The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-07-06
CURIOUS DEBT COLLECTING.
Methods Adopted by Governments OF
Various Countries.

Methods Adopted by Governments VI
Various Countries.
A debt collecting agency which is
run as a part of the regular public
postal system is the newest improve
ment" of the postoffices of Austria.
Despite the novelty of the enterprise
the plan has worked admirably, so
that millions of dollars are collected
annually by the postmen throughout
the Austrian empire. The system is
very simple. Suppose a tradesman
IN Vienna has an account due from
a customer in, say, such a distant
town as Budapest, which he wishes to
collect. Distance does not matter IN
the least. He merely sends the D.
TO the postoffice in the capital, whence
it is at once transmitted to the post
Office in Budapest. There the postman
presents it to the debtor, collects the
cash and RENTS it to theVienna post
office, whence it is delivered to the
tradesman by postman.
In the event of payment being re-
fused, which, of course, sometimes
happens, the creditor is promptly ap-
prised of the fact, and valuable time
is thus frequently saved.
OF the enterprises which have been
devised for collecting debts there is
no end A government collecting
agency would put an end to many
exceedingly picturesque schemes. Inc
recent case of the Turkish government
is naturally recalled in this connec-
ton. The Turkish government is no.
torious for dilatory payment of its
officials About year ago the Pasha
Of a district in Palestine, applying for
his salary, was ordered from Constan-
tinople to collect it locally in the shape
of a new tax. One town refused 20
pay its proportion of the sum demand
ed whereupon the ingenious Govern
or ordered ten days strict quarantine,
under pretence that there was a case
of cholera in the place. A military
Gordon was set round the town, trade
utterly put an end to. and soon re
unhappy and starving inhabitants
were only too glad to pay up.
Liquor dealers in England have re-
Gently adopted the device of drawing
up blacklist of non-payers and CIR
culating it among themselves. When
man finds that credit for liquor is
refused him everywhere in the town
he either moves out of the place or
pays up. Hotel keepers have a SINH
lar scheme. A printed sheet of what
are termed 'deadbeats" -visitors who
nave slipped away without settling
their bills-is sent monthly to every
hotel of any size. Full descriptions
| and, where possible, photographs are
inserted.
A unique way of collecting wages
due was that of a bartender who
waited until his employer had given
! orders for the saloon to be closed
and had gone home. Then he opened
the place again and did another hours
trade. Deducting from his takings
the money due to himself, he left the
Test in an envelope behind the coun-
ter with a note explaining what he
had done, and then left the town.
Landlords whose property lies in the
lower quarters of great cities often
find much difficulty in collecting their
weekly rents. One who owns Il num-
Der of tenements and who has once or
twice been roughly handled by his
! tenants has resorted to the eXpedienr
OF hiring stalwart young ex-bartend-
er, whose broad shoulders and deep
chest render him an awkward subject
TO interfere with. This man boldly en-
tiers a tenement and blows a shrill
whistle, the blast of which is usually
sufficient to bring out the delinquents
with their handfuls of small change.
! A similar experiment tried in Lon
don did not work so well. An Italian
who owed house in Saffron Hill let
one floor to tenant who, after a time,
not only failed to pay his debts, but
/ also refused to clear out. The land
lord thereupon entered the house with
a barrel organ and began to play II
/ on his stairs, hoping by sheer din to
either drive his recalcitrant tenant cut
or force him to pay UP. He stuck to
this self-imposed task for Jour hours
on end, but the only result was that
the neighbors, furious at the noise,
had him arrested and next day he was
duly fined.