THE TRADE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION.

NZ Truth, Issue 111, 3 August 1907, Page 4

THE TRADE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION.

A DUBIOUS DEBT-COLLECT-ING FIRM. Who Comprises the Curious Concern. If a Swindle, Where's the Police? Debt collectors there are m plenty everywhere, and some of them are the most unsavoury samples of humanity , procurable. They would hunt and hound,. and harry and worry any indigent person to the verge of madness, and glory m the game. Punning people, and waiting for them m all sorts of places, and collaring their furniture, and kicking them into the gutter is a source of unparalleled satisfaction to some of this hungry class — a perennial enjoyment indeed. The debt collector is up to all sorts of tricks, and the rank, blatant humbug he sometimes exercises takes m the ignorant person who does desperate things to secure money owing. One bright and shining sample of the gonce-gathering fraternity is a Christchurch individual—or there may be more than one blackguard concerned— who signs • as "The Trade Protection Association." He (or they) have been sending round bits of blue papers to people owing money to tradesmen, which,. at first glance, bears the appearance of being a. mandate issued from the Magistrate's Court, . which it isn't. The document is calculated to deceive and frighten, and the skunk, or skunks, who issue it, deserve tar and feathers, if the law can't touch 'cm 1 FOR THEIR OUTRAGEOUS AUDACITY. - The document is as follows :— Intention to Proceed m the Local Court Without Further Notification. Christchurch. Whereas you are truly indebted to Messrs. , of High-street, Christchurch, m the colony of New Zealand, m the sum of — , particulars whereof . have been rendered. You are hereby requested to pay into the said firm at their place of business aforesaid the above-named sum within one week from the date hereof, failing which final proceedings will be entered at the Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, to be holden on a date which will be fixed, when the said .plaint will; be heard before the Justices on that date assembled, arid judgment given m accordance with the evidence produced. If the above-named amount is paid within one week a ireceint m full will be issued to you. Should you fail m so doing, and a verdict bo given against you, you will he liable to be dealt with under section 87, District Courts Act. Then the specious . scallywag proceeds to quote sec lion 57 of "The District Courts Act," which investigations shows not to. be Maoriland's District Court Act at all. However, it serves to -gull the frightened debtor. It runs as .follows :— Whenever any sum of money shall have been recovered by the judgment of any District Court, and the judgment creditor shall show to the satisfaction of a ! judge of the Supreme Court, or any District Court, that such a sum of money has been recovered, and that the debt was fraudulently contracted, or that judgment debtor conceals any goods, chattels, or valuable securities, or that he has any income, salary, or means whereby, m the opinion of such judge he can satisfy such judgment, ov s any part thereof, or is about to leave the district, or to re j move any of his property with intent to evade payment of the said judgment debt, such Judge may authorise the Registrar of the- said District Court to issue a writ of Capias ad Satisfaciendum m such form as shall be fixed by the rules to be made under this Act, and any bailiff of the District Court, and the keeper of any gaol to whom such writ :or any warrant m pursuance thereof is directed shall respectively execute and qbey the same respectively, and all constables and other peace, officers within their several jurisdictions, shall assist m the execution thereof. ' ' „ Dated at Christchurch this eighteenth day of July, m the year of our Lprd, one thousand nine hundred and seven. Payment .can be made to THE TRADE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION. At the bottom is some sort of a silly looking seal m red and white, and right across the page is printed m large letters of blood—"Registered G.B. 91G3." What the devil this means nobody knows. The perpetrator of the snide scheme is bent on intimidating people who don't know any better. But who is he (or they) ? A search of the city has failed to disclose any -f 'Trade Protection Association." A .back room may be utilised somewhere m a back street by the blackguard who is running it,, but there is no. window notification visible anywhere. Quite a number of managers of Protection Associations, bearing .various designations, have arisen m their might and sworn m the newspapers that it isn't them, AND THEIR FRENZIED BLEAT has filled the atmosphere with sadness. The majority of . the vicious vermin who, collect debts aren't all they should be, and it is nleasing to hear that there are some reputedly honest and respectable people among them. The contemptible bit of blue paper cited above has been received by . a goodly . number of people m Christchurch, and Mr C. E. Salter brought .the matter before the notice of Magistrate Bishop the other, day m the interests of the public. He produced one of the documents, which had been received by a lady, and said the firm whose name was mentioned didn't know I anything about this lovely Trade Protection Association. The paper was sent to the lady's place of busiI ness unsealed,, an;! ■nnv nerson could ascertain the con-mis if hp or she I chose. She .was naturally extreme-

ly annoyed . over the matter. Mr Bishop said the ■! matter had come under the notice of the Court. Money had been forwarded m settlement of "the debt summons therein," and this summons had, of course, ' never emanated from the Court at all. The money had been returned to the senders. The intention of these documents was to convey threats to credulous people, and it was issued m legal verbiage to further this. He didn't think that any respectable firm would be a party to such a thing, as there was a proper and dignified way of recovering debts. It is stated that jthese papers are printed m Australia (the Act quoted is m force m one of the States), and that a canvasser has been going round Maoriland disposing of them. A Hereford-street lawyer found one on his table the other morning, but how it got there he doesn't know. Meanwhile THE SLIMY SOONER RESPONSIBLE is laying low wherever he is. Presumably he has a box at the Post Office, and gets remittances from creditors that way. But does he pay them to the firms for whom lie duns (and who haven't employed him) ; and how does he get to know the names of debtors anyway if he isn't so employed ? This little scheme and schemers must be tracked down.