The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-18
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


mOney Brokers.
Editor The Advertiser:
The election of Mr.. Conner by 20
sweeping a majority, sixty out of the
sixty-seven counties. means more thar
the popular endorsement of the ons
prime question argued by him in his
canvass of the State. SO much the bet
ter. We have various licensed and
chartered factors in business that are
practical tax gatherers, where use un-
DER the original intent of the law has
degenerated to abuge. 1t makes no
difference. that in, thu controversy be-
tween the late rival candidates for
Governor. the regulation of a single tar
consciousness took in the general con-
dltions. Producers in every field OF
enterprise and labor pay special dis
by the State unless the State Be visi-
,aht enough to regulate the benefits
winch II confers upon the licensee.
4 IN the field Of finance of his genera
tion. On the floor of the Georgia Com
ssitati S Convention, of 1857. he ex-
e 81 himself to fix in the new organic
that the earnings of labor were prop.
erty to be bought and sold by consent:
.nat wages earned yesterday must be
mand and supply that wages for today
are determined. 1t Is unnecessary to
argue arg the position of Mr., Toomhs,
interest on money. in order to claim or,
the Legislature of Alabama some very
careful attention to the tax gatherer
statutes should be made to correspond
with an established principle, underly-
ing the same class Of circumstances and
the boundary line Of the homestead;
the debtor may not be punished by i'm
prisonment for his debt; the Federal
fixed in the land. The money broker,
nevertheless, takes out license and SO
quaIinea takes out lien. or mortgage
Of personal property or PERSONAL ef-
fects the piano. the cooking stove, the
mattress. etc; There is an act purport-
money broker (Acts, iSo15 but It
does not regulate
Montgomery is ambitious for 100000
Is justified In her pride of purpose.
Other towns are aspirants for large in
crease OF numbers and wealth of per-
wh the Volume ms sd tS rs s eeu that
into the land. as never Before in ttt the his.
tory OF the world. evidences Of debt
greater ratio tbpn raIS Eor at IT, far
ending June 80. 1906, the increase of
evidences of debt in the people OF the
United limited states taa was two and half times
standard payment money
our Legislators have got to study the
u, nt money question. They. may
let alone free coipage at 16 to l. but
mere Is gold enough and rush of bus
mess enough ITO call for legislation in
h the nigh sphere of money lending. and
ing and borrowing. incidental to a
try We need laws to protect COM
TIE statute emu eo af0sP Psoi, regulating
money lenders. appeared for consider
a
the United States District Court sitting
at Birmingham. Judge Thomas G. Jones
Preslding, some ninety days or less ago.
sible in order to illustrate my argu-
ment, viz, that Corners election ought
to have brought into our legislative
the peoples demand for that kind Of
reduction in costs OF living and BUSH
ness which attach to borrowing money
IN IN small sums from licensed money
A. ], Rose. locomotive engineer in
Good standing with his employer. the
rowed a SUM of money less than Roses
average monthly pay from the road,
from. the Home Discount Company OF
was made in December, 1905, In n1 truth rpih
Rose got s36 and gave his promissory.
note due the next month for. $40, Sc
wages on his employer for several
months or for an indefinite time in the
future. Rose took the benefit of the
bankrupt law and under certain formal
proceedings not necessary here to relate.
his transaction with the Home Dis
count Company came before the Court
July 8. last. is of singular public in
terest and Is expressed in his usual
style OF precision and comprehensive
orally. Referring to the Alabama STAT
ute Of 1901. the opinion says:
Ihe mischief which called forth the
making Is sn %e Of sms Ioan the
made to necessitous borrowers and
small wage earners. who as rule had
59 of oer except the pledge
| and household goods" The court pros
ceeds with the history of such trans.
actions as Roses with the money brok-
cent per annum interest; a debt that
often resulted in discord between the
employee, and the wage Garner and too
or from employment. The court, speak
ing of the conditions. said: Lenders
become tfoI In fact fac the controllers and die
ences between lenders and borrowers,
and the steps which employers felt
On to take in
ly, reducing hundreds of laborers and
other small wage.earners to a condition
of serfdom. i'm all but name"
Legislators will probably read the
opinion but / quote one more point:
The debtors right to earn wages in
the future, and to dispose of the fruits
of his labor is not property in any
. sense which the bankruptcy ST ute
uses the term; but constitutes r. .r
rights and privileges which go to m. Ike
up mans liberty and freedom" The
money broker therefore had no claims
upon Roses earnings for an indefinite
time as set up We see by the AFRO
gance Of the claim. for. 100 per cent in
terest, the Justice of the decree of the
and freedom"
J. W. D.
FOR PURE FOOD.