Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-11-23
STATE PAWNsEioPs.
French Rate is 4 Per Sometimes


French Rate ls7 Per Cent Sometimes
No Interest Is Charged.
& With none of the timidity or hesita-
ton or the shamefaced aspect of our
user of pawnshops does the Partisan
perform his journey to the money lend
err Far from feeling. after the door
has closed behind him. that he Is in
the country of the enemy. the French
man can have his patriotic ardor at It's
highest, for over the pawnshop flies
the tricolor of France instead of the
gilded balls. and the guard at the door
isa helmeted. white gloved republican
guard The customary whispering as
the borrower exchanges goods for cash
is unknown. Borrowing is a business
transaction with the government.
1t is not out of appreciation of these
conditions. of course, that 1000 people
daily visit the municipal pawnshops,
but their business trip includes a
knowledge Of the fact that whatever
profits will accrue to the establish
ments will finally go back to the peo-
pie. }asE
There is no haggling, says a writer
In the Philadelphia Record. On jew
elry four-fifths of the value OF the OBJ
ject can be secured: on the other arti-
cles two thirds. The interest is Z per
cent per annum. Should a borrower be
in the unfortunate position of having
paid interest for many years without
being able to release the article the
authorities will return it. When inter
est has not been paid the object in
question goes to the auction, and then
| the Righteousness of Paris paWnbrok-
| ing is decidedly in evidence. for after
| the sale has been consummated and
1 the original loan and interest are de
Quoted from the money secured by
the sale the surplus goes to the Dor
rover Should the money remain un.
/ claimed it is turned over to the Paris
| hospitals, and, curiously enough, these
! hospitals profit to the extent of 1O0,.
/ 900 francs a year. 81
When one has made study OF
4 French pawnbroking laws it is easily
seen that the first object served BY
these laws is to protect people Wht
want immediate money advantages
France land we may say France, fol
municipal pawnbroking is to be found
in every corner of the country cares
little that many transactions are car
ried on at a loss.4 In one year Of some
4 100000 pawned articles in Pari!
i 100000 were effected at loss, sine,
4 no auction will bring complete re
turn on small objects. OF course thi
4 is Offset by the return from loans OF
the other million articles, but shoul,
there be a deficiency the munieipalit.
has no hesitation in going down in it
pockets and thus has an Indirect mod
4 of taxing the well to do to support tn
i needy Since no country has raised
q cry against charity, this, as one forr
B Of it, can be passed without criticism
z The fact is. money is lost on all loan
y under 20 francs.
The capital Of the pawnshops cor
& sists of legacies, gifts and subFention
of the state, department or the con
mune. Occasionally, as at Grenobl
and Montpelier, the establishment
are so well endowed that no interes
is charged. Paris, for no unfathomab
reasons, does the largest paWnbrokin
business on the continent, 100000
francs being the average yearl
pledges and 100000 francs redeem
ed The total revenue is 100000
francs, the expense Of managemer
1900, 600 francs. the interest on capt.;
about / 800. 900 francs and the net pro
. it's 10000 francs. s..s I. &.