and honorable protession, . every member of which owes bis to his qualitica- tlons, and his retention of ft, with 3 of high pro- motion, to his good behavior, and ti alone. ie maxim, **Tu the victors belorg the spoils” bas happily beet ib reference to the civil ser ive % Canada bas rer Myspen service to this continent per: dependont of u @ 18 the first object of theit endeavors, The Chlor pormnae in the way of such are. form of the civil as of reform 1 service, 3 party, which wants the offices in pay for its adberents, PARTY THE CAUSE OF CORRUPTION. Party itself in the United States, as here, is the chiet and the deeprst source of ail the corruption. long as there is an issue of transcendent importance and ab- rest, such as slavery, beiore a nation, ps that party may be a moral association may be served from pure motives. When thore ts such question a party becomes merely a league for urpose of geiting into place, and its adherents can be together oniy ae coreniion In the United States thera ts nothing lei to divide the parties from each other but habit and the memory of the civil wi Neither the tariff nor the currency is @ party issue; men opposed in opinion on beth these questions are found in the same party camp. This great fact, too, begins io dawn on the minds of reflecting Americans. They begin to sce that a gooa and stable government cannot be based ona faction or on a clash of factions, tough the resi way must be found out of the ernment must be settled on a basis as broad as the whole uation. The recent disclosures are not evi deices of an increase of corruption, but of an in- crease of the national feeling against corruption. REFORM THE GREAT QUESTION. Administrative reform is really the great question of this Presidential election. Mr. Bristow owed bis Pog. tion as a candidate solely to his bold raid upon fe Whiskey Ring. Mr. Tilden owes his to bis vigorous at. tack on the Canal Ring. Not only bas the national sense of interert been alarmed, the ional pride has been touched to the quick. The Americans uro spt to tolerate evils long and to allow the State ch pron very near tho vergo of disaster; but hitherto their good sense and patriotism have saved them in the end, The power of self-recovery is there; and it is not un- likely that the centennial year may be marked in American history by something better than rhetoric or exhibitions—tho rescue of the Republic from political corrupt!oa, % BEAL ESTATE. A. H, Muller'& Son conducted the only sale that wat held at the Exchange yesterday. They sold, in fore closure, two lots, 50x102.2, on south side of Seventy- second street, 150 feet west of Third avenue, for $8,800, toR. C, Fellows. There will be a general suspension of business among the real estate dealers from the Ist to the Stb of July, a large number of the firms on the street intending to close their offices daring that time The following firms have already expreseed their purpose of giving their clerks the holiday:—R. V. Harnett, V. K. Steven- Bleecker & Son, ‘A. H. Maller & Son, E. H. Ludiow & Co, and A. F, Holly, TRANSYERS. Attorney st, 6. &. 100 ft.» of Kivington, 752100; Martia Schrenkeisen (assignee) to M. Grossman. . Bridget tein an’ buaband to same. Nom, Nom, sami as 16th st. ‘344 “ite. of Nth av., 20x100; Marthe ‘Alexander to Robert L. Wylie and otbers....00.... % 45th et, ma, 225 few. of 11th av., 376x100 Robert Auld to 8. K. Jones... 26,000 76th we, & w, 175 Me. w. of Bth » Téth 275 ft. w. of 8th’ a naband to na ., 203 id or! 108. 3: » 50x1022; 33,000 *. meet ey 26,008 ft w. of 10th av., 25% ‘is to Sarah EB. Hunting- ton zi 130th at. m, ©, 230 18. @, of Sth av., 16x90.11; B. Byrne and hasband to B. Spaulding - . Be, 189 tt. @. of 6299.11 to sam i 40th at... ate uel Eddy and wite to Olst wt., 8. &. SOO It. « Ge OXTILN, wn Haves ang C Same property: Georse Bleeckerst., 0. «., 37: also Elm st. wile ee Broome st., corner of Ladiow, 21,1033 Kreliny to John H. Pepper BOth st. 8. 8.170 ftw. of Netter and husband to Jona Brown. h 8., JES It. 0. of Bth av. zs ecutor) to M. Alexander . ee Cy .w. Of Ist av, 252100; James Il. Gilbert (referee) to Hannah D. Finn.. . 