Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-22
To Stop Money Lending in Bu-
reau of Printing.
DIRECTOR RALPH WILL ACT
Case Of William ]. Maple Causes
Disclosure Of Conditions.
ExoRBITANT INTEREST PAID
Young Man Making $50 a Month
Turns Over One-Third
to Lender.

The business OF "loan sharks in the
bureau of printing and engraving is to
be suppressed for all time by Director
Ralph. AS measure of precaution, to
prevent crime against the government
such as would be counterfeitirg or theft
Of paper money printed in the bureau. he
would save those employees under his
direction from the meshes woven by
ten percenters'' In the bureau and the
mental distress of overwhelming debt
conducive to wrongdoing as a possible
means of escape.
This determination is the result of the
investigation of the case of William j.
Waple. jr. Maple, an employe of the
bureau. owing about 500 to money lend
ers fattening on the necessities of Eel
low-employe. driven to despair by his in
ability to provide for his family and meet
the burden of exorbitant interest, and
even contemplating suicide, Director
Ralph says, confessed he committed for
gerry to meet his obligations. He after
ward made statement to the police and
Is now ready to take his medicine.
Waple declares. Mr.. Ralph says, that
he was driven to commit forgery because
Of the demand of the loan sharks into
whose clutches he had fallen. In his
confession to Director Ralph he implicat-
ed employees of the bureau as his cred
uors. These have been suspended.
Maple then took his story of wrong
doing to the authorities. and his case
was set for a preliminary hearing yes
terday. The hearing was continued in
Police Court by Judge Mullowny.
Waple was released on $500 bond, pro-
vided by his father, William j. Waple,
Or. The district attorney accepted the
house at 6o2 18th street northeast as Sc
curity. despite the fact that it was prop
erty incumbered by mortgage.
There is no complaint lodged against
Wapple. other than his own confess
fS
witness. In fact, his creditors OF the
loan shark type, 1t is said by Director
Ralph. were most active in trying to
keep the case out of court, and did not
wish to appear against Wapple.
Relieved of Burden.
wapple is a new man. now" he
says. and ready to face. the music.
Making a clean breast of it, he told Mr..
Ralph. has relieved him of depth of
misery. a burden of despair, the neces-
sity of continued wrongdoing and a
sense of utter shame and terror of
: exposure, so terrible that he does not
know how he stood 1T so long.
1t is generally believed that the
charges of forgery will not be pressed
against Maple.
An investigation has been conducted by
Director Ralph into the money-lending
business in the bureau. AS a result four
men, VINO nave Deen IenutnS money u
their fellow-employes at exorbitant rates
Of interest, have been suspended.
Charges are to be preferred against
them by Director Ralph for the consid-
GRAFTON Of the civil service commission.
Their fate is likely to depend on the
recommendations of Director Ralph after
hearings have been held and the case
presented.
The names of the suspended quartet
are withheld They are all efficient work
men. as shown by their records. declares
Director Ralph, and he is reluctant to
hold them up to public scorn by reveal
ing their identity.
A twenty-year-old youth. employed at
. salary of $50 a month, was discovered
by Director Ralph to be paying a month
~ interest of $40 to the loan sharks.
Others were draining their resources and
0tinting their families to meet 10 per cent
monthly payments of various amounts.
One Of the employees of the bureau, who
has been uncovered as a lender Of money
at 10 per cent or more. is especially I'M
der the displeasure Of Director Ralph.
This offender. posing as superior to such
practices. hid behind the skirts of his
agents, and was making big profits out
OF the loan business in the bureau.
Made Book on Races.
Several years ago some of the men were
acting as agents for handbooks on the
horse races in the bureau. The money
Of the men was all going out and none
Of it coming back, says Director Ralph.
until the agents Of the bookmakers got
the idea of making the books themselves.
But horse won one day on which
lot of money had been put up, and the
bureau employee who had made the book
was unable to pay up. Director Ralph
heard of 1t. He put a stop to that.
Employees engaged in the loan bust
ness in much the same way he has
discovered. Uptown loan sharks used
the employees as agents. until the
agents found that the business could
be made profitable, for them. and then
they took IL up.
Distress among families of the debt
ors brought the first hint of condi-
tions to Director Ralph. He found
that most of the men were living up to
their incomes, and that some Of them
TO purchase a little extra pleasure had
drifted into the nav of the loan
sharks" and had never been able to
get out again. .
''Waple. the man arrested for for
gerry" ssays Director Ralph. was one
of the best employees of the bureau
and was reliable in every way His
confession was a great surprise to me-
but / am glad that Ii was made, be-
cause it will enable me to put an end
~ cha -