The morning call., 1892-04-21
USURY WITH A VENGEANCE,
How 1t Is Done On the Pacific
Mail Dock.
Frightful Interest Cha.ged to Poor Freight
Handlers by the Wage-Shavsrs-Ihs
Tag System.

Faulty methods of doing business have
been charged against the Pacific Mail Com
pany time and again. but they are not REM
edied. THE GAIL has pointed out some Of
the evils that exist under the peculiar sys.
tenn of the company, and 1t will now point
out one which calls for Immediate attention
by Mr.. Huntington. Had the loose meth
DDS of the Mail Company not been permit
ted by him this particular evil could never
have sprung into existence.
The shaving of the wages Of employees is
the matter referred to.
Freight handlers on the dock, or steve
dores as they are commonly called, receive
80 cents an hour for day work and 40 cents
for night work. Each man carries a brass
tag, which must be presented TO the cashier
of the stevedore firm that employs the men
in order that the money may be received.
The name Of the stevedore firm is Bing-
ham & Co, but the tag given TO each
freight-handler bears the initials Up. NJ. ).
S. Co.," and 1t is in reality for this company
that the men are working, although they
are directly controlled by Bingham & Co.
Many Of the tags ale not presented by
the stevedores themselves. but by wage
shaver to whom they owe mo- ey. The
cashier takes the tags from whoever pre-
sents them, and that Is the way they come
10 1ali lHt0 Tie DiuuS VI tHt
But what is the harm? Ought not the
men to know enough to look out for them
selves?
Some OF them do, but more do not. The
trouble lies in the fact that the stevedores
are idle a good deal of the time. Often they
will put in full week and then VIII lie iule
for two or three days. Then again, they
will work day and half and stop work
for day. or perhaps half day. This Is
not thelf fault. They are on duty when
there is freight to be handled, but steam
ers are not coming In every day, and when
there are none ut the dock they are forced
to take a rest. And so the weekly wages
vary. Sometimes they are only SO or IS,
then again they are SIS or SIS Ii Is be-
cause Of this Inequality that the men often
find themselves short In the middle OF
the week. The rent comes due, or there is
a crocer's bill 10 be paid, and there is no
money 10 pay it. Along comes wage
shaver
want to borrow few dollars to-day9"
"Yes, need 80.
"All right. give me your tag"
The piece of brass is handed over. Thurs
day, W hich is payday on the dock. comes
around, but the worker who has given up
his tag cannot 90 and get his money; he
must walt until the usuTer has drawn il and
comes to him with it.
There is So for the weeks work.
Here Is your money. says the wage
shaver. handing over SIS SO.
And that Is all the poor dupe receives
from the Sl2.
The usurer has charged him 10 per cent
on his whole wage bill for the week, and
deducted 81 20 and tie 81 borrowed money,
or SO 20 altogether, from the cash received
by handing in the tag.
Ten per cent interest week is 500 per
cent q year.
That is usury with a vengeance.
Sometimes lower rate of interest is
made, as 5 per cent. But that is go per
cent year.
Still worse: Often, instead Of a week,
the money Is only borrowed for day al 10
per cent. and tie dupe thus pays at the rate
Of $3.50 per cent year.
That is bringing the usurer's club down
with a mighty blow.
But what right have these usurers to ham,
die the wages of the workers? None what
ever Who permits il? The Pacific Mail
Steamship Company.
A number Of the ireiGht-haDdlers were in
terviewed yesterday. They all thought the
abuse was one which should be tnrottled
blame.
TITS a great temptation to a man who
needs money 10 have ii In sight the way
these fellows shove 1t al you," said one OF
the men, "and it takes a strong will 10 resist
IL. Ii would be different II we all had
steady work, but we never have il. So the
wage-shayeIs trade on our necessities, and
make big money from them"
Truly the methods of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company are loose.
Ii they were not loose 1t would allow no
evil Of this kind 10 grow up under the very
noses OF Its agents.