The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-15
THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE
Important Business Meeting Held at the
Denison House Last Evening.
Annual Address Of President Norris Ross Read
The Attorneys Report and What 1t
ShoWs-The Work in Detail.

Der OF prominent gentlemen interested III
the work which il adopted for itself at the
time of its organization, q little over q year
ago. The meeting Was for the purpose of
e~lecting three to the board Of directors,
vice those whose terms a. ex-
pired, and one whose death occurred
recently Mr.. a. r. Baker, but
owing to the volume of other business.
such as the making of annual reports. ~
was prevented. A special meeting will be
called for that purpose within the next
ten days.
Father Gavisk called the meeting to or
der. INC the first business was the reading
OF the annual report of President Morris
Ross. IL was as follows:
For two years or more 1 have known of the
Chicago Bureau OF Justice. 1 had long thought
of attempting the organization or a similar In
stitution in Indianapolis. Some eighteen months
ago this thought was quiekened INTO action oy
reading the report of @ wrong done, the charac-
OF justice. and which the Rev. Father Gayisk
him my longcherished wish about a bureau OF
Justice. We united in a letter to some nifty bust
ness men OF indianapolis, roughly stating the
or two. 1 believe. cordial answers in the affirm
alive, practically to this effect: ct Ia a good
thing. and will be glad to subscribe. but do not
ask rue for any of my time" and an answer in
person frcm a sufficient number on the stormy
evening OF Oct. 81, 1891. who came together
III TIC VhIAOt6 VI II OcnlcOn LAOurO
and there organized the indianapolis Bureau
OF Justice. It was organized quietly, as
becomes business men. and has proceeded upon
its way quietly as becomes a business instttu-
ton. It was the desire. which met the approval
OF all. that the bureau OF justice should In a
manner be the expression OF the business men
Of indianapolis; that it should so far as possible
assert the purpose OF ite Being In a bus1nesslike
way, It's purpose being justice-the ideal OF lair
dealing between man and man. In other words.
its intention was TO appear rather as q business
than as a charitable Institution. With the noble
Charitable work OF indianapolis It has. OF course.
father not TO tax the time, attention and means
Of those who were active in the many phases OF
add to this, as something or o direct expression
from the business men OF Indianapolis, the
bureau OF Justice, and to appeal to those who
needed It's help not rs accepting a charity, but
as awaiting themselves of a means for obtaining
justice according to law and the right usages Of
business. The distinction, though it may seem
fine. is to me clear. The work of charity Is pri-
marily to help those, not who are wronged, but
who are unfortunate. The work OF the bureau
wrongsd. That the machinery of the bureau Is
the charitable contributions of the members Is a
men Of saying nothing aud saving wood" I
am sure they do not regard as making q charitar
BILE concern of 1t. They point to the machinery
you are wronged accept Of its help 1t Is In
this sense that I spoke of the appeal that was
made By this bureau being upon q business
As the attorneys report viii show the most
general evil. and it Is a great one, Is the evil
wrought by the business of lending money on
chattel mortgages. It Is a regular business, or,
perhaps. it were better to call It a profession.
for In the extortion OF money 1t rises to the dig
nity OF q learned system. The c0mmonest feat
ure is the lending of money at 800 per ce2t- a
year.
This is an evil which the bureau of justice
has como thoroughly TO understand. which it
has successfully grappled with in every case. /
believe, thanks to our careful attorney. 1t Is
here pertinent TO say that or nearly nifty sep
arate cases which the bureau has settled In the
past ten months only three have been ntigated.
IBIS IS at once q testimony to the ability OF our
attorney and a demonstration that the bureau Is
administered IN IL true spirit as a bureau OF
justice and not as . bureau OF litigation. Such
bitration or mediation which is coming TO have
prominent consideration In Industrial affairs and
SUGGESTS advantages which the bureau may offer
able settlement OF differences.
In the matter of ohattel mortgage loans, OF
which 1 have spoken as one of the commonest
evils that the bureau has successfully met, and
which it 10 plainly called upon to meet still fur
Their. there Is a means of help that, in a way. will
doyetaft with our efforts. namely, In the eStab-
lishment OF a c~hattelm0rtgage loan association.
/ have secured from Boston the particulars of
eTsr ah uns there This rDh Simo matt u i Il ie tbs
hands OF q prominent banker in indianapolis,
who intends shortly TO establish such an institu-
ments. Briefly. its purpose is to IN
some capital. and loan it at a legal rate Of inter-
est on chattel mortgage; the borrower to become
~ 8-1A o8
ISOLATION plan; so that the poor man or woman
forced to raise $50 or gas on the mortgage of
the basis OF repaying so or 40 cents
each week. thus paying up interest and cutting
down principal and In the course OF afewm months
paying out. instead OF as with the present plan
by month. stretching sometimes into a period of
years. and facing In the end the original amount
This plan Is perfectly feasible and II lie In hands
that will soon have it in working order.
1t rests with US to bring this TO pass. and with
which is TO be seen and felt in all the expires
sions OF its life, have growing and fourishing
here this monitor and means OF securing justice
20 any who may come under its protecting care.
Following this was that Of the bureaus
attorney. Frank H. Blaekledge. nit he
ave q detailed account of the work
which had been accomplished since its
organization and went TO considerable
length IN explaining the laws Of Indiana
in cases which might come to the bureaus
notice. The total number of cases which
have been. In o manner, settled by the
bureau are forty-two. which are divided
under the following heads: Chattel mort
cages, fifteen; wages. including claims un-
der mechanical lien, seventeen; INSTALL
ments. two; divorce, one; support. one: per-
sonal injury, one; commitment of incor-
rIgible children, two, and miscellaneous.
three. The report was adopted as read,
and the attorney, by request. related In de-
tail some OF the cases which had come un-
der has observation.
The report of Treasurer Charles E. Reyn-
olds was next submitted. It showed that
the total receipts of the bureau have been
S425 and its expenditures s49S. a deficit of
Sl3. AS IL 10 q seif-sustaining organization
the members VIII be called upon TO meet it.
The report was referred to an auditing
COMMITTEES and was accepted. The bureaus
necessary expenditures consist In a SALARY
of geo per month, which is paid to it's at
torney. and s10G per year office rental. The
balance goes for the transaction of the
business for which il was organized.
DIR. J.. n. Hurry introduced resolutions
on the death of Mr.. A. X. Baker, who was
one of the bureaus stanchest supporters.
They were as follows:
Whereas. In the death of A. r. Baker this COM
nunity lost one OF It's valued citizens, foremost