WHAT IS YOUR VIEW? Massilon, Ohio, April 23, 1913: Commercial Law League of America, Chicago, Ills.: I am a member of the League in good standing. I am confronted with this question: In case a collection is sent to a collector by a large agency on its usual terms, $2.00, minimum, 10 per cent., etc., and it is found necessary to collect by partial payments, which in the case in point were both under $20.00, two payments cleaning up the claim, is one justified to charge a fee on each partial payment, making the fee as to size the same as if each payment were a claim by itself? "The American Collection Service" (of which I am a member) authorizes such charges; I want to be right and fair in the matter. What opinion, if any, has the League expressed as to such a case? I say further that I have always charged fees on each partial payment and have had very few objections thereto. Yours truly, W. E. RUSSELL. Mr. M. A. Fleming of Los Angeles, Calif., has removed his offices to 4078 Fay Building, that city. Mr. Thad. M. Talcott of South Bend Ind., called at the Secretary's office reserving accommodations on the special train for Cape May Convention. Mr. B. C. Bellinger of Summerville. S. C., died on April 2d. Mr. Bellinger was an active League member. Mr. A. J. Rose of Greenville, Miss., has on account of his wife's health moved to Miami, Florida, where he will enter the practice of law. Mr. M. M. Hartman, who has been associated with Mr. Rose for several years. will take over the practice at Greenville. Mr. Russell E. Ostrus of Des Moines, Iowa, one of our new members, called at the office and made acquaintance of the Secretary. Mr. William Milns Maloy of the firm of Maloy, Brady & Embert, Baltimore, Md., has been suggested for governor of his state. Through the efforts of our Treasurer, Mr. W. O. Hart of New Orleans, Mr. Harry L. Cram of Portland, Maine, and Mr. Charles O'Donnell of Butte, Montana, have been appointed by their respective governors as commissioners to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Our sympathy is extended to Mrs. Marria Brilhart of Westminster. Md., on the death of her son, Mr. George O. Brilhart, one of our members. Mr. Henry W. Backus of the firm of Cobb, Howard & Bailey of Cincinnati, Ohio, called on the Secretary during the month and says he will be at the Cape May Convention. WANTED Thoroughly experienced collection man in collection department of Boston, Mass., law office. Give age, married or single and experience in detail. Address Ernest L. Kreamer, Secretary, 108 South La Salle street, Chicago, Ill. Mr. W. A. Blount of Pensacola, Fla., delivered an address on "The People and the Courts" before the Louisiana Bar Association at its recent meeting. Mr. John H. Mosier of Muskogee, Okla., was a caller at the Secretary's office while passing through Chicago. Mr. Harley T. Ristine of the firm of Ristine & Ristine, Crawfordsville, Ind.. called at the Secretary's office while on a business trip to Chicago. We regret to report the death of Mr. R. W. D. Bryan of Albuquerque, N. Mex., which occurred on February 10th. Mr. Bryan has for many years been a member of the League. We extend to Mr. John C. Landis, Jr., our sympathy at the death of his father, Captain John C. Landis, which occurred at St. Joseph, Mo., or April 2 1913. MESSAGES FROM OUR MEMBERS IN CYCLONE AND FLOOD My Dear Mr. Vose: I have your letter expressing your gympathy for me in the serious damage to my home as a result of the recent tornado. I thank you very much for your thoughtfulness in writing to me. I feel that I am fortunate in that my family have escaped death or physical injury. We all had a remarkable experience, and one that I hope will never be repeated. I had not thought that it was possible for a tornado to seriously injure a house that was apparently as strong and well built as mine, and therefore had not taken out any tornado insurance. However, we are SO thankful to have escaped with our lives that we can bear the financial loss without very much grumbling. I thank you very kindly for your offer of assistance, but though I have lost about $30,000, I feel that I can in time make amends for it. Such kind words of sympathy as you express help us all to bear, this loss. With very kind regards, Yours very truly, HOWARD H. BALDRIGE, Omaha, Neb. Dear Mr. Kreamer: Yours of the 19th just received. Thank you kindly for your sympathy in our recent unpleasantness. My house and barn were destroyed and my family and myself had a very narrow escape from death. We are so glad to be alive and well that we are not thinking about our financial loss. Governor McGilton's house was also badly damaged, so that he had to practically rebuild, and Mr. Howard H. Baldrige's house was also very badly used by the tornado. We were temporarily demoralized, but as soon as we recovered our