The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-01-22
CARNISHEE LAW
REPEATER STIRS
SHARP DEBATE
Merchants, Labor Groups
Clash at Hearing Held
by House Group.

NY tIOuOO vi OQHs
Further hearing on the House bill
to repeal the present Indiana gar
nishee law was to be conducted this
afternoon by the House Judiciary A
Committee, following a public hear
ing held last night.
Representatives of both merchants
and laboring groups took part in
the hearing last night, labors rep
resentatives charging that the pres
ent garnishee law is class legislation
which works an injury to workers
of the state.
Bookkeepers from various Lake
County steel companies were to teS-
tify on operation of the law at the
session this afternoon.
The present law is the only pro-
lection the small retail merchant
has in collection of accounts, Frank
Ign George, Newcastle attorney, said
in defending the present law and
opposing H. B. is.
If a man is unable to pay the 10
per cent punishment, under the
present law, he can file petition in
court and get the amount reduced,
he said.
The various representatives of
merchant associations said that the
law as it now is used, is merely a
weapon to hold over the heads of
dishonest people who do not intend
to pay their. bills.
Seen as Aid to Worker
eff the wage Garner wants credit"
said Senator Elias G. SWihart Cd,
Elkhart), "this law really acts as
collateral for him. 1t is to the hon.
est workers advantage to have this
law, since repeal of the present
measure would mean Tightening
of credit, and would put more peo-
pie on relief"
Others who advocated the reten-
ton of the law were: DR.. E. A.
Parker, Ft. Wayne; Fred K. White,
Ft. Wayne Association of Credit
Men; C. j. Steiss, FIT. Wayne, Indi-
ana Retail Grocers and Meat Deal
ers Association secretary; G.. G.
Finnefrock, II. P. WATSON & Co., and
L. F. Shuttleworth, executive secre-
tary, Associated Retailers of In
diana.
Charging that the 1925 act is a
demoralizing and a nuisance law,
Rep. Edward P. Barry Cd, Indian
apolis), author of the proposed re-
peal measure, said that as matter
of special justice the present law
must be repealed. Alex Gordon and
M. H. Miller, representing the rail-
road brotherhoods, charged that the
garnishee law has allowed mer-
chants to oversell customers.
Old Warning Is Recalled
Mr.. Gordon said that at the time
the law was passed the merchants
said they had 2 per cent loss on
credit, and that now they claim
they have a 5 per cent loss.
I'VE told them in 1925 that if this
law we're passed merchants would
extend credit to irresponsible peo-
ple," he said.
Joseph Timpko, Terre Haute,
president of District IL, United
Mine Workers, said that the present
law has allowed high pressure sales
men to oversell workers and then
plaster a garnishee on them, some
times without their knowledge of
what was going on.
1.-The worker should have the same
protection that business has in the
bankruptcy law" he added.
Rep. Carl Wood Cd, Indianapolis
Adolph Fritz, Indiana State Fed
Grafton of Labor secretary; Frank D.
Morgan, FIT. Wayne, Indiana Fed
Grafton of Labor vice president; Rep.
William G. Morris ID, Gary, and
Ramsey Wilson, Princeton miner,
spoke for repeal of the law.