The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-04
WASHINGTON'S
LOAN SHARKS

From the Beaufort (N. O. Lookout.
Just as we are about 70 install our new
associate editor, whose hobby is sharks.
as may be gathered from our issue of
last week. along comes our esteemed
friend. The Washington Herald with an
editorial on variety OF shark OF which
the sound waters OF North Carolina are
bare. but the editorial itself is we'll worth
considering. The loan shark as We know
him is mostly deeply rooted in commit
mites having a large percentage Of sal
aired employees. and OF this class the
District OF Columbia has more TO the
acre than any other place on earth.
The civil service employee whose term
OF office is practically for his period Of
efficiency and good behavior, and, in
many instances. where the machinery of
daily effort holds out to the last also
for his lifetime. He comes to a desk
In the great departments OF our govern
ment fresh. In many instances, from a
far away rural community. after a civil
service examination and rating. and
with the good will and friendship
OF his home delegation as an asset.
begins life IN the Nations Capital
as a $40 per annum clerk. well
regulated hours OF work, with his
pay sure at stated intervals, a thirty
days annual leave for purposes Of rest
and recreation (the associate editor Is
using HIS 20 investigate and report upon
the desirabillty and possibility Of MAX
ing Beaufort vacation port for a linn
tied number OF his conferees who want
"a urfffn Nd MIA -
battle and fish,, promotion to A higher
grade as fast as vacancies may occur
and his merit and capacity rating permit.
What more than that the to him rain
bow vista should generate in him that
easy good nature and sociabllity which
enables him 10 part with his last nickel
before pay day. sure that pay day will
come IL he lives, with another rosy tinted
start to cover the time TO the next pay
Gay. two weeks hence Meanwhile. he Is
dreaming Of a possible early promotion
he can hear the ripples OF the Sl.OO0-grade
three laps ahead. and the rosy checked
pppin Of a girl who Is waiting for his
come-on signal in his old home State IS
dreaming over his optimistic letters (peF-
haps he has become a member Of The
Herald's optimist club. as Is the writer.
when all OF a sudden there Is a Jar. a
Jolt. and joviality drops astern where the
doctor comes on a hurry call Two
things are now looming UP over his hori-
zon OF trouble; his absence from his desk
may be the cause Of his name not ap-
pearing on the next line OF recommended
lions for promotion. and the added ex-
penses OF a sick man In a foreign COM
munity (and washington is foreign to
everything else in the L. S. A.. and az
soon as he gets back to his desk the
need OF a little more money to square
UP an importunate creditor drives him 70
an interview with one OF the numerous
money lending concerns whose letter
cards and newspaper advertisements have
become familiar to him, and he takes the
first false step in finance. and in seeking
10 obliterate trouble, borrows more, at
compound interest.
Should he at this period OF depression
seek the consolation Of home by marry
ing either the unsophisticated girl from
back home or the up-to-the-minute girl
at the next desk, he is in the tolls for life;
he never can do quite as well for his