The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-06 00:00:00

CIVIL SERVANTS AND MONEY-
LENDERS.

lathe Lord Mayor's Court on Tuesday, before the
Assistant-Judge, the case of "Cobb v. Brickwood "
was heard. The action was brought to recover the
sum of £l4 18s. 6d., consisting of money advanced on
a promissory note and incidental expenses. The
defendant said he was a clerk in the Civil Service, at
a saiary of £260 per annum. Out of that sum he
had to pay ..E8 12s. per month, in accordance with an
order made by Sir Jas. Hannen. This was done with
the sanction of the Postmaster-General. In answer
to Mr. Savidge, solicitor for the plaintiff, the Debtor
said he did not receive £3OO a year and commission.
He only wished he did. (Laughter.) He re-
ceived his month's salary yesterday (Tuesday) and
had paid it all away, after deducting the .E 8 12s. to
satisfy private creditors. His Lordship : So
you make a distinction. You pay private
creditors, but public creditors you don't.
(Laughter.) Does the plaintiff keep a loan office?
Defendant: Yes. His Lordship : How much did he
advance? Defendant: He advanced £lO. His
Lordship: And what did you sign for? Defendant:
I signed a promissory note for £l2 10s., payable by
three monthly instalments. When the first instal-
ment became due, the prosecutor's representative
agreed to let the matter stand over for a short time,
but in a few days he demanded the full amount
under the threat of handing the case over to a
solicitor. Mr Savidge: The defendant has put my
client to a great deal of trouble, and possibly some-
thing may have been put on to cover that. (Laughter.)
I ask for an order -for the first instalment; which is
now long overdue. His Lordship: No; under the
circumstances, I shall not make any order.-Other
two cases were heard at the instance of the same
plaintiff against Civil Service clerks, and his lordship
said if the plaintiff chose to lend money to impe-
cunious people at a high rate of interest, he should
require strict proof of the debt in every instance.
Mr. Savidge: These people come and represent their
incomes as so much, and sign their names as bor-
rowers on that representation, and what are the
lenders to do? His Lordship: lam not here to ad-
vise them. All-I tell you is, that in any case brought
by this plaintiff, I shall in future require strict proof.
Mr. Savidge: I am afraid your lordship is confound-
ing my client with another plaintiff of the same
name. (Laughter.) His Lordship; The name is
very familiar in this court. Mr. Savidge: But my
client has only been in business for a short time, and
he has been bitterly bitten by these Civil Service
clerks. His Lordship: Your client has his remedy in
his own hands. In one case an order was made for
£2, and in another for 10s. a month.
A man, courting a young woman, was interrogated
by her father as to his occupation. "I am g paper-
hanger upon a large scale," he replied. He married
the girl, and turned out to be a bill-sticker. •
want to get rid of my partner," remarked the
Mean min to a lawyer. "Who is he ? " "My
brother. I want to prove that he has a bad reputa-
tion." "That will be easy enough. You can say
that he is your brother."
Guard (to old lady who has been causing him a
great deal of 'unnecessary trouble): "Well 'Mum,
I lust wish you was an elephant, and then
you'd always have your trunk right under tour
eyes," • „

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