The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-12
THE MONEY LENDING
USURERS ON THE RUN
Director Merriam Making a
Thorough Investigation.
DISMISSAL WINDS UP ONE CASE
Chief Clerk and Disbursin= CIerL.
Husily Engaged in Securing TeSti-
mOny Against Others of the T,yen-
ty-Pcrccnters.

As direct result of The Times ex-
posure Of usurious money lending in the
Census Office, Director Merriam is max
ing thorough investigation.
All that The Times disclosed has been
substantiated, and Governor Merriam has
resorted 70 drastic measures 20 stamp
out the evil
On Saturday last the boldest Of the Shy
locks IN the office was confronted with in
disPutahle proofs Of the usurlous traffic
in which he has been engaged. during his
term as a Census clerk. and Chief Clerk
McCauley, by order OF the Director. sum
marily dismissed him. The discharged
clerk Is the one 70 whom The Times re-
ierred rs having collected from the dis
bursting Office amounts ranging from 81 900
to $1,000 on every pay day which sum
constituted the semi-monthly salaries OF
forty or fifty clerks
When the usurious money lending abuse
in the Census once was first brought 70
the attention Of Director Merriam he
declared in an Interview that he was fg-
norant of the existence Of such practices
among the clerks. 1t required very little
enquiry on his part. however. TO learn
mat The Times had told the truth.
conference with Disbursing Officer
Barrows soon convinced him OF the ap-
palling ravages that usury was working
IN his force. He discovered thsa here
were clerks in the Census ONCE so com
pletely in the tolls Of the Shylocks that
they had not drawn their salaries in
many months. for the reason that the
1surers had been collecting them on every
pay day. -...
Making Thorough EnveStfgatiou.
The Director issued orders 10 CHIEF
Clerk McCauley that every case OF al
legged usury in the Census once should
be investigated and. when proven. TIA
the offender should be dismissed.
Disbursing officer Barrows was asked
TO furnish the names OF the clerks who
had repeatedly given orders on the dis
bursting Office &c their fellow clerks.
Those who had been giving orders were
summoned to tie Office Of Chief clerk
MeCauley and separately questioned
Each ore was asked if he had given his
order on the disbHrsing officer IN lien of
money loaned al usurious interest. Where
the answer was I'm the affirmative the
name Of the lender was asked likewise
the rate Of interest charged
A IeW enquiries revealed the fact that
there was nest OF money Ieeches boldly
plying their traffic beneath the very ewes
OF their chiefs Indisputable evidence
was brought out TO establish the guilt
or the clerk dismissed on Saturday. OH
ers 10 the number Of a score or more
were implicated and the Census author
tiles are pressing the Investigation with
energy
Always in Debt.
A section chief in The Census Office
said Yesterday:
There have been men right i'm nv own
section who have. in months gone bv
mortgaged their semi-monthIy raw to ore
or the money lenders. When nav day
came around the borrower discoycre5
that he was sn- by several dollars on
the amount due for living expenses. He
found himself compelled TO borrow or
the next half month at the same min
Gus interest OF 20 ner cent a month
without eNaggeTation he has. 10 nv
knowledge. paid out not less than a hun
dred dollars in interest and his paw check
lor the next semi monthly disbursement
IS sold 10 the Shylock into whose hands
ne Tell six months ago.
! can't tell you his name. but he is
known 20 the chief clerk. lie is in tfe