More About Pawnbroking.

Manawatu Herald, 20 April 1893, Page 2

More About Pawnbroking.

— ♦— — . A people's Government not only love to see them bled to the tune of not more than fifty per cent, but also exercise but little inspection over acts of licensed pawnbrokers by which still further injustice is inflicted on the poor and needy borrower. In another colony there has baen a fearful showing up of the arts employed to better business and some very clear disclosures have been made. For instance persons having time expired tickets on asking for the redemption of the pledges have been informed that they have been sold, but, on pishing inquiries, as the Act very properly sets forth, for a satisfactory account of how they have been disposed of and the sum realised and for the balance, if any, over the sale, have found much

-— 1_ trouble in securing a proper Morel. It is possible siimi things occur here as elsewhere aud a little energy might do much to save those unable to help themselves. At any rate such action would be more " magnificent " on the part of the Government than instituting old prosecutions from evident liiUitOtl up by detective auditors. But then profesr.ion n.nd practice is so often so dissimilar. Another swindling dodge which the " profession '"' Mo|3t is tkat of improperly describing dress pieces which are pledged with them, says the same pappr. For instance, a woman takes about twelve .yards of tweed which has not been niatie Up 1 -, and pledges It. Bile gets a ticket with the simple words xi one rernnaut" written oil it. When she goes to redeem it she invariably finds that at least half is cut off, and all she might say to the contrary will not help lief out of the di&culty> for the pawnbroker will dej clare that he only took a '< rem.. nant," and never Measured the cloth. Yet another swindle, is that of h moving superior gems from rings, &c., and putting inferior ones in their places. A case where a lady pledged some valuable jewellery, Diamonds constituted tlie Best part of the jewels. When she redeemed them she did not notice any change in the articles. The caSe Which held them was the same, the setting was of the same gold, and to all intents and purposes the jewels were just as they were when placed in pawn, tt was over three Months before she discovered the pawnbroker's roguery-. One of the supposed diamonds was rather loose in its setting, and she took the ring to a .jewellen He had seen it before* attd afc once detected the fraud. " Why," he said, " you have taken out two diamonds and put in white sapphires in their place." The lady was astonished-, aud declared she htld doii6 nothing of the kind, and had* only parked With the ring for a briei perWd WHeii U was ia pa\Vrt. T"he jeweller told her it must have been done then. Most pawnbrokers are fairly good jewellers, "and if they are not, their son 3 are ; so that the removal of a diamond and substituting a white sapphire in its place is} a Work Which does not trouble them very much* Such are some of the ways which are possible under the only system by which the poor can obtain temporary accommodation. It does not e&em Seem decent that it should be allowed to continue and we trust some one may arise to give heed to 1 their needs. We do not like the the howling working man orator, but we have the sincerest interest in the poor, especially when in difficulty and want-, and it is indecent that there should be an Act Empowering anyone to charge such extortionate sums on temporary loans on such good security, as the advances are all small in relation to the value of the pledge, that it should be especially stated that only on sums exceeding £10 the interest shall not exceed h'tty per cent. The Rev. G. Aitkens will hold service in Foxton on Sunday morning with Holy Communion, and preach at Levin in the evening. Ihe man Becker was brought before Messrs Thynne and McMillan, J's.P., yesterday morning and charged with using obscene language on the racecourse. The acoused pleaded guilty, and Mr Redmond deposed to the offence. The accused was convicted and sentenced to two months' hard labour in Wanganui Gaol. In defence the accused stated he was drunk and he was a foreigner, and in learning English the objectionable words used were the first words he was taught ! It probably was so. Big words seem pleasing to Show people. A man who runs a magic lantern concern describes the individual who puts the slides into the machine as a " Scenoscopic manipulator." The bankers of the .colony should be religious people, that is judging by the number of Saint's days they close their banks to the public, and possibly that is the only sign they give of the fact. There are two people in this district who are much exercised, having received an invitation to take a seat on the platform at each of a series of lectures — but where ? that's the rub. The theatre royal at Foxton, Wellington, Bluff, or Auckland It may be at any place as the invitation is for a date which would give ample time to reach any of the spots mentioned. An error occurred in our report of the last race meeting. In the Flying Stakes Hippodamia was second, Veracity third, the position of the two horses was so close that a mistake was natural. By a printer's error the dividend in the Hurdle Eace was put as £4 14s, whereas it was only £8 fis. Mr Watson has some horses for sale as set out in our Stock and Produce Column. Messrs Gorton & Son announce their Feilding sale for Friday, 28th inst. To-morrow Messrs Abraham & Williams hold a sale of sheep in Foxton. Messrs Gorton & Son hold their stock sale at Campbelltown to-morrow. Te Kooti died at Oliiwa, Bay of Plenty on Tuesday night. It will be noticed in Mr J. L. Morrison's advertisement that he has been appointed agent for Crosbie's strippsrs for Manawatu Wairarapa and East Coast Districts. The Registrar of Electors has been securing tenders for printing the electoral rolls, which are to be completed by the first of June. They will appear in a much handier form than previously. Mr J. C. Martin the new R.M. for Wellington took his seat on the bench on Monday for the first time and was cordially welcomed by the bar. A snake of a venomous variety was latded in a case of bananas, and was found and killed when the case was unpacked iv a fruiterer's shop in Napier. The Duke of Devonshire, in a speech on Home Rule, said it was hypocritical to argue that England is ignorant of Irish needs aud incapable of supplying them;

