Show S. S 0 S r I t. t 11 r r t r I 4 S 0 i. i i 4 t t r t k t 1 The Th Wide Nation ati Wide i e Campaign to Protect the Which Has Been r Workingman's s Pay I Ir 1 the Prey of Money MoneyLenders S Lenders L en d ers f rom the t h e t iiI f J t l l r aj L r Time T. T Y lIDe e of o 0 f Esau E sau l t f O n I I I I. I y tl the lt la law force orce the loan shark hark to o let Ii 1 lii fL Jl 4 CAN go o his Ius victims The law u me is s trying roe to In lit snarl matI many states of r tile the Union seeking lUg g n here and there within costi constitutional I limits lints 1 r I t tr IH r 11 I the e aroused aro legislatures ail Ie e. e executives Jmes r f. f E dl 1 J JI J K IE I r employers el s aie e t bankers even curt PlO 0 0 fl- fl sit ing mg attorneys cUell iI I endeavoring to plan piau mea measures Cs which Glitch 5 shall hall pI pro pro- I teet te et working men mart and ond women from from the usurers usurer's s I. I r 1 1 f shall defeat I fC 1 f devouring truer interest est slid and yet ct not 01 r L t their object by plunging lunging the tilt poor into depths l J 11 t to L Ll l of o despair lower c. c cl than that thaI fro front m which uch the I 1 1 t It law would rescue them f 1 E have beers been followed b by r t r if I r Startling exposes 1 l L j 1 I 1 t I. I tl t. c campaigns revelations latis of extortion fi i t 1 fi J i I L hr have stimulated investigations r h by bodies f y r t 1 clas has r law famous amens t in o philanthropy the existing il f been beart invoked ed and mId high f finance linnet e has condo conde condescended i I t y V I n 1 that it z has felt liker like z e o I r t 1 to loans loa so o- o petty pelt thal I r t millionaire giving at charity chanlY up sortie some f a a o n at p pr penny Pr r back bock alley r E l I I JI I But Bill the l loan shark hark still swims the dark clark i i at t f I t j C J 11 ii r. r If I I mild mid al a although l I I a foul owl waters of distressed poverty p- p overt 1 though his teeth have been bec- bec draw here and f t 11 y f I I i i E Et 1 th there rc ft from on t among their serried d r rows I he le I leaves caves 1 L. L l i 1 L r uncounted victims in tit his liS wake a k C i J f I L i The Ji time suite z may fitly b be e c at hand when the combined com cote t 3 r j I i N wrath lilt intelligence cIli and mId philanthropy y v of t t t t c i i I the i nation station will ill be able to 10 put him out of f business busi busi- j 5 II I L ness altogether but the t cj effort ors now inaugurated l f 4 d 1 2 I f s I i I Q I rated red will call for ever every I astute Ir help eI which r. tin till I ft r t people can c m muster The loan shaik s has the r 1 I. I Nt nt I of I t.- t. in influence hence c o of money male and his victims are arc as a V Vin i Ii 1 I r 1 j I grille mile the iM ver very veI poor II lie e is ti unscrupulous as ti as IS aslie 1 1 t j 1 he lie V crafty craft H Hew crafty he he is rs IS' becomes es evident evi evi- VI- VI j J r C that thaI his IllS t li J I I 1 d deut dent ant from flom rout the rhe significant carts fact pilot r I i iI fisl I z the smaller scavenger who plays las la's around ld t I J I i I 1 the Ize doomed ones led i n into rt o his Ids insatiable maw aW r I 1 1 I is ts usually a woman 0 mall The lz heartless ess pitiless I 1 t 0 creature who w first presents 10 to des despairing p rill r Lt poverty the tiding deluding countenance of aid is is T r rv 1 chosen r ells the sex that has ever tier stood for I. I J h 1 b gentleness and met mercy j r t v. v Ii t 1 Ct tI J I. I IF n. n m 0 o J f. f p ml i r TO TON r J i i 1 N 4 rt f 1 1 j j f I J I oJ t Tv j Ly M L I r lt f hw 4 j 1 r 1 1 t im 1 I t. t ii r DI v. v t Hg 1 r lf 1 s. s Z ft J J lk 4 I. I t m. m f K L. L t. t I. I z 1 t i 4 j J ii 4 f L ti 1 fW r I mif ui a S 1 IJ r W w c W y m Nj 4 v 4 i z l t VJ M pl P- P AA l J 44 S k fl t f t 4 i. i 1 tr r f i W i r rz J. J Bd A 1 l' l i. i 1 V ift j r t. t 1 Y I. I r v i JJ 9 tX J t 11 I. I bu i R YO IOl O JA h fi t rt 7 I i. i t t y 1 I c. c ir f t r t Y l l y I 1 1 t 7 1 J. J p ki v t t t fiton 1 IT R r Ji I t. t t a- a t i S 1 Pl K r. r ln In mOb F t p ii i t. t to T tl 9 lb O f 4 z J I- I M YU 1 i sUJo oX- oX y O 11 J V Ii i r f jj I k l' l 1 Y t. t l J. J tia J f y Jt f 7 W 7 r S 7 6 08 0 O un 1 1 c 7 d C JDa 9 rIL 1 ND D the boys grew says sars the tile chronicler A 1 in in Genesis and E Esau was u a cunning r S hunter