Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
THE DEBTOR 5,1cLERk
An Amusing and Instructive View Of His
Case
A List Of Excuses Presented for Not
Paying the Weary Dunnins Msr-
chant-Appeals Made f9s Credit.

tons on the subject Of credit given depart
ment clerks and the difficulty experienced
by merchants in collecting bills from them.
One of the writer's, signing himself Simple
JUSTICE writes: "Veritas," In his "Other
side OF the question: in Saturdays Star,
states the percentage is smaller in gov
eminent employees who do not pay their
oepts than In those outside of that service"
The writer has been trusting people in this
city since 1857, and regrets to state that
Cur books prove that mechanics, who often
lose days work on account of rainy
weather. are far better pay than govern
ment clerks
fieaSe give space to some of the reasons,
IN our tlrms actual experience. as to why
some clerks do not pay their debts, and if
IL Is not dishonesty what Is it?
Mr.. -, a clerk in the treasury, we
found out could not pay us as he was con-
stantly investing in race pool tickets.
MI. =. navy yard clerk, who was
uiscnarSeo some time ago, acknowledged to
Irlend or our house that the reason he
was always so hard up was because he
could not let cards alone! We threatened
to take this news to the commandant Of
owed our firm.
Another navy yard employee will not pay
our house what he owes It now because, we
learn from his own son, that he is ever
lastlngly paying his spare change into
patents, on none of which has he ever made
1892
lady in the government printing office
having no one to look out for, really, but
herself, told the writer she could not pay
our house because she had to support
gentleman friend who was temporarily
out of employment. He wears finer clothes
than the writer can afford to wear to our
positive knowledge.
81 400 lady clerk in the treasury with
only one child to support is very slow
paying us for goods had five years ago,
because she is buying a house and lot
A man in the interior can't pay us for
goods had in 1893 because he has had
death in his family and he has to pay his
undeIfa ,i, We, Of course, cheerfully ex-
cused him. though really we think he
might pay us some of his salary.
number of others were sick or had
sickness in their families, and exhibit
enormous sized physicians bills (Which
were not receipteD and received from our
hrm ready and practical sympathy for
their affections. Our New York and Bos-
ton creditors do not excuse us for same
reasons)
About three times a year nearly every
government clerk on sur books takes a
notion ito move" The cartmans fee of
50 has the right Of way. and We are again
dear old gentleman, deacon of
church, In an uptown department Che gets
$1,So) is very slow payer because he
owns the house he lives In and the one
next door, His children are all grown and
all in business for themselves, but one
daughter. We earn all the payments we
receive from him in weary collection trips.
War Department clerk drank SO hard
every pay day we had about given him
up when one day de died of delirium ire
mems, and thus relieved Us of dunning him.
Capt. X, late a clerk in the treasury,
owed US $500, and through an intimate mu-
tual friend of ours an assistant secretary
directed overdue
note of 500 send in his resignation. He
did neither, and was forthwith discharged.
A pension office clerk could not pay us
500 overdue for two reasons. He was
fond of whisky and claimed he had to dress
up his two daughters for a High School
graduation. His wife said that graduation
did not cost much. -.-ts ''.
A Post Office Department clerk cannot
pay S15 he owes US because he is buying
farm in Virginia, and every now and
then he states horse or cow dies and
he has to buy another. We secuted judg-
ment. but find the farm is too heavily
mortgaged to make it,
Now as to remedies. AS it is a we'll
known fact that a government official will
noyance" as quickly King Henry the
Eighth had his wives heads cut off, 1t
would seem as though anything we can
do to have these miserable debtors judG-
ments brought to their attention to the
annoyance degree may cause some of
them to settle, for just in these times
when many of them could not earn $40
month in any outside sphere, they may
prefer to hold their places.
Another IDEA has just occurred to me
for some Of US to try. 1t is this: Consult
the directory in It's list OF lawyers and pick
out one whom we have every reason TO be-
qualntance with official in whose de-
partment We have claim, and offer said
attorney a big fee If he will collect the
claim. If said official happens to be an
az to deb
man the chances of our obtaining our
rights would be excellent.
Turn all rascals in the government serV-
Ice out who knowingly defraua others"
The Merchant and the Clerk.
Zone Who Pays writes again as follows:
I'm the views expressed few evenings
ago upon the debtor clerk question, rather
took the ground that government en-
ployes, Intelligent men and women, knew
exactly the income to be received for their
services and should take measures to live
within it, and the views of "Veritas,"
published in your issue of April 20,
have not in airy measure changed my
mind. There Is much law in the effusion of
'VeritaS," whose code would seem to per-
NIT debtors to pay If it is convenient for
them to do so, or when the law compels
them to pay. But it is still my opinion
that the department should be filled with
men and women who may know ever so
much or law to peter 1aclItdte the trans
action Of the public business, but who
should only require a knowledge of the
Ten Commandments to induce them to
pay their debts, lie, such contracts as he
or she may have entered into with grocer,
tailor, dressmaker, butcher or baker or
any other business man who may trust
them
'Veritas says the head Of a department
has no more right nor legal authority to
enforce the claim of a creditor against a
debtor clerk than he has to administer
upon the clerks estate after his DEATH,
and this may not be denied. But there are
certain duties that devolve upon the head
Of a department, and they are in some re-
spects not dissimilar perhaps to those de-
volving upon the head Of private firm.
"'Would the president of the Washington
Loan and Trust Company, or any other
business firm in our city. employ man
whose avowed intention was to be as
honest as the law compelled him to be? or,
finding man in their employ who was
spending his salary freely, and as much
more as he could borrow, and against
whom complaints Of non-paSment of debts
were being lodged from time to time, would
they consider him safe man to keep, even
though no law might be found under
which he might be convicted and punish
ed? Oh, no; his services would be dis
pensed with without delay!' And so also
should the services of a government en-
rlCyo be dispensed with by the head of
a department who may have become sat
isfied Of the dishonesty of such employee,
al oh nf