The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-14
PAY BIG INTEREST
Money Lenders at the Capital
Who Bleed tho Clerks.
tmprovidens and Extravagant Govern.
ment Employees Who Borrow 1t
Exorbitant Rates OF In
terest.

ployes than private firms pay for the
same class of work Despite this fact
there IS probably no class OF clerks so
continually hard up" as these same
government employees. says the Phila-
delphia Press. This is true at least IN
Washington. where the majority OF the
employees are protected in their posi-
items BY the civil service laws, and
where it would be supposed there would
be more opportunity for saving than in
positions less sure of tenure.
The average department. clerk re-
selves what would be considered a very
snug salary in most any other city. es-
pecially in cities where metropolitan
prices for living do not prevail. Itwould
be safe to place the average salary re-
ceived at one thousand dollars per an
num- II can be stated as rule almost
that these clerks are in debt from one
years end to the other. They are in
debt to the butcher, the baker and the
grocery man, and their frequent
changes of residence are due to habit
they have Of neglecting to pay rent for
their houses. This sort of thing is kept
UP until their debts are brought to the
attention of their superiors in Office,
when the alternative is given of paying
off their indebtedness in monthly in
stallments to be kept out of their
salaries or of leaving the government
service.
The faculty of the government clerk
to get in debt has created a class of Shy
locks in the various departments in
Washington the like of which would be
hard 70 find in any other city. They are
appropriately called ''ten per centers."
They feed upon the unfortunate clerk
who is living beyond his or her salary
like vultures upon the stricken deer.
They have their spies out in every
direction, and learn of the financial con-
dition of their intended victims in ways
no honorable person would adopt. To
u clerk in distress for ready money they
appear and offer the cash to meet press
ing wants. The bait is too tempting,
and the victim borrows under the
agreement that it shall be paid back at
the end of the month at the exorbitant
rate of ten per cent. interest for the
thirty days. If not met at the end OF
the time stipulated the loan, or part of
it, is continued at the same rate for
another month, and often times within
tweivemonth the poor clerk has paid
more than the original sum in interest
alone.
Enticing circulars are sent to the
clerks by these ten per centers-" Sums
ranging from ten dollars to five hun
dred dollars are offered as loans under
the ''strictest secrecy" The security
asked is merely nominal. Furniture is
usually the security suggested IN tho
circulars These sharks well know
that the clerks nominal note Is sufficient
to guarantee a payment OF the loan, as
the presentation of il to the chief OF
office usually results in arrangements
being made for the return of the money
out of the monthly salary OF the victim.
The local newspapers are full of the
advertisements of these ten per cent
ers." Their alluring offers are sspe-
cially intended for that class OF en-
ployes who desire to cut a figure In
Washington society, but who need ready
cash at times to indulge their ambition.
For instance, lady in one of the de-
partments feels that il will add very
materially to her standing In society II
she were TO give pink tea" or some
function Of that sort. She must do so
at certain period of the year-during
the social season. She has exhausted
her credit At the grocery and the con-
r H. 10,
hand is an absolute necessity for tho
accomplishment of her plans. The en-
ticing circular of the ten per center"
is brought to her notice, and she can
not resist the temptation. The money
is borrowed, the social function passes
of, and the poor victim finds herself in
the clutches of e money shark, who
will keep her stiated for the necessities
of life until his ten per cent. month
interest and principal is paid
This Shylock business was begun
years ago. and to the discredit of the
government was largely carried on by
employees Of the departments who were
in position TO know the wants and
necessities of their fellow-clerks- So
oppressive did the system become that
rules were adopted fOrbidding employees
of the departments 70 loan money TO
their fellow-employes- These rules
have been observed 50 strictly that the
'ten per cent business has been pretty
well driven from the departments II
is row carried on, as has been suG-
Cested above, by means Of circulars
and advertisements in the daily news
papers, and the average government
clerk finds It "a dificnlt 20 get out OF
debt as formerly. The success that
has attended this system Of money
lending has II last aroused competition
The chronic desire Of government
clerks to borrow money has stimulated
the organization Of a company that now
proposes 20 cut rates with the old-tiTDe
shyloclIs, and offers 20 loan money a.
three per cent per month. This means
a yearly rate OF tbirty-six per cent.
but that Is quite a reduction from one
hundred and twenty. which il now
charged
Decorated Flower Ssiisr.
A well-known character in Paris Is an