The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1914-03-28
UNCLE sam men
EASY FOR SHARKS
Money Lenders Near Capitol
Charge Excessive Interest.
CLERKS ARE ExTRAvAGANI.

Aggregate Loans Estimated at $780,
600, and the Average Interest $50
Per Cent, or $3.50, 0oo-Law of Con-
eress Evaded by Money Lenders
Moving Across Potomac to Virginia.
Washington.-Of all the shady in
terests which are carried on by govern
ment employees in every department
the 'loan shark" evil is said to be the
worst For years department heads
and bureau chiefs have failed to stamp
out the class Of men who carry on
the business among their associates of
lending small sums at excessively large
rates of interest r.. r~# t>s.- II.
In the Office Of the United States at
torney for the District of Columbia are
fled at the present time no less than
fifty distinct charges of loan shark
ing" the offenders including profess
stonal money lenders. In a preliminary
statement recently given out Assistant
District Attorney Given said that no
less than 1000 complaints of violation
of the loan shark law have been re-
ceived from persons who requested
that their names be not made public.
A little over a year ago congress en-
acted drastic law against "loan shark
ing" The interest rates which had
formerly ranged from so per cent to
300 per cent year. were cut to per
cent month. For time it was be-
lieved that the business in Washington
was dead. Then the money lenders
put their heads together and several of
the professionals who maintained Of
fees in the downtown section of the
city tried the first evasion of the law
1t is about twelve city blocks from
the western edge Of the downtown dis
trict to the Virginia side of the Poto-
mac river. Within fifteen feet of the
high water mark on the Virginia side
of the river two or three of the lend
ers built offices and hung out three
balls. An interurban electric line gave
easy access to and from the city. Signs
giving notice of the change of location
were displayed before their downtown
Washington offices and several other
shops bore signs of change Of resi-
dence to Alexandria, Va. five miles
down the Potomac.
Thus by cooperation among the
money lenders the entire professional
'loan shark business, Of Washington
was moved to Virginia, with the ex-
ception of the amateur" money lend.
ers in the government departments.
This, the police found, is the thing that
the district attorneys Office is deter
mined to stamp out. s- ..-~.
1t is said that a negro messenger in
the treasury department accumulated
over $4,000 during his thirty-ive
years Of service through loaning small
sums at excessive rates of interest.
One of the money lenders established
between his Washington Office and his
Office on the Virginia shore half hour
automobile livery service for clients in
downtown Washington, across Poto-
mac park and the Highway bridge into
Virginia. 1t proved too expensive. how
ever. ~.
Washington, filed with residents
whose homes are elsewhere. has prob
ably the most apathetic civic con-
science in the world Its population is
nearly as cosmopolitan as that of At.
lantic City. and there is spirit of
rivalry as to dress and front in the
very municipal atmosphere A man
with government position has a pres
tige in his home community that few
other positions Of employment confer
The incumbent thinks he must live up
to it by aping the dress and manners
of the idle rich. The messenger with
salary of 5000 or $500 year aims to
dress like his superior. the clerk He
does not want the public to think he is
a mere messenger The clerk would be
a division chief, and he aspires to dress
the part He goes the messenger one
better by allowing himself to be drawn
into the ultra atmosphere Of petty so:
cial affairs in Washington. which rare
" get him anywhere. The division
chief likes to be mistaken for an as
sistant secretary. And thus the merry
game goes on.