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Show A lll'lii; SWIMH.IMISllIi:!'. Tin: dUcoeery of a achrma by which tha United Htatca (lot.riiin.nl waaawlndleduutof Ihouaandi ot dob lata li making a eenullon In tho com. merrial woill. The whole mailer haa been made clear to tha collector of the vrt of New York. Tha awlndllng waa effected by lha undervaluation of gooda iaaalng through tha cuilout liouie, but not by the aid or cmnlv. a nee of any of tha gorernment official. Uhmalr A Co. of New York City were lniirlera of dry good! and woolena, TlirydlJaueiteuilYe bu.l-neaa. bu.l-neaa. On January Kill lait, they made a trade etateuivnt which ihowed that Ihelr houao waa In a eouud condition. Thla ttatement waa acoetel by tho commorclal agenclea and the firm waa ablototncuraeitenalea credltt for the aprlng trade. In March, however, the houae1 aaalgned to Mr. Meyerv, n Wall Hlreet lawyer, 'rhe K-hedule tattled elated that lha aetata aUnoat covered lha liabilities The firm endeavored lo roiuprouilao Villi IU crtdltora at a-1 centt oil tho dollar. It auocreded with all except two, Thoentwoercure.! Judgment, and lw gau proceedlnga to enforce the Judg. Illeut. Thu proceodluge aro now lu progrtu, and enough haa tranaplrvd to ehuw how Ihu goverilluelit wal awludlrd, anil that the aulgnmeiit waa fraudu lent. The ataleineut of laat Jamury which ahowvl a turplut of lS7,ou ahould have U.eh Jll.im Iv.t. It waa ulaoehownthat the brauch liouiu In I'arli, waa merely an In void n a(vucy forlta l-'reucli lmairlalloii, A iloiilih. eel of hooka waa kept. Out let allowed the prlcta at which the gooda wero luvolcut for cuttom houae -uri.'. It waa cle.irly ihowu that the conaulir In-volci-t for Iho French bualntat wero undervaluvd, on an average to Ihe li-lent li-lent uf SO per cent. ItlaeatlmaUHllhat the governiiinnl haa Lreu defraudil out of 1101,0')) In thla manner, alnoo laat Augual. It la claimed by free tradera (hat ill., houeaty of Ihla klni haa alwayi pre. vailed, but wll.li the coiinlvaiicu of Iho govirumeul. I'olitlcal fatorlt.a were .jp.mj to Invoice thtlr Importa at-carding at-carding lo thtlr on Ideua of value, thua cnnbllng them to wake luiuiou.e forlunea, aawellaa lo cru.h fit rival houaea that were not In tho twlm. It Itpoflblathal In Ilia r' many ob. Iln.ua trannotlona hare taken place, under the gulae of protection, but probably owing more to tha venality of cu.touii official, than lo any political agency. In thla caae, however, It haa nol yet been ahown that any ofllclal oftbecuilonnUepatlinontwai ccguli-ant ccguli-ant of what look place. Though, aa tha caae etandt, the Untied HUtra comular ajencylnKrania niy have much to eiplaln. TharUeatlonlt, are oilier flrrua engaged en-gaged In itnillar criminal work? The dlahoneity of Lehmalr A. Co. would never have been dltoovered had It nol been for the two creditor! who took tha caie Into the courta. Ho that If Ihlt firm were con. tent wllb comiuratlvely moderate gain., they could lnve kept on making 1100,000 yearly by beating the Mcltli" ley bill. Hut Ihelr greed In maklug a fraudulent aaalgnment brought them Into Ihe toll.. Tarlu la all right If regulated and carried out properly. 1 1 la discrimination or dl.houwly Uiat makee lha great evil. |
