Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-23
AUDITED BY POLICE.
Pawnbrokers' Books TO be Opened
for official Inspection.
A HEAVY LICENSE FEE IMPOSED.
No Pledges to be Taken From Minors,
Drunkards or Thieves.
IMPORTANT WORK OF CITY COUNCILS

Both branches of councils held q special
meeting yesterday to dispose of mass Of
unfinished business, and the wheels of leg
islation hummed right nerrily.
In the Select branch the report Of the
Department of Public Safety was taken up,
which consisted of ordinances relating to
pawn brokers, and for the purchase of garb-
age furnace sites in the Sixteenth and
Twenty-frst wards.
The first ordinance provides that any per-
son in the pawnbroking business must OBJ
tain from the Department of Public Safety
a license which must state the house in
which such business is to be carried ON and
shall continue in force tor one year (unless
sooner revoked), for which the city will col
lect $780, No pawnbroker shall BY virtue
of one license keep more than one place for
receiving goods IN pawn, nor shall be at
any time take goods in pawn in any other
place than that mentioned in his license.
Each pawnbroker cannot keep a record of
all the facts connected with the pledgings of
articles and must report before uoon of each
day to the Police Department all articles
pledged with them the dav preceding. No
goods are to be received between P. NJ. and
A. M. from April 1 to November 1, and
1 and April l. All goods must be kept for
three months after the expiration OF the
period for which they are pledged. Pawn
brokers are prohibited from taking any
article in pawn or purchase from any person
under 81 years of age, or any intoxicated
person, or an habitual drunkard, or any
person known to be thief, an associate of
thieves, or receiver of stolen property, or
any person whom he has reason to suspect
or believe to be such. The fact of so loan
ing money to such persons shall be prima
facia evidence of the violation of this ordi-
nance. -.
TO GUARD AGAINST ROBBERY.
No pawnbroker shall knowingly receive
from any apprentice or servant anything
offered by them in pawn without first ascer-
tanning that said nrticle is the property of
the person pawning it.
Section 10 provides penalty of 500 for
each violation of this ordinance, and section
IL authorizes the Chief of the Department Of
Public Safety to revoke the license of any
pawnbroker who shall violate the provisions Of
the ordinance, be convicted of receiving stolen
goods or become person OF bad moral charac-
ter. Section II provides a penalty of $500 for
the attempt to carry on the pawnbrokng busi-
ness with0u: license or after license has been
revoked
AS soon as the clerk finished reading the
ordinance Mr.. Keatiug took the floor in oppo-
sltion to 1t. He thought the ordinance was too
broad for city Law, and did not think Councils
had the powor to enforce it. There was no
doubt but that such laws were necessary for
some men IN the pawnbroking business, but he
knew men in that business who were of good
character and did not believe in curtailing their
liberties by the police espionage provided for
In this ordinance. 1t was going too far, Mr..
Heating thought, to compel a man in the pawn
broking business to keep his books according
to the ideas OF the Chief OF Public Safety and
open to whomsoever the Chief might wish to
look at them. The Gar of Russia could not
have ever made law much broader or more
stringent than this. The clause relating to
habItual drunkards and that referring to prima
facia evidence were especially condemned by
Mr.. Heating. He was not sure that the ordi-
nance as 1t stood was legal, not being law
yer and If he was. he would probably ask fee
for his opinion. '-
Mr.. Lambie replied to MI. Keatingss remarks.
As lawyer he had no hesitation iu pronouncing
every provision of the bill perfectly legal, and
as a citizen he had even less hesitation In pro-
nouncing it an absolute necessity. He knew as
we'll as almost any member present that there
were men engaged in the pawnbroking business
in Pittsburg who were reputable citizens, an
whom no one could attack in the Council
Chambers. but there were many others who
were far from reputable and to whom this ordi-
nance was not only wholly applicable, but
really necessary. He felt sure that the honest,
reputable men in the business would have no
serious objection to any provision of the ordi-
nance, but the other class, whose business was
not what 1t should be. would be bitterly op-
posed TO it without doubt.
Chief Brown had, after several years expe-
rlence and careful consultation with his ex-
perienced officers. decided that this ordinance
was necessary for the proper regulation of the
pawDbrokers. He had consulted the laws of
other cities and found that in most of them
the restrictions were much more severe than
this ordinance provided, and that In every city
there was law of some kind appllca BILE to the
pawnbroking business, such as this city did not
have. AS to the legality of the ordinance an
act of the Legislature of 1879. which covered
the question, authorized cities Of the second
class to provide such restrictions to the busl-
ness as they deemed proper. AS to the system
of books provided for, Mr.. Lambie thought
there was nothing unreasonable in 1t. The
broker was to simply keep record of the pur-
chases or loans made by him and fill out the
blanks furnished by the police department.. If
he desired to Keep other books for his business
they would be as private as they are now.
AND THEN IT PASSED.
Mr. Heating made motion to postpone,
which failed. and he then offered several
amendments. Finally he said he opposed the
ordinance because it did not seem like equity,
be did not favor stigmatizing legalized bus
ness and as he prOfessed to know nothing what
ever about the business he would like more
time to consider it. He offered another amend
ment which was defeated by vote of o to ION
the calling of the yeas and nays, those voting
in the negative being Messrs. Fitzsimmons
Foster, FraueDheim, Gillespie, Heating, Nc
Cord and Warmcastle.
On the final passage of the ordinance it was
finally passed by vote Of q to 6, Warmcastle
changing to the other side.
ha dipan fhnr zin he
garbage furnace property in Negley's Run
valley was passed.
The report of the Viewers on the Haieht's
run sewer was approved. A protest was read
from the late Alexander King against the re-
port and it was received and filed.
Common Council was in session but few
minutes The general ordinance relating to |
light heat and power companies passed some |
time ago by Select Councils. was passed finally.
A communication was read from Chief Bipe-
low relative to his visit to Mrs. Schenley and
receiving an option on 10 acres of ground for a
park entrance for $4,000, was read and re-
ceived.