The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-11-19
THE CHECK WRITING EVIL.

Wv VI VIC 6AOWibk CNiIs Va suiS
country, and especially OF this par
ticular section, is the inds terminate
writing Of checks by people who really
have not got the money in the bank
on which the check is drawn 10 make
the check good. Since the tighten
ing up Of the money market, when all
banks are making few, or no loans at
all, the evil Of writing worthless checks
seems to be growing, and hundreds Of
worthless checks ara being put into
circulation every week, This is q
source of great annoyance to both the
bankers and :hose who receive the
worthless paper, and II special effort
should be made by the bankers and
business interests to stamp out this
growing evil.
Ia way, the bankers themselves
are not entirely bameless tor the ex
istence of this evil. In days past,
when money was easy, and bankers
were overly anxious to make loans, it
was not at all uncommon for such
bankers TO meet prospective custom
er who wanted to write checks, and tell
him to go ahead and check on his bank
ard drop around later and fix up the
matter by signing up note to cover
the overdraft. Since money has tight
ened up, these days are past, bankers
are no longer looking for new loans,
but on the contrary are somewhat con
cerIed about collecting some of their
outstanding paper, and as result are
refusing to take notes TO cover over
drafts.
Many people ate making purchases
of goods or settling up old accounts,
and are just writing checks, hoping
to square themselves with their bank
er by giving note later on, when no
titled that their account is overdrawn.
The banker cannot accommodate them
AM as result their checks are return
ed qinpaid for want OF funds, or are
re: lrned with quite sizeable protest
fee attached. Then the drawer of the
check gets "red headed" and says
things, but all of which does not make
good the aforesaid worthless check.
There is but one rule TO 60 by in
this business of drawing checks and
that is to be sure you have the money
in bank to MAKE good your check at
the time it is drawn. If you have not
the money and want to draw checks,
see your banker first and negotiate a
loan before you draw checks, aud if
you are unsuccessful in negotiating a
loan aud have no money in bank, don't
draw any checks. That's the only
safe way to play this game.
The evil of worthless check writing
Is growing SO rapidly that one of these
days patience will cease to be virtue
and few OF the offenders will find
themselves facing penitentiary or
Jail sentence and then perhaps the
bogus check writing public will stop
and take notice. Unless something
is done to check this growing evil, the
time ia coming when checks will not
be accepted at all in payment Of goods
or the settlement of accounts. The
bankers and business men will be
compelled 10 take drastic action to
put stop to THE growing evil.
Moral Be safe. Don't write
check on any bank unless you are
sure you haye sufficient funds iu the
bank to cover the amount OF the
check you have drawn. Your neigh
Dor will think more Of you, and so
will your banker and the man you are
doing business with and your honor
aud integrity will not be questioned