The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-06-18
DEAD BEATS TO
DRIVE Us INT 0
ECARNISHEE Law
Elizabeth City Merchants
Strong Advocates of Meas
ure to Make People Pay
Their Bills

North Carolina would have a
garnishce law on its books II
the merchants of Elizabeth
City had their way about it.
The business men, and especl-
ally the small merchants eX-
press themselves as being
heartily for such law. 1T IS
the only protection, and only
salvation for u.s." they declare.
"The dead beat is driving us
out Of the credit business, and
making it harder. for the honest
man to get credit"
Merchant after merchant, inter-
viewed by this newspaper, without
exception, declared himself in favor
Of the enactment Of such n law.
this week. Briefly. garnishee law
is law that permits creditor to
attach portion Of mans wages
for the settlement Of his honest
debts. 1t Is the only protection a
creditor has against the man who
eau and will not pay his bills.
A poll of the merchants Of the
two busiest blocks OIL Main Street,
brought forth a pitiful story. We
are slaves to the credit system. the
merchants declare. Credit Is too
easy, but we have to give it, or
our customers will so elsewhere. If
customer IL slow pay, we nave
to continue to extend cerdit, to keep
him paymg Oh his account, or LIE
will fake his cash to some other
town.
The love of automobiles Is doing
us harm too" the merchants say.
THE determination to get a car az
making a bad debtor Of many
formerly honest man." One mer'
chant tells of a typical instance. A
Young man earning $l25 n month.
bought a car costing 81 400. He
had to pay $50 a month on his car
leaving him only $45 month for
board bifI, bis clothes, and the up
keep of his car. He had long owed
this merchant more than 500 and
would never pay a cent. How Is
1t you can't pay us, but you can
buy a carr" the merchant question
d. But l just couldn't do with
oiit a car he replied. Another
merchant says: II don't like to see
people who owe me, driving line
cars, while | have TO ride bicycle.
Other merchants report men max
ing s1S' and less week who buy
automobiles ,eyading their debts
for clothing, and groceries to Keep
the cars going, because they must
use their cash to meet the install
ments on the automobile, or lose
it. Every garage reports debts for
renoir bills on some Of these cars,
that they never expect to collect.
But TO get back to the law the
business men want so badly. The
merchants insist that a garnlshee
Inv. instead of destroying credit,
makes It easier for the honest work
Ing man who hasn't an established
credit 10 buy things on time. such
law has been operating in Viz
pinia for yenrs. If man doesn't
nav his bills, all his salary above
so n month can be attached. In
MARYLAND. he is allowed only SO a
month. Consequently, there are few
who will not pay; for all know they
can he forced to pay.
We would seldom have to invoke
tbi. law, one merchant stated, but
~. would be- protected. When a
man applied 10 us for credit, we
would have only to learn where h"
worked, and if he was a steady
worker, in order to give him credit
There is little possibility that
North Carolina will enact sar'
nishee law anytime soon, because
nh amendment TO the constitution
would first be necessary. But lack
ing such a law, North CarolinianS
. mist learn to pay better, or do with
less credit and learn better how TO
, | live within their means, so the mer'
chants all say.