- ■■ - ' — ■ —-■-■•- •-r-s'^*.-:'su;ji. i .yyjfS"-" r '-—^--" The other afternoon the Ranger was observed towing a distinguished quadruped to the public pound. The horse was not distinguished 50 much by points or breeding as from its being the jJrßjlerty bf afl ancient enemy Of thb Mattger; iit least an fefiehvy so far ,ds the Itariger's opinion goes. Going towards . Ule his tUe was wreathed in Similes', arid id answer to the wt fejJMted query " What went ye out for to see," as it is so very strange to meet this official carrying out his duties, that the question naturally arose as to what other purpose led him 16 ail ast.?f duty', }ie replied I , .'^tjiAVtegp'lt S'6 iW.d-Bo'B Kith-Be; T will let nidi know where the Hanger is.' 1 Much joy was expressed that this objectionable pen on was a^ain landed, and " Good on y«,u, old boy," Ac, greeted the proud Ranger. Joy is not lasting, and thus it fall that on arrival at the pound the Hanger discovered that there is a fly in most ointi meh'ts. The poundke.eper frifdrnied Him tlutt he hM maflfe a mistake, but itlto the pound it Went ; later on a Councillor told him he had erred, this made life seem duller, he hastened to the hard worked public official, the Town Clerk,, he also said the Ranger had. mada & jiiistake; The following hi'dfhiiig ML; So-and-so, the owner of the horse; Nyaitted upon the Ranger, and having pointed out to him that he had deliberately unfastened tfte litirse fr'dm the property oeWngtug to tHe riwrier He had laid Himself t/pVh to all sorts of pains and penalties, but on condition that I;;, ii ie j Ranger, paid the pouudkeeper the fees, he would not press his case. It was bo arranged. The Banger rather regret) that 1 he made it quite so pUblic thjat He Ms taking Mr 80 ftrM-so's nofee to the pound; as it appears i\o\V t6 be such a stupid and costly ..aclr. We have previously UvlieA 'this official to tamper leal with prudence and htfjje lie will in future, or his remuneration will hardly cover his losses. The Sports Committee should act quickly if any meeting is to be held, and from what we have heard it would appear rts though one would be VBry" liic&essftit; Ml- Keen informs ttsj that lie has had matty inquiries from well fcno^ri rdriHiita iiieri id WellirigItiri, ttn'd e>e!i has titlu a letter from a good Inan in Sydney. Another of bur amateur runners has also been written to', by many, on the. subject of a meeting. A meeting U tb 1 ite Held to-night at 8 o'clock at the Foxton Family Hotel. Messrs Hopkirk's want two good hands for paddocking and two men to erect diying wiros. Messrs jDu.tUon Bi;d3 have" extended 1 the tiiiie frit 1 filling tenders for jtoddpcking at the Weka Mill till Saturday, 22rid April: THe waste from the Ci# of iorid'ori j(the sfreejjingp of, the Streets aM ttie 3leai ! ings Bf Ine austbins) last year realised over £1100. Old corks fetched £30, old bottles over £100, bits of string £13, pieces of paper £400. A cheque for a large amount was discovered amongst the rubbish. The conviction of Lord Hastings for assault on a nllrsegirl in Regent's Park has been quashed on aripeah i!he iilarl of f)alkelth, in a speech on Home Rule, said it ought to be averted, even at the cost of civil strife. The Methodist Churdh of Ireland" has addressed to the Methodists of England a manifesto against Home Rule. Mr Osborne announces in his Hew advertisement that he will cut suits free of charge, if to this he would only agree to make them on the sanie terms we promise that he would have a fine trade. There is always something wanting to complete man's happiness here below. The Republic of Ecuador has ceded the! United States a. coaling statidn in Galapagds Islddtts, under the Equator. In the action brought in Melbourne by Clara Parker against Joseph Clarke, claim £10,000 damages, defendant denied that he had any part in the women's abduction, but admitted that he had- lent two pounds to the man who inorme] him that he had taken her away. The money was given merely as an act of charity. " Clarke also admitted that he had paid Mrs Parker's husband a thousand pounds in considera« tion of not attaching him as a co respondent in the divorce proceedings. The jury returned a verdict for £1250 with co3ts. The old Catholic Cemetery in Wellington has long been an eyesore, having fallen into a state of discreditable neglect. The Very Rsv Father Devoy says the Post has been desirous of remedying this state of affairs, and taking advantage of a substantial promise of assistance from a Wellington lady provided others who have friend* and relatives buried there also assisted, he has had the cemetery put in order. He is is appealing to all who have friends buried ■there to promise a small annual contribution, in order that further improvements may be effected and the cemetery may be kept permanently in good order. The Mayor of Wellington is aa exoell«nt gentleman as when " something more than an ordinary acknowledgement " is made for what the city of Wellington never gave, he never a word says he. It is however peculiarly cool on the part of Wellington City to accept the "more than ordinary" thanks, given by the General Secretary of the Queensland Relief Fund for the £1516 which the city never sent. It weald be courteous to the smaller districts were their efforts acknowledged and it would go to prove how very generally every portion of this colony did its best to give prompt relief. When the Supreme Court opened at New Plymouth, Mr Samuel said, on behalf of his client Pease, found guilty of making a false declaration, that he wished to withdraw the point raised for appeal, and asked that sentence be pronouuoed. He did so owing to the strong recommendation for mercy the jury had added to the verdict. Pease, in answer to the usual formula, said he was sorry he had used the wrong form, but he had had no intention of deceiving anyone. The judge said it was his intention to give the fullest effect to the jury's recommendation, and repeated what he had said in summing up, that there was great laxity on the part of the Government in not prosecuting before, because, if the declaration was false on the face of it, proceedings should have been taken at once, and, moreover, the application was on the wrong form. It should have been rejected, and applicant informed that he should use a proper form. The sentence was three day's imprisonment, to commense with the opening of the court. Therefore, the time had now expired. The Judge then informed Pease that he was discharged. A young girl residing in Walworth, London, left her bed while asleep ami walked nearly a third of a mile along the streets before she was observed. A policeman carried her home, but she expired almost immediately afterwards, death being occassioned by the exposure to the cold. Sir George Colthurst, on whose estate in County Cork stands Castle Blarney and the Blarney stone, denies that he has con. sen ted to lend the stone to the Chicago Exhibition for £2000. He was asked, he says, but would on no consideration allow the stone to be removed. The exhibitors intended to charge half a dollar a kiss at the Exhibition,