huntor a n man of o f the tho field and Jacob J was a plain man dwelling in in teat tents And Isaac loved Jo ESHU Esau because e he did eat cat of ot his WS venison but Rebekah loved od Jacob i 41 rk s rand r f And Jacob sod pottage and Esau camo came from the field and he was faint And HAnd Esau said to Jacob Feed I Y y me proy piny that I with that same samo red pottage for 1 I am faint therefore therefore there there- fore was as his name namo called E Edom om And HAnd J Jacob cob sai said Sell me mo this day ay thy birth birth- right And HAnd Esau sai said Behold I am a at t tl the io i point 1 dint to o x die we and what profit shall this birthright do to me ire l 1 lAnd r And Jacob said Swear Sw ar to me this da day y and he t. t waro unto unto him and und he sold his birthright unto J Jacob scab Here cl in irL Holy Writ t is the earliest record of US usury and perhaps tho cruelest crudest and fin greatest exacted ex es- 5 acted by Lr brother f from brother taking nil all for so soi cry little and in in the end guided and instructed by tho the i Woman woman who was his accomplice swindling t t I J 0 I i- i J y r rI r 1 I t E t J JI i I i I r t I i 1 I 5 J i I I k I f A t J 1 1 I l j t ti rr r T J ft r r 1 r f II r 1 I iLi t i J f n y f L Ii t tI st I I hA Hj J t i J j i I I n. n t I f f rl r LH f M r r N i t 5 a II rr t f 1 j t I I h o T l I 11 r 5 t 1 dF 1 l i r t l G M. M b If I tv t. t L t v RENT r r. r rj tWI Q J J I ri lJ i S c It I 1 I t It as' as I c I iff if i r f I ot tf i f f f Vj 2 I i I 1 J i 1 t q 1 f t ti 4 1 f I B a tt t- t t 6 J. J I 1 I It It 1 J i iI q I I f I. I 7 1 t J r 1 r t f t I t I f tJ t J Jrr I rr y k t l ly 4 r rr l r bl y I 11 i IK t z 1 1111 Iv t jI f t l A ti IS fR fJ J S' S i 1 f v oJ i I 11 t i t h hr I 1 r a d t tA A 1 i 1 I 1 r c rr 4 11 Jor 5 k 1 rr l 1 ryr f 1 Y r as v 0 J Y d P C cP e M rg e 1 r. r J a 4 j e f I s I 1 X i 1 I I his very father out of the dominion and tho ro Tory blessing blesing that should ha hard havo gone gono to the firstborn It might have stood forever as unique uni q in the his history Cory of of usury ry for every one of the qualities ern embraced raced in In its to quote the tha quaint orthography in which King Henry VII of England cursed nIl usury but for the tho rise nae of the tho mod modern rn loan shark of the United States States- Were it i pOlsi possible le for J Jacobs Jacob's a bs b's successor here aided by H m. hi cunning women accomplices to do more moro than ruin and nd despoil of everything even of g good name tha starving and tho the weak be sure lure he would out Jacob Jacob J But his infamous distinction must rest upon mere equality with the tho first recorded t of history he cannot claim superiority in uy i because beca use no worse exists emu For half alf a dozen years year this widespread liaf liti drained the economic vitality of those hose classes lu el II in inthis I Z this country who constitute probably the tho most moat honest ambitious and oven useful classes o of the population The victims of the modern modem American 10 loan n. n shark are commonly while whilo poor the more ambitious the more enterprising the more mom of their kind Before Belore they have been crushed undo und the despair which invariably follows their appe appeal 1 t a athe the usurers they usually represent the th types Rho will take any honest r risk k to further i iwho who will cheerfully sacrifice their own modest assurance UranCe of to help their relate zelam ea a and anti friends who refuse to shirk th they y know may crush them who in short are ere the tha brn brave te invaluable optimists or the stanch faithful among laborers laborer mechanics clerks mu ani minor minor employee with a a. scant sprinkling of people who have placed themselves in immedi immediate to need Deed o of at cash through some petty etty peculation DIFFICULTIES OF RESCUE I I Now all these people even the who are fighting eo co futilely to rescue their position and Ind good name from disgrace are well wen worth rescue rescue rescue res res- res- res cue and today in many states and cities vario various agencies are striving 8 ving to find the most effective means of rendering them practical aid Did and at the tho same samo time making abortive the f e-f efforts effort orta of the loan sharks to persist persi t in their nefarious trade The difficulty is everywhere