New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-13

$40 In renewals. was garnsheeu lot s"'
which. with fees, interest etc. amounted
20 s96 49, so that in the end he pald slSo ~
for loan OF so 80.
"A s., 200 clerk borrowed $50 three years
ago." says the report, "incurring an OBJ
legation of SIS He has since paid 80 In
renewals. and is informed by the loan
agents that his debt amounts TO sol. An
other clerk borrowed $50 two years ago. At
the present time he has paid over 800. ana
still owes 500"
City employees in negotiating such iodnS'
the investigation disclosed, are usuaiS
called upon to sign several papers. lhese
include undated notes. indorsed by announcer
employe; two or three blank assignment
forms. power of attorney TO MI IN 'he
blank spaces in the assignments. cohieS-
sion of Judgment for the amount OF loa''
and sometimes a general power OF attor-
ney TO sign for and collect all wages
I'm most cases which we have examined
says the report. lit appears that the Dor
rowers do not appreciate the nature OF the
papers which it is necessary for them u
sign"
one of the loan agents named in the COM
missioner's report explained YESTERDAY tha'
the other side OF the case could be priellS
summed up IN the statement that great
majority of those with whom they zeal
were out to do them
eve ask man." said this agent. II TIC
has borrowed anywhere else, ana nine
times out of ten they say no. HIS mote 10
due. and we bring suit. only to ma thd'
there are one. sometimes two and three
and more, agents in ahead OF us
Souoht Aid from Corners.
Apart from the disclosures about inc
methods of dealing with borrowers Coh'-
missioner Fosdick incidentally turned up an
interesting batch of correspondence "iio"
indicated that the loan agents had coi''-
bined in some measure for the purpose Oh
keeping a lobbyist at Albany TO Iooh ou'
for their interests.
The bin Of Assemblyman Burke oil Ere
in the 1865 Legislature apparently stirIeu
the loan agents into their greatest ac'iV-
itv and many letters sent from Bufalo
loan, agent to a New York city agent Ioi-
lowed the course Of that bill in ana OUT
of committee and on TO the noor' UNI"
finally il was squashed.
Although the Buffalo man wrote openly
IN his letters OF a fund that was raised 10
buy off the Assemblyman. later CORE
spondence referred TO the money as having
been returned TO the subscribers TO the
fund one reason why the money might
have been found unnecessary was disclosed
bv this paragraph from one of the letters
You might have noticed In the news
,,oners that Mr. polson is defending the
Sheriff OF Erie County before the Gov
ernor-that brings MIN in closer touch 100
with our District Attorney and closer re-
lation with William J. Corners the leader
Of the Democratic forces here. Now. TINS
man Corners owns Assemblyman Burke
body and soul. politically, financially ana
otherwise II occurs to me this morning
that Mr.. Dolson. through Mr.. Corners
might put a muzzle on this bill OF Burke s.
Only a suggestion
Those loan agents who conduct open OIL
fees. mentioned in the report, declared yes
terdav that they had never known OF any
combination Of agents for legislative pur-
noses. but many of the smaller agents
added that they had heard of some such
combination among the big fellows.
The big fellows are never seen by thelr
clients even, according to the small agents;
except when said clients are falling behind
and need lacking up.