Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-02
Prohibition Cuts
Into Business of
Pawn Shop Owners

Minneapolis, Aug. "A marked fall
Ing off in the number OF Valuapies
pawned In Minneapolis since July !
and sharp increase In sales OF sec.
ond hand goods is attributed by MIN
rpapolis pawnbrokers. United states
revenue officers and the police depart
ment. to prohibition.
Pawnbrokers, who today reported 70
the internal revenue office Tor their
federal licenses. said the number Oh
pawned articles left with them In tne
first twenty one days OF July was from
80 to so per cent less than the number
left In the corresponding period OF
1918.
Redemptions on Increase.
In the same period the number Oh
redemptions have been high ana the
rise in sales they reported have easily
offset the decline in the loan end OF the
business. The pawnbrokers are al
taking out their federal licenses ana
renewing their city licenses.
Several of the men who reported con-
dtions to the internal revenue office
said the decline in pawning would have
been 10 per cent this month except FOR
many soldiers who are on their way
home from camp and stop In the city
for a good time before returning 10
their homes and going to work. The
soldiers, however, are good at redemp-
lions, the dealers said, and usually
send the money back for their articles.
Fewer Watches Pledged.
Police reports showed that the aver
age daily pledging of watches alone
which before July'1 was sixty-five
day has fallen to thirty-six day.
The average monthly pledges OF
watches for July 1918, was 1,4O0, while
reports this month will show less than
500 watches, the police said.
In July, 1913, the highest record was
obtained. In that month 5,27O watches
were pawned.
The average total number of jewelry
articles pawned in a month is 4,5oo.
The total this month does not exceed
1000, the police believe.
Prohibition Causes Change.
Richard Helwig, pawnbroker inspec-
tor, said today that all the second
hand dealers and pawnbrokers had re-
ported to him that the conditions have
been reversed in the trade.
Pawnbrokers and second hand deal
ers are required to report daily the
articles pawned or sold in their places.
All, he said, ascribe the change to pro-
hibition and the dealers themselves
said today nothing else would account
for 1t.
"The fact that many soldiers have
been in the city during the month has
kept the business up to certain ex-
tent" said John Goodman, but had
these men not been passing thru IN
such numbers and needing money, our
pawn business would have dropped
nearly rs per cent.
Our sales have increased more than
60 per cent since July l." said John
Shapiro, land, our loans have fallen OF
about 35 per cent, but it is more than
fifty-fifty proposition in favor OF
the conditions Of prohibition.
More Buying Clothes.
"The sale of liquor in the city has
been the cause Of many people from
the smaller towns around Minneapolis
to stop here for a good time" said
Abraham Cohen, land while they were
/ here they bought second hand goods,
but Notwithstanding this fact our sales
have Increased 40 per cent since July
I, 1919, over the same period of 1918.
according to our books. What they for
merly spent for liquor they now spend
for clothes and other useful articles"
"July and August are always poor
months in our business" said Noah
Kreger, "but this year has been better
| than ever before and I attribute 1t to
prohibition. Sales have increased and
loans have decreased, but the sales
easily offset the loss of the loans"