The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-01
STILL JAIL PEOPLE .
FOR DEBT IN ENGLAND
Over II, 900 Debtors Are Put In
Jail in England Last Year
Under Old Law. q: l. y.
Most of These People Are Work:
ingmen-Barbaric Methods
Still Rule There.

= Still Rule There.
More than 1000 persons we're i'm
prisoned in England last year Tor nom
payment Of debt.
About one-half of these owed less
than $40. They were victims Of the
credit system in it's worst form, which
depends on the threat Of imprison-:
ment for Its existence
The facts set out above. throw a.
flood Of light on the dark side of cred
1t trading. Although Imprisonment for
debt was nominalIy abolished many
years ago, the number of persons act
ually imprisoned 1or non-payment of
civil debts is increasing every year.
and now constitutes a scandal.
Half the 1mpisonments for debt
last year were for small shop debts,
contracted with tradesmen who rely
pushing the credit system" said Jo-
seph Collinson, honary secretary of
the criminal law and prison. reform
committee.
This system f1ourishes chiefly in the
poorest districts. Tallymen are en-
ployed to go round and sell goods on
the lnstallment plan to ignorant peo-
pie, and very often to wives without
their husbands knowledge. They deal
largely in cheap clothing and jewelry,
and the system rests on the fact that
there is the power of Imprisonment to
help it out. The husband may be sent
f1 tot oh tic 70 no f.
ed for one shilling or upward, and he
may be sent to prison fifty times ror'
the same debt.
Poor Families Are Chief Victims.
1T wrong to suppose that a man
cannot be imprisoned more than once
for the same debt. If he owes sever
al pounds the judge may make an
order for payment Of a few shillings
week, and he can be sent to jail for
the non-payment of one weeks a.
mount after anothed.
The result is that whole. families
are thrown on the public purse. The
few shillings, and the wife and child
rem have to obtain poor relief or go to
the workhouse.
NJ have known of a case where a
commitment order has been made a.
gainst man lying ill in bed, and the
officer has sat at his bedside waiting
for him to get we'll enough to go to
Jail. .~:.':: ::
About 200 persons were committed
at Stafford last year, not one of whom
owed more than 81, and Major Grit
fiths, while Governor of New York
prison, found that hundreds af agri-
cultural laborers were committed for
small sums, and their inability to pay
was proved by the fact that they
served the full terms for which they
were committed. a.:
I'VE have secured the support of a
large number Of members Of Parlia-
ment and County court judges in fav-
or Of completely abolishtng imprison-
ment for ordinary shop debts. Such a
thing does not exist in Scotland, and
more careful about letting people con-
tract debt.
Debt Collectors Prosecute Cases.
I'm England the tradesnnan who
adopts the credit system need not
even appear at the County court to
prove his case. He can put the matter
in the hands of a professional debt
solicitor, who can carry the whole pro-
cess through the court. In Bow. Coun>>
ty court last year 1000 cases of this
sort were dealt with without a credit
or appearing.
1.-The full evil of this kind Of credit
| trading is, Of course, not shown oy
the County court returns for there Is
a large proportion Of cases where the
threat of imprisonment Is held over
women to induce them to procure the
| money. This Is one of. the worst Tea"
lures of the system.
Moreover, the man who Is sent ia
prison as debtor is now treated as an
ordinary offender. Before 1898 he was
specially treated, but since the act OF
that year he ranks with ordinary GRIM
| inals, and enjoys no privileges which
! were formerly extended to debtors.
"England and Ireland are the only
civilized countries where, imprison-
ment for debt Is allowed. In all other
| civilized lands it has been abolished
The church army frequently comes
in contact WITH families which have
| suffered through the credit system az
worked by the more unscruplous class
of credit traders.
! imprisonment for debt in the case
Of poor people is usually open to OBJ
jection," said Prebendary: Garlic, the
head of the church army.
1.-THE husband, in many instances
has had nothing to do with the con-
traction of the debt, >and perhaps ney'
er hears Of 1t until he is arrested and
taken to Jail. go.
| Favors Probation for Debtors:
If the debt must be paid 1t would
be better to put debtors under proba-
ton, and let a probation officer admin
lister their wages, so that the debt may
at length be liquidated."
| An officer Of the church army, who
| visits prisons, said: 1T makes my
blood boil to hear the tales told b.
men in prison for debt.
/ 1.-THE first time they are arrested
often find that they know nothing
about the debt until they are commit
ted Their wives are persuaded b!
tallymen, Who can talk them into buy.
ing ANYTHING from ready-made CLOTH