equilibrium we got to work, and the path of the tornado is now a very busy section in our city. I am glad to say that the people responded very nobly, and I think in the neighborhood of a million and a half has been obtained for the benefit of those who are unable to help themselves. Again thanking you for your cheering words, I am, Dear Sir: For insertion in the Bulletin I wish to advise that, following the catastrophe here of flood and fire, that so far as I can learn, all the law offices are intact and no damage done to records, etc. All or nearly all mail reaching Dayton on Sunday and Monday, March 23rd and 24th, and late Saturday, March 22d, has been destroyed and duplicates should be sent. Courts are still closed and will likely make no effort to open for at least a week; neither can attorneys actively resume for that period. The property loss has been enormous, reaching into millions, but everything is actively on the go for rehabilitation. Yours truly, R. OTTO BAUMANN, Dayton, Ohio. Ernest L. Kreamer, Sec'y, Dear Sir: I note in the April Bulletin an item in which you say that you have not learned that any of your members suffered in the recent tornado in Omaha. There were several very seriously damaged and I assume you would be glad to know about them. Mr. M. A. Hall's home was totally destroyed. The home of Mr. Baldrige was very seriously damaged, although not wholly destroyed. My home was seriously damaged. The roof was entirely blown away, the porch utterly disappeared and the windows were blown in. A large part of my furniture was blown away and the balance of it seriously damaged. My home and that of Mr. Hall and Mr. Baldridge were in the direct path of the tornado Yours truly, E. G. MCGILTON, Mr. Ernest Kreamer, I am glad to say that all members of the Law League are safe, but some of them have suffered heavily. Our Mr. Sigler was in the midst of it and escaped with one suit of clothes, his entire home being ruined. You may rest assured that although the situation looks discouraging, we will again arise and be a bigger and better city than ever before. We are trying to carry on business, but under conditions which do not give us much chance of getting results. Thanking you for your consideration, LENZ, SIGLER & DENLINGER, STATEMENT-PLEASE READ. This statement is enclosed to explain delays in correspondence from this office and to save repetition in the numerous letters that are mailed. On Tuesday, March 25, 1913, and during the night of that day, this city, with Dayton and other cities of the great Miami Valley, was inundated by a flood of that river which exceeded in height by ten or twelve feet the highest previously known flood. More than half the city was in the flood from two to sixteen feet and all the main business part of the city, which is a city of 36,000 population, was covered. The situation was worse than most floods for the river created a new channel, temporarily at least, through the city and for more than twenty-four hours the city was in the grasp of a raging torrent which tore out the streets, both paved and unpaved, exposed the gas, water and sewer mains, carried away porches, out buildings, fences, and more than 200 houses alleft together, and the other houses battered, undermined and in many instances unsafe. In place of an orderly city we were left with a six-inch deposit of mud in our homes; debris piled at most street corners from 20 to 40 feet high; and our water works system and gas and electric plants, street cars, and all telephones were at once put out of com mission. In addition three city bridges and one railroad bridge connecting 10,000 people of the West Side with 25,000 on the East Side were all destroyed, leaving no means of communication between the two sections. The loss of life was at first overestimated, but will be about 200, but the many narrow escapes and heroic rescues saved an appalling death list. At least 2,000 people were in most imminent danger. The suffering and exposure has been severe. The property loss has been underestimated. The direct loss (not counting after effects) will exceed $12,000,000. April 7th, 1913. The situation at this time is still desperate. The houses and streets are being cleaned, the water system is partly re-established; but gas and electricity cannot be supplied to the flooded districts for several weeks. A meager telephone service only is in force. No line of communication is as yet established between the East and West sides. A temporary pontoon bridge for foot passengers after use of only one day has been washed away with a 7foot rise. We have no regular trains in any direction and East, West and North are cut off by regular railroad lines. The Result. First: Hamilton will rise better than before, and the flood situation will be controlled. Second: Normal conditions will not exist short