9,100 «%, 15it, w. of Lexington av. 1520015 wJ.E. De . 12,750 fw, of Oth 3x75 id Hawley. 0, 325 fe. w. of Mth av, 25.2%¢x 7536; same john and wife, to Charles M. O'Reilly idem: an, w. corner of 6th av. and 4th et. .... Dewey. Josinh B.D. and wife, to Bennett « of Vist st, w. of Lexington av; 1 your eens Finn, Hunnab'and hasband, to 0. E. Breese, 3. 8. of vh at., w. Of et av: 3 Life insurance Com- our. na Bro.dway ly, William tt, corner Broaiway and McDermoi, ti to of Oth a yea Elisabeth, to U. nd bust and 12th st and wi BUSINESS TROUBLES. Messrs. Adolph Hess & Co., jewellers, of No. 1 Matden lane, and F. Zogbaum & Fairchiid, dealers in musical instruments, of No. 21 Park piace, have made assiga- ments for the benefit of therr creditors. Tho latter firm were granted an extension of twenty-four month tn July, 1874, and then owed $29,000, with assets of $39,000. Their present assignce is Mr, Percival Knaath. At the first meeting of the creditors of Frederick G, Gedney, held yesterday betore Register Allen, of No 152 Broadway, the debt of John G. Jeuney, $1,057, was the only ove proved, ani Mr. William Palmer wag elected assiguee. The Grst mecting of the creditors of Joseph Zabinski to elect un ussignee, which was set down for yesterday belore Register Allen, was adjourned wat! July 10, ag the notices had not been properly served. The examination ot Otto Husier, bankrupt, dealer in furs, of Maiden lane, is progressing belore Begibtes Allen. At a Grst composition meeting of the creditors of John C. and John. F. Baxter, held yesterday before Register Fitch, of No, 345 Broadway, tho bankrupts made an offer of twenty-five cents on the dollar, which will be acted on. Th of bavsrupts is Veing proceeued with, The tirst meeting of the creditors of Weisker Brothers was held yesterday belore Kezister Witliama, of Nu. @ Ww street, when # xX debts were proven, and Gus- tavus L Jaeger wus elected assignee, A petition in bankruptcy has been filed against the Greer Turner Sugir Retluing Compapy, ot No. 118 King street, by the 1oilowing creditors:—Moses Taylor & Co, $20,480 24, E D. Morgan & Co., $19,026 57; Renauld, Fravcots & Co., $21,993 61; J. M. Cebail pers 18; Ponvert & Uo., $16,460 44; 53. & W. Welsh, 15,016 EB oud “gs King & Ba Sat, jase oh; castru and Donner Sugar mpany, B. H. Howeil & Co., $2,667 9% "The total elstine of the pel ing creditors amount to $139,258 54 Mortumer Hendricks, dealer im metals at No. 240 Peari street; bas veen adjud, & Voluntary bankrupt, Hie hapilities amount to 000 and there are no ase sets, The Jar creditors are M. M. Hendricks, $13,000; L. G. Florance, $0, James K. Phillips bas been thrown into van! on the petition of four creditors, whose claims amount to about $6,000. Nine creditors of L. EB. & Julas Wolff, dealers ig brushes at No 278 Pearl street, have fied a petition is bankruptcy against the frm. DANIEL DREW'S: BROKERS. All the brokers who acted as agents for Daniel Drew tn the latier’s immense Wall street wpecuiations are to be examined by Mr. Stern, counsel for the assignee in the bankruptey of Mr. Drew, with the object of sscer. taping what the brokors did with between $3,000,000 ‘and 64,000,000 worth of the baukrupt's property. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Bridget Dugan, aged forty, of Atlantic enn, Brooklyn, attempted to drown herself off the Battery yesterday afternoon. ye Was rescued and taken to the Firat precinct station house. A MISTAKE CORRECTED. New Yoru, June 26, 1876, To Tux Eptron or tmx Henao a In to-day's issue of your journal I soe something that sarprises me very much, We are id © have lett Jersey City without paying our bills. 1 do not know how such a thing can be, as 1 have the receipts for every debt incurred. A bill poster and an insigoil+ eant printer did cause some trouble during tbe weok, but they were satisded with the way matiers ‘were sottied—i ¢, geting their money. Uashail at once com for unlawful action. Yours repeals Agent Byoa Heron