the same sam People will persist in falling overboard and ana drowning before the community's sympathetic eyes What they need is not the sympathetic tia eyes but hut the helping belpin hand And ADd tho the loan shark k his him pretty pilot fish just ah ahead ad of ot him swims into view pre 16 tenting his his' broad head for temporary support witH no reward asked for except repayment of principal with interest in the future With no one ODIt else ehe to save is it any wonder that a drowning man clutches at that row of dangerous teeth although the mat touch of his fingers finger tells him how terribly sharp they are and aDd how powerful is the jaw that t holds hol them If there existed any organizations or individuals Indi individuals d. d who would make loans loaM of very small amounts say say from 25 to on on the strength of character or on salary sabry security at the legal rate o of interest prevailing in the various states state the recourse of the very poor borrower would be obvious out ous and the modern modem Jacobs would be driven out of business by the simple method o of underbidding them in tho the loan interest exacted But the security is is so utterly intangible so wholly unreliable unless large sums arc ale expended for investigation of the tha thein in individual ial responsibility that hitherto possessors of funds have been more than unwilling to risk them to the poor And these a are the very people having in their hands the means of relief relie who cannot cannot can cane not be induced to undertake some such stich moderato moderate infraction of the laws against usury as u would permit permit permit per per- mit them to charge an interest high enough to reimburse them for costs costa of investigation and to provide a sinking fund against losses losse of principal where the debtors proved either defaulting ol QI unable to repay PURSUING THE USURERS In some instances the too authorities spurred 1 oV y exposures of tho the enormous toll taU of usury taken b hj the local Jacobs have smashed right into the loan loan- shark system m with only the laws a against usury to help them inflict punishment an and ana others have haTe under protecting the tha gone gOlle so far as to proceed acts nots public peace by charging the sharks with maintaining maintain maintain- ing disorderly houses boues Tho The district attorneys office in New York city with the tho traffic in in usury totaling a n year raided loan shark loan shark until many of the moro more timid among them consented to forego tho the per cent they had been squeezing out of their v victims and promised promised promised prom prom- to bo DO content with tho the modest 6 per cent allowed b by the law But the district attorney himself stated that Ha lis would personally favor the passage of a bill by th the tha J legislature slature which would ouM fi fix a permissible interest on very small loans of 2 per cent a month or 24 per cent annually He could not fail to recognize the need existing for some interest higher than the tha usual 6 per cent if capital of a any kind is to bein be bo in induced to assume risks on personal character and wages lone alone unsupported by some material security security rity th that t is convertible into cash ash after being beinS' levied on for tho debt this of 01 Europe has met present ever exigency the tho poor by its de do liete in in France where when mechanics mechanic can pledge their tools at small interest charges an and any one having any asset that is of the tbs smallest value can realize on it for the time being It has bas strengthened the credit of the tho poor elsewhere elsewhere else else- where by hy means of co operative loan lORn societies in which the members pool their savings sa an and b by reason reason rea rea- son sou of common acquaintance with the individual indi moral lisk risk presented presente by every cry member reduce to the minimum tho longer danger of loss through default while usually holding the deposits of the borrower mado in the thc form o of dues as very cry readily accessible security But neither of the these e means has thus jar far pr proved widely practicable in the thc United States States As a 8 people we seem to be either too too provident in in investing invest in jug ing savings where they promise larger returns ot or CONTINUED CONTI O ON I INSIDE SIDE PAGE PACE |