The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-11
PLACARDs TELL DEBTS
Novel Way of Informing Country
men of DeIinauents.

dead walls of some of the principal
street corners. Occasionally a placard
is posted unusually high, like the laws
of the Modes and Persians. which they.
desired should escape the attention of
the populace. But the Chinese have a
different object---they desire the plac-
ards to be read, but post them high so
as to be beyond the reach of police
men or the person who is lampooned.
The red placard is a drastic way to
collect bad debts. Instead of employ
ing a collector and paying him a
large per cent. the creditor writes upon
a sheet of paper; "Wun Lun owes
me $40 for money l intrusted to him.
/ respectfully asked him to pay, and
II is always that he has not the
money. Nobody should trust Wun
Lun."
Sometimes this warning is signed,
but more frequently 1t is not. The no.
tee Is posted late at night, the injured
| creditor using step ladder for the
purpose, Every one passing is attract
ed by this red letter blacklist notice.
| The crowd grows and all are talking
| as If 1t were declaration of war by
| one of the tongs.
This plan of exposing delinquent
| creditors is effective Is most instances
and the bill is paid that the debtor
may save his face" and his credit
Until the bill is paid no one else will
give him credit, and even then he is
| placed In the doubtful column, for II is
| known that he paid only upon COM
| pulsion.
The police discourage this free adver-
Using, and where two or three excited
| Chinese are gathered together discuss
| ing the merits of the case they are
urged to move on" The Chinese do
not think this posting libelous, but
| seem inclined to justify the creditor in
his expose of the delinquent, and are
glad to get the news for self protec-
| ton.
a new arrival who wants to find his
| poor relations or friends post a no.
| tlce that he has arrived, and requests
them to call on him in his alley. three
| flights up. back room.
Another placard that attracts atten-
| ton is that of the boss" who wants
workmen. If he desires a gang of
grape pickers to go to "Fleshino'
tFresno) he puts up a red placard,
but lower down than the one adver-
Using the fraud, Wun Lung. Other
want" notices are pasted on these
splotched and spotted corners, and
there is usually a crowd there all day
reading the handwriting on the walls.
| There are, of course, many Chinese
! who do not take a paper, and street
corner advertising is the only way to
reach them.
When a family celebrates birth
day or gives yearly feast notices OF
| the forthcoming function are posted
inviting all members of that clan.
| 1t is the custom for each of the
six companies alternately to lease
| a theater and give a free exhibition
for members of that company. The of
! ficers of the company send tickets to
each member, and no one else is ad-
| mitted. Notice of this free entertain
ment is posted up and attracts great
| attention.
| The reason that Chinese use such
| heroic measures to compel delinquents
| to settle is that most of the debts
are contracted upon honor. Money is
loaned without security, or even with
out a note of promise to pay. In the
| absence of written evidence or wit
nesses the Chinese court is, OF course
largely governed by the reputation oi
| the contestants for truth and honesty
1t is only when one refuses to abide
by the decision of this arbitration
board and becomes general dead
| beat" that he is placarded upon the
dead walls. This is one of the humor-
| Gus phases of Chinatown and affords
must amusement, for the street idlers
| and business men are never in toe
great a hurry to stop and read about
| the bad Celestial who has lost his
| face"
| The placard form of advertising has
| spread beyond the dead walls, and &C.
| cupants of business corners have re-
| sorted to the American style Of warn
ing by pasting low down, within the
view of all, in large Chinese charac-
tiers, something similar to our Post
| no bills, under penalty of the lawi"
According to a Chinese custom which
| is as rigidly adhered to as a statutory
| law, every one must pay his debts be-
| fore the first day Of the new year;
| otherwise he is refused further credit
| Notice of his failure to do so is noised
around in about the same way that
American business men learn that a
| person is slow pay and not sure.
The delinquent debtor finds It difficult
| to get employment and is ostracized
| socially. In cases where 1t is impos-
| sible to meet his debts. and he so sat
isfies his creditor. the matter is ar
ranged by compromise. But the cred
| itor must be paid or a satisfactory
| arrangement made with him before the
new year begins. or the debtor goes
| to the wall like a protested note.
The general way however, of set
| thing disputed accounts is by arbitra-
| tion in what is called the Meeting
Hall of the Middle Kingdom" This
board is composed Of members select
ed from the six companies, and II acts
| as court of justice in the settlement
| OF debts. quarreIs. disputes about
wages and other business troubles. OF
course, II has no legal power and uses
only arguments and moral suasion. -
Some writers state that this govern
ment within a government" Furnishes
criminals and exercises the powers OF
criminal courts. This is denied by the
| Chinese. The court or board only has
| advisory powers. The creditor noti-
fies the court that Sing Hi owes him
some cash" and will not pay. Sing
Hi is requested to appear and Save
his face" The complainant makes his
statement, and the debtor attempts to
justify himself for not paying his
debts. II either disputant is dissatis-
fed with the decision he can take the
matter 70 the American courts. This
arbitration is not binding upon them,
but generally they consent to accept
the decision of the board before the
case Is tried.
It is rarely that an appeal is made
TO the American courts, for the con-
testants are Informed that they must
pay lawyers fees and court costs, and,
besides, may have 70 walt long time,