BENCH COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1935, Page 7

BENCH COMMENT

MONEYLENDIN G PRACTICES.

LONDON, December 9

Following the collapse of an action for damages for alleged conspiracy to ! commit barratry, maintenance, and cliampetry, brought by a firm of I Liverpool moneylenders against a num- , ber of defendants, Mr Justice Hilbory made some strong comment on the | case at the Liverpool Assizes. The evidence showed, he said, that 1 the allegations against the defendants were absolutely without foundation. Two of the defendants had interviewed people who were, borrowers suffer-' ing from the “terrible processes” of the plaintiff company and took to solicitors. i These, poor people belonging to this humble class, who, in common. with so many others, do not really understand how the moneylender works his toils and how it comes about that after years and years of paying they never seem to owe any less, though paying out of their wretched pittances money, which must be tear money, into the coffers of the moneylenders. ‘‘Those who have listened to this evidence cannot fail to think, to have been shocked to think of the situation and plight of these honest folk of poor position who get into th* hands of thes e moneylenders—paying, ; paying and paying, without the least understanding where they will end.” J He deplored what had conic out in j this case to show that even the ’ Moneylenders Act was unable to save } these poor people from “these awful devices.”