The Under-Secretary for Justice has sent a circular letter to Resident Magistrates throughout the eolflny l'eecMliMending then* to ftwepfc the fojMog scale of sOliiJitos 1 fees draWn iiji by the rec'ejit conference, of Resident Magistrjttei in, Wellirigtqn.i -M 6a?es Qot exceeding £2; nil i over £2 aiid iiiidei 1 £5, if undefended, nil ; over £2 and under £5, if defended, £1 Is j over £5 and not exceeding £20, whether defended or not, £1 Is ; exceeding £20 but not exceeding £50; whether defended or not", £2 2s "; exceeding £50, whether iefended^or ijofc Us". ..TLie shSle lliis tieeii be'eli accepted for the Wellington district. Foil Winter Wear we have a nice lot of Boys Navy Eeefers, very neat and comfortable and in all sizes from 5s 6d each at Te Aro House, Wellington. Fon tub Cold WEAirtttiß we can .eonAderitly redommend .our Boys arid Voiiths Overcoats with fiWHiottable Oa^ie from 9s Od each, at Te Aro House. REAUiY Tempting are our Boys Navy Serge Sailor Suits trimmed with gold braid from 5s Gd each, at Te Ar,o House: SrEcutiLf Bh>oßfl& thi§ Seasdn— Men's Blii'e Nap Oyerboats with fashionable Cape, a yeally boinfortable garment and wonderful value for 12s, at Te Arb Hottse: The Best Vaeue Eveu OiJi?Eßfcß— So eVerypiie'says of.oiiL- Migrl's Black Worsted Bac Suits, bound and made expressly for. Te Aro House. Price only 29s Gd each. Try one. It would |-^ n gooa i nves{miht . ExfßA VamJE — All wool Kaiapqi Tweed Sao j?ults for men's wear in nice, assortedi dark eheeksi jvlthout e»eepti6li the beat VaiUeJn Hew Mealahd, Ma 6d iach, at Te Afco House. •..,.. * . For : RA#piiS oiir Men's Waterproof Coats in 6B9drt^d Greys with Capes and Sleeves, and all Sown Seams are imeomparable. The price, 32s Gd, makes them irresistible at Te Aro House, "Wellington. Messrs Ross and Sandford, of the Bon Marche, announce elsewhere the receipt of their second shipment of new goods for the gresefit seasdh; Hi s.s. Indramya, dottlpfls' irig 31 cdses) paßfegesj ihA bales for ail depftrtmeHts', mttkiiig a total df tif bases aiid patiKages deceived to date, all bf which are now opened out dlid i-eaay to 1 , .Select ifdm: They rMpectfdllv ltivite eai : l* iHsjieStion 1 df tliele eiteiislVS sh'i^meuts, being satisfied that the range of choice and excellence of value cannot fail to meet with the appreciation of their numerous customers at the Bon Marche, Palmerston North.— Adtt.