The morning times., 1895-07-09
ljsureFs or Their Agents Go to
the District Buildings.
REGULARLY ONCE A MONTH
They Extort 10 per cent. from Some
of the Clerks-A uditor Petty Says
He Accepts All IlAssignments Of SaIa-
ries but Sees That Employees Are
Protected When They Protest.

The doors of the District Building are
wide open for the practice ofusury. There
is no concealment OF the fact among the
employees that there are numerous men
who have fieeced the hardworking young
men there these many years at 10 per
cent. The names of these usurers were
givento The Times yesterday at the District
Building and can be obtained at The Times
office if the Commissioners care about in
yestigating this particular condition OF
things in the building
One or the usurers is a gentleman who
first sold cigars and then diamonds, but
found government clerks d better investment
even than diamonds. Another ofthe money
lenders is race track man from the Jack
son City precincts; another was once a
policeman and then a watchman, and a
fourth was and is real estate broker.
VISITED BY SHYLOCKS.
These gentlemen, or their agents, go
down to the District building about once
"A monti and hover over their prey, so that
excapc from the 10 per cent. or a renewal
is impossible.
An interesting talk with Auditor Petty
was had yesterday, which developed the
fact that usury is an easy matter, even
is evidently CONSCIENTIOUS and scrupu-
lous officer. but he is evidently not up
with the wilcs and practices OF the gen
tlemen whose methods have recently been
so plainly exposed in The Times.
The District government is the only one
of the big departments OF the government
in which clerks are permitted to assign
their pay checks or to give orders on their
salary payable at the end OF the month.
This practice obtained for many years
i'll all the departments and it was so
abused the sharks gotso much Of the payroll
Of all the departments i'll their capacious
maws, that the system was abolished, and
the order OF a clerk on his salary ceased
TO have commercial value.
Auditor Petty said yesterday that he
accepts the orders of clerks and pays
them 10 the aSSguces of the clerks at
the end OF the month
AUDITOR PETTY's PRACTICE
Mr. Petty was asked, in view of the
reported existence OF usurious practices in
the building, how he could discriminate
as to honest and dishonest debts. so far
as the amount Or interest was concerned
He replied thai whenever objection was
made by clerk to the payment OF
debt, he. Mr. Petty, apprised himself
OF the circumstances and would see that
Mr Petty was asked II the clerk made
no kick would there he an investigation
and he said that the investigation, Of
course, depended on the objection OF the
clerk
The history of usurious cases as de-
yelopetl by The Times is that there is 40
kick, aud cases in point were to Toe had
yesterday at tile District building Sew
eral clerks were spoken TO, they men :
toned the names Of the usurers, but they
declined to be responsible for printed
publications concerning the case.
1t was stated yesterday that the fact
that the city paid Off only enoe a month
had a great deal to do with the neces-
sity for usury Auditor Petty said that
the Iaborers were paid off, in general
terms. whenever they wanted II, and that
/ sometimes it was sent to them. As 10
| the clerks, IL was true, he said, that they
were paid off but once a month.
! The general opinion at the District
, Building is that usury is still flourishIng
/ and that it Is a good place to attack the
abuse.