Bisbee daily review., 1908-01-16
G'aTE PAW'asHoPs.
Frsnch Rate Is 2 Per cent--SometIns
 No Interest Is Charged. ,l

French Rate Is Per cent--SometIrns 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 bis journey to the money lend
 CT. 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
 Is helmeted, white gIoved republican
 guard. The customary whispering as
 tue borrower exchanges goods for cash
 $ unknown. Borrowing is a business
 transaction with the government.
 It is not out of appreciation of these
 conditions, of course, that 1000 people
 daily visit the municipal pawnshoDs.
 but their business trip includes q
 knowledge of the fact that whatever
 profits will accrue to the establish
 ments will finally go back to the peo-
 pie
 There is no haggiing, says q writer In the Philadelphia Record. On ieyy- elry four-ffths of the value of the oh. ject can be secured; on the other arti- eles two-thirds. The interest is ' 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 the original loan and interest are de- ducted from the money secured by the sale the surplus goes to the Dor. rover. Should the money remain un. claimed 1t is turned over to the Paris hospitals, and, curiously enough, these hospitals profit to the extent of 100,. 900 francs year.
 When one has made a study Of French pawnbroking laws it is easily seen that the first object served by these laws iS to protect people who want immediate money advantages France (and we may say France, for municipal pawnbroking is to be found in every corner of the country) cares little that many transactions are car. ried on at a loss. In one year of some 2, 100000 pawned articles in Paris l, 100000 were effected at loss, since no auction will bring complete re- turn on small objects. Of course this Is offset by the return from loans on the other million articles, but should there be a deficiency the municipality has no hesitation in going down in it's pockets and thus has an indirect mode of taxing the well to do to support the needy. Since no country has raised a cry against charity, this, as one form ,f it. can be passed without criticism. The fact is, money is lost on all loans Inder 20 francs.
 The capital of the pawnshops con lists of legacies, gifts and subventions If the state, department or the com nune. Occasionally, as at Grenobie md Montpelier, the establishments Ire so well endowed that no interest 3 charged. Paris, for no unfathomable easons, does the largest pawnbrolSing business on the continent, 34,o00.oo0 rancs being the average yearly 'ledges and 30.000.OO0 francs redeem d. The total revenue is 100000 ranes, the expense of management ,5O0,o00 francs. the interest on capital bout 100000 francs and the net prof. ts 10000 francs.