Ways of Living.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 370, 11 June 1903, Page 7

Ways of Living.

HOW HOUSEHOLDERS ABE SWINDLED. ?flpj CORRESPONDENT of 'The ®Ma) Hardwareman/ who carries oa affijK business m a thriving little town in ihe South of England, telle that journal-of a handbill which is being left at the houseß of the private residents, and which for mendacity, ia our opinion, is quite ontitled to take the proverbial cake. The precious document is headed: 'By order of the Railway Companies! Terrific Bargains!! Now is the opportune moment!!! The chance of a lifetime to furnish your house with useful requisites at about one-sixth the prices charged by ironmongers and other extortionate tradesmen !!! !'—which is not bad for a start, although not quite complimentary to the calling we have the honor to represent. But let us get on, and tell some more in the original style, with all its philological imperfections on its head 5 f Messrs. Claude Henry Colehurat and Company, Lim, merchants, manufacturers and the buyers of ..bankrupt and railway stock in the United Kiagdom, present their compliments, and beg to say that their agents will visit this town in a few days with the Most Magnificent Assortment of Useful Hardware Goods ever brought together, and which was lost or delayed in transit and refused by the origiaal purchasers, amongst whom axe the leading tradesmen, whose nameß are familiar as household words. This ia the tenth year of Messrs. Claude Henry Colehurst and Company, L'd.'s System of business—but their first visit to this town* where they will regularly visit in future. We expect to do a tremendous business in this town,: as we can telegraph for tons of goeds (if required) to our head depot, 763 to 761, j Cannon Street, Manchester.' Again we pause for breath, Oar Manchester representative tells '.us that there are no such numbers as those given ia Cannon Street, Manchester, and no firm of the name to be found in the Manchester directory. The dodge, we may tell our readