, there were
380 loan societies in the kingdom, who had among them a capital of
L122,160, the members of the said societies numbering 33,520, giving an
average lending capital of L3 12s. 10-1/2d. each. That is certainly not
a very large sum to invest in the money market, and it is to be hoped
that the score or two of local societies can show better funds. What the
profits of this business are frequently appear in the reports taken at
Police Courts and County Courts, where Mr. Cent.-per-Cent. now and then
bashfully acknowledges that he is sometimes satisfied with a profit of
200 per cent. There _are_ respectable offices in Birmingham where loans
can be obtained at a fair and reasonable rate, but _Punch's_ advice to
those about to marry may well be given in the generality of cases, to
anyone thinking of visiting a loan office. Young men starting in
business may, under certain conditions, obtain help for that purpose
from the "Dudley Trust."--See "_Philanthropical Trusts_."

~Loans, Public.~--England, with its National Debt of L776,000,000, is
about the richest country in the world, and if the amount of
indebtedness is the sign of prosperity, Birmingham must be tolerably
well off. Up to the end of 1882 our little loan account stood thus:--

Borrowd Repaid Owing.
Baths .. .. .. .. L62,425 L27,743 L34,682
Cemetery .. .. .. 46,500 19,316 27,184
Closed Burial Gr'nds 10,000 41 9,959
Council House .. .. 135,762 10,208 125,554
Fire Brigade Station 6,000 53 5,947
Free Libraries.. .. 56,050 7,534 48,516
Gaol .. .. .. .. 92,350 79,425 12,925
Industrial School .. 13,710 2,310 11,400
Asylum, Winson Gn... 100,000 97,020 2,980
" Rubery Hill.. 100,012 5,887 94,125
Markt Hall & Markts 186,942 73,463 113,479
Mortuaries.. .. .. 700 103 597
Parks .. .. .. .. 63,210 12,347 50,863
Paving roads .. .. 158,100 30,088 128,012
Paving footways .. 79,950 8,113 71,837
Police Stations .. 25,231 9,839 15,392
Public Office .. .. 23,400 14,285 9,115
Sewers & Sewerage .. 366,235 81,338 284,897
Tramways .. .. .. 65,450 17,125 48,325
Town Hall .. .. .. 69,521 37,885 31,636
Town Improvements .. 348,680 134,156 214,524
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