The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-08

kept and copies are fled with the regis
ter. Our blank form Of application con-
tains the name in full, the amount of
loan. the security, present residence,
/ previous residence, kind and location OF
/ business, and questions which cali Tor in
l formation as to the purchase of the prop
| erty offered as security, insurance on the
! same, etc.
! A notion got abroad almost as soon as
/ the bureau was opened that il was to be
I a pawnshop, and people came with all
! sorts of property, from bundles of clothes
/ to mechanical devices, on which they
/ wished to raise loan. 1 do not think
/ we shall ever add a pawnshop to the
( bureau, as there is a sufficient field for
our efforts along the line we have begun
/ to explore Besides, il is the intention of
/ the Provident Loan Association, which is
( in course of organization, TO establish that
/ branch OF the business.
1t is my candid belief that we are enter
! ing upon an era which will see a decided
/ change in the treatment of the poor, and
the substitution Of credit in place Of
charity. A little timely credit, wisely
/ bestowed, helps to make men independ-
ent, and il is well known that most men
who have got on in the world, have done
so through having this advantage at the
critical turn in their lives. Most Of the
great commercial houses and financial in
| situations would be driven to the wall at
times il they were not able to Sc
cure credit sufficient 10 tide them
over. Something must be done by
the legislatures and perhaps by con-
gress itself TO prevent the poor from be-
ing preyed upon by the usurers, as they
are al present. We investigated the case
Of a woman who borrowed S50from q loan
broker and was obliged to give him a
note for $3.50, payable in four months,
mr. iu . 10 N4.r,
quently charged. In many cases on loans
OF S25 a premium of $40 a month is
charged People who have an abundance
Of means cannot realize what an indiction
such an outrage is to a poor person, and
in my opinion something should be done
by the law making power TO place a final
check on all such villainy.
feel confident that our bureau has
been started in the right direction and
That it is doing good work, but it is not
possible for us to meet all the demands
that are made upon US, and some of our
wouldIbe clients so far misunderstood
this that they make the direst kind OF
threats because we fail to give them the
loans they demand at sight The loans
thus far made are to persons who, through
sickness or lack of employment, have been
brought to the greatest extremity. Many
OF them are lawyers, literary men, dress
makers, milllners mechanics of all kinds,
contractors, teachers, many of whom are
persons of education and refinement, who
must have suffered greatly had they not
received the timely help this bureau has
afforded them.
At least a score of families have been
saved from eviction through the prompt
granting OF loans, as the agents Of land
lords have instructions to show them no
mercy. In some cases we have saved the
furniture Of young people who in good
times, began 70 pay for their household
effects on the installment plan and failed
in their final payment through lack Of
employment, when the executions were
in the hands of the sheriff IL remains
Of course, TO be seen whether these efforts
will be properly appreciated by the bene-
cl1aries Of them, and whether the cir
cumstances of the people so aided will
improve sufficiently 10 enable them to
meet their obligations, or force us to
make foreclosures to satisfy our claims.
believe that results will show that the ex-
pertinent is wise and humaae one, and
that from business standpoint it will be
made success. DAVID II. GREER.