The Washington times., 1919-11-18

pie who are sal dto know when the
checks are drawn that they have
either no deposits in banks or their
deposits are insufficient These are
given in payment for debts or for
purchase Of goods What the mer-
chants want Is a law that will make
drawing OF checks with willful
knowledge OF the fact that there are
no funds a felony or misdemeanor.
and the drawing itself evidence of
prima facie intent to defraud. Those
passing the checks would have to
make them good in a limited time or
De further open to the accusation of
intent to defraud-
The credit bureau OF the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association is OBJ
tanning much valuable data for it's
members regarding those classes of
people who abuse their credit with
business houses and who pass fraud
ulent checks. Every merchant Is sup
piled with blank slips which he daily
turns into the association concern
ing bad eggs" who make the lives
OF business men miserable. II the
merchant receives a check upon
which payment is stopped for various
reasons he details the fact to the
association. IL the customer does not
keep promises in paying accounts, Is
heavily In debt, Is bankrupt or with
out sufficient income. a record is
made and sent to the bureau. From
there II is sent out to each merchant
who may thus keep track OF the un-
desirable customer.
General Protection To BE Made.
BY arrangement with the banks the
bad check customer is to be closely
EalNt
to make the campaign more success
ful every business house in town is
70 be urged to join the association
Tor general protection. In the cam
oaign for new members. Charles
schwartz * Son have offered a hand
some silver loving cup to the person
who brings in the largest number Of
new members in the next two months
The situation was discussed by
hourice ID. Rosenberg. Victor Deyber
president Q fthe local chapter of the
Institute OF Banking: Z. ]. McQuade.
Of the Liberty Savings Bank: Clifford
Grant, chief OF detectives: Mr.. Moran,
and District Attorney Laskey. A Mo-
tion picture film of famous check for
series added interest to the talks.
Clifford Grant exhibited hundreds
OF spurious checks passed on Wash
ington merchants, some OF them by
country girls, who have dropped into
town, stopped at leading hotels, and
found IL easy to obtain thousands OF
dollars worth OF goods on checks
drawn upon home banks Mr.. Grant
urged merchants to be more careful
and report suspicious cases to his Of
hce. He insisted that there should
be identification first Of all
Government Checks.
Chief Moran. Of the Secret Service,
declared that the greatest trouble in
Washington il the ease with which
merchants accept Government checks
without identifying the holders. He
said that before the war the passing
of bad Government check was prac.
tcaly unknown, but with the war
and the Induction Of hundreds Of new
disbursing officers, the handling of
blank checks by disbursing Offices
became careless resulting in an emf
demic OF bad Government checks. In
some instances young employees stole
checks after they were made out and
sometimes after being put in mail
boxes. About eighty young men and
women, between seventeen and
twenty-four years Of age. are under
Indictment in Washington now for
passing Government checks not their
own. some OF them for forgery. The
practice has become so bad that the
Government is adopting new methods
OF drawing checks so as to make n
more difficult to change hem. The
professional check passer never
Hampers with Government checks. he
declares, and the guilty persons now
are amateurs. One army officer some
time ago forged Government checks
for nearly 100000, obtaining hug.
sums Of money before he was arrest
ed. tried, convicted and sent to prison
for six years.
Bona ide holders Of Government,
checks often get angry with ner-
'hants who insist on Identification. II
urged that all persons having these
;hecks cooperate with business men
and bankers to the fullest possible