After this the manufacturer's chance of ever seeing anything more
of his 20 per cent has vanished. Each day the agency trumps up some
fictitious charge of stamps, new check books, extra labor, taxes,
additional fees or other charges that could originate nowhere but in
the brain of a financial crook.
Finally the manufacturer finds he has nothing on his books but
accounts belonging to the agency, on which he is paying carrying
charges of from 5 to 10 per cent a month. The agency refuses to return
his 20 per cent, which they claim has been charged off by the bank to
take care of the overdue accounts.
The victim, seeing the plight in which he is placed, demands an
accounting and threatens legal proceedings. The agency in turn demands
he give them an itemized statement of each account, which they have.
They agree to check them up, and, if found correct, promise to give
him a check for the 20 per cent which they hold. That night the light
burns late over the bookkeeper's desk in the manufacturer's office.
In the morning the statements go to the office of the loan shark, who
says:
"I'll have the auditor check them up and send you a check as soon as
we find out everything is straight."