Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-09

have been stolen, and that without warrant
thereby investing any policeman with the
power to enter the premises Of these business
people and at his option seize any property he
might see fit to take.
1t was also objected to, he said. because the
second section OF the police regulations re-
CURED the dealers to keep books, write the
names and descriptions of their customers and
give the police the benefit of their business
operations.
Another objection was that the dealers were
prohlblted from selling or allowing goods to
be redeemed until after they had been held for
certain length OF time, and that time was in
creased from twenty-four hours to ten days
such interference with the rights of prop
erty," Mr.. Cook said, twas intolerable and de-
structive OF the value Of property, and the laws
were therefore unjust. arbitrary, improper and
some. If not all, unconstitutional"
IL was the intention OF the association to take
case through the courts, but for some reason
they took out their licenses and at this time
there seems to be no likelihood of the law be-
ing tested, as there is no case pending In the
upper courts.
The police are well satisfied with the manner
In which the regulations have operated. and
now they have all branches of the business well
under control and have but little trouble with
any of the dealers. There are only six persons
In the city now doing business as pawn brokers
and the police say they MAKE honest reports.
Tho police generally are Of the opinion that the
rate of interest allowed is really too small and
requires close dealing to make it pay.
LITTLE PROFIT FOR PAwNBEoKERs.
Detective Block. who spent considerable time
in preparing regulations after careful study
of the business, is satisfied that the amount Of
interest is too small as he says he can hardly
SEQ how pawnbroker can manage to get along
on the rate, loaning as they do in this city such
small amounts. The largest firm In the city,
he says, does not average the loan of more than
$500 to 5000 daily. while some others loan only
from 500 to $500.
Pawning, he thinks, is not resorted to now
like 1t was years ago, because the people who
really need money haven't the necessary valu-
ables to pledge or they are ablo to secure money
on real estate. Gamblers, he says, did more
borrowing than any other class OF persons and
every one of them of any consequence wore
diamond jeweiry for no purpose other than
to raise a stake" after an unlucky game
Another source of income was the women to
whom the gamblers in their good days would
make costly presents, but he said the absence of
the professional gambler who could afford dia-
monds has largely decreased the pawnbrokers
need the money Is not sufficient to enable the
broker to loan enough money to make it pay.
With the secondhand dealers and those who
deal In junk the officer find it different. They
deal i'll goods that can be disposed of in short
while, and their business is about the same the
year round.
THE SECONDHAND BUSINESS.
The secondhand dealers handle clothing
principally and their profits are usually large.
With these people, he said, little trouble is
experienced once In while because some of
them make their reports in a manner as to
really give no information, and then again
stolen article is taken in now and then and is
not reported.
In conclusion Detective Block said that the
law governing the three branches Of business
was not intended SO much as matter of reve-
nue. to the District as it was a protection to
property OF citizens that is stolen, as it pre-
vents the sale OF such property to persons in
business without the police knowing of the
sale and being able to recover the property.
The law has proved beneficial in that regard
and many stolen articles have been recovered
through its operations which would never
have been recovered i'll any other way.