of six months and seminormal short of 30 days from this day. The city today is under martial law and a continuing holiday has been declared by the Governor to protect business paper. Third: All merchants will have to be dealt with leniently and new credit lines should be extended to the worthy, and old credits carried for the deserving for a time. re Fourth: The collection business of this office will be continued, but claims will only be received and held with the understanding that frequent ports cannot be furnished; that owing to lack of telephones, street cars and bridges that delays will occur that will seem unreasonable. Collections and suits, must be left to me to be acted upon at my discretion, for no one outside can be a fair judge of either general or individual conditions. Claims will be returned when I feel that collections cannot be made or should not be enforced. Fifth: The other business of this office will be taken up and carried forward as soon as conditions permit. At present there are no courts and no court house offices doing a general business. My offices have been in use since the flood for the executive offices of the city and as headquarters for the military and sanitary branches of the city government. I am in a sound office building; all my papers are intact; I am ready to resume. Yours for business, Return the postal recently sent you as to whether you will attend the convention at Cape May. Columbus, O., April 1, 1913. Mr. E. L. Kreamer, Secy., Commercial Law League, Chicago, Ill. Dear Sir: You have no doubt been advised through the newspapers of the United States of the very sad calamity that has befallen the city of Columbus and central Ohio in the form of a severe flood. Our offices were not located in the flood district or damaged in any way. We regret, however, to advise you that our Mr. Davis and a portion of our office help resided in the flood district and their homes were very badly damaged and some of them barely escaped. The death list in this city is probably not as great as the outside newspapers have estimated it, but will probably reach anywhere from 100 to 150. The flood district covered the west side of the city of Columbus having anywhere from 100 to 150 retail stores and a residence population of 25,000 to 30,000, all of whose homes were either wrecked or damaged so that they are practically uninhabitable at the present time. Business in this city has been practically at a standstill since Monday night, March 24th, and our courts have adjourned. The business and professional men of this city are devoting more time and attention to caring for the flood sufferers and endeavoring to protect their families and their health rather than to business. A great many of the patrons of your list or your office may not know of the sad condition of affairs in this city and know that we are cripplied to such an extent that mercantile reports and reports on claims cannot be kept up with any degree of satisfaction. In view of the chaotic condition of affairs here some people may from time to time within the next thirty or sixty days take occasion to criticise our office by reason of delay in answering mail and reporting on matters which we may be handling for them, hence we are taking this occasion to notify you in advance so that you may communicate with them and advise them of the situation and ask their indulgence instead of criticism of service which they may expect from us. The situation is fairly well in hand at present, but it will be some little time before the sick and suffering will be cared for and before business will resume a normal condition. We will do the best we can with all matters that may be received from your office or your clients and reports will be given at the earliest possible date. We will certainly appreciate whatever consideration you may secure from your list and the patrons of your office to ourselves as well as the afflicted citizens of this city. Yours very sincerely, WATSON, STOUFFER & DAVIS, Columbus, Ohio. Cape May Convention July 21 to 24, 1913. Arrange to be present. Will you be one of the players on the ball team? Have you secured a new member? If not do it now. ROLL OF HONOR. The following is a list of our members whose names have appeared as the first endorser on applications for membership since July 1, 1912. After the name of the state will be found the name of the state chairman, also the number of applications received from each state team since July 1, 1912. May 1st finds Illinois in the lead with 58 new members, New York second with 45, Iowa third with 42. What's the matter with your state? If your state has a "none" after it, get busy and secure a new member. Be a booster, get your name on the list. It's remarkable what one or two hustlers in a state can do. Look over the list and get busy. |