Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-18
Mcmillan Urges End
Of GarnishmentLa
Introduces Bill
To Curb Abuses;
May Ask Repeal
BY EMERSON BEAUCHAMp

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Represen tative Mcmillan,
Democrat Of South Carolina, to-
day introduced legislation to curb
|garnishment abuses in the Dis
trict but said he would like to
see Congress abolish entirely this
means of collecting debts.
Before submitting the bill
which is identical to one intro
duced yesterday by Senator
O'Mahoney, Democrat Of Wyo-
ming-Mr. Mcmillan told a re-
porter:
II think this bill is rather
mild. I would like to see the
garnishment law repealed"
Considering Amendment
When the bill comes before
the House District Committee,
which he heads. he may intro
duce an amendment to that
effect, Mr.. Mcmillan said.
The bill, which was drafted by
q District Bar Association SUBJ
committee headed by Joseph H.
Schneider. would provide that
only 10 per cent of a debtors
salary could be attached. It has
been Endorsed by the bar asso-
citation and the Municipal Court
judges.
Senator Butler, Republican Of
Maryland, a co-sponsor of the
bill on the Senate side, said yes
lterday he is opposed to eliminate
ing garnishment altogether.
Without it. he maintains, stores
would not give credit at all to
Ilow-income persons who need it.
Mr.. Mcmillan said he saw no
reason why a store should refuse
to extend credit to a customer
who was found to be good risk,
even if he had a low income.
II don't believe credit should
be extended without an investi-
cation, and I'm opposed to using
the court as collection agency"
Mr.. Mcmillan said.
Critics Charges
Critics of garnishment have
charged that credit stores make
ION time" sales to poor credit
risks without an investigation,
relying on Municipal Court to
collect their bad debts through
garniShment.
Senator OMahoney said yes
terday the new bill is needed ito
relieve a truly grevious condition
among some of our most needy
people"
The Sentor referred to a re-
cent decision by the Municipal
Court of Appeals throwing out
the claim of credit store which
used a fraudulent punishment
to attach a debtors wages.
Il do not think Congress
should stand idly by while some
Iof its citizens are numerically
exploited by INSCRIPTIONS credit
statesmen" Sentor O'Mahoney
declared.
Senator Butler said he had
been informed of numerous
cases in which families were left
without the necessities of life
because their entire income had
been attached.
Butler Hits Present Law
THE exemption under the
present law" he said. sis wholly
inadequate, and the machinery
for claiming it is so complicated
that it is often beyond the un-
Outstanding of the individual
whose salary is the subject of
the garniShment."
The present law requires a
debtor to claim his exemption.
The first $500 of his monthly
salary is exempt from garnish-
ment if he is the head of a
house "a single person has a $50
exemption, but his entire SAL
airy can be withheld while Mu-
nicipal Court considers his claim.
The new bill also provides that
one garnishment would act as
a lien against a debtors salary
until the entire debt is paid.
Backers say this would reduce
the work load in Municipal
Court. Under present law, a
garnishment is effective against
only one pay check at a time:
to collect the next installment
on the debt. the creditor must
go to court again.
A story in The Star on April
2 disclosed that some $500 gar
nishments now are filed here