Page:North Dakota Reports (vol. 2).pdf/368

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342
NORTH DAKOTA REPORTS.

constitution, or purposes, between the persons or things included in the class and those excluded therefrom, as fairly and naturally suggest the propriety of and necessity for different or exclusive legislation in the line of the statute in which the classification appears. State v. Hammer, 42 N. J. Law 439; Nichols v. Walter, 37 Minn. 264, 33 N. W. Rep. 800; Board v. Buck, 51 N. J. Law 155, 16 Atl. Rep. 698; Railway Co. v. Markley, 45 N. J. Eq. 139, 16 Atl. Rep. 436; Miller v. Kister, 68 Cal. 142, 8 Pac. Rep. 813; City of Reading v. Savage, 124 Pa St. 328, 16 Atl. Rep. 788; Hanlon v. Board, 53 Ind. 123; State v. Reitz, 62 Ind. 159. The application of these principles to the case before us will advance us towards a correct conclusion. By § 11, above quoted, our legislature placed building and loan associations, incorporated under the laws of this state, in a separate class, and exempted them from the operation of the usury law. Is this such a classification as the legislature had authority to make ? The business of money-loaning has its representatives in every community. The almost universal object of the lender is to increase his capital by such sums as the business indiscretion of his neighbors may permit, or their necessities compel them to pay for the use of the money loaned to them. To check the rapacity of capital, and to prevent unconscionable advantage being taken of mismanagement, misfortune, or inexperience, governments, in the exercise of their police power, have seen proper to place a limit upon the amount that may be charged for the use of money, and thus to compel the capitalist to deal with his less fortunate fellowmen in a spirit of fairness and liberality. But the theory and purpose of building and loan associations are entirely different. These associations are, presumably at least, composed of men who are not capitalists, but who desire to form a fund from their mutual earnings, that shall be mutually beneficial. To this end the persons subscribing for the stock of these associations agree to pay therefor in small amounts, at stated intervals, and to continue such payments until the amounts so paid, added to the profits that may be realized on the stock, equal its par value; and provisions are made for fines and forfeitures in ease of non-payment. The stock is issued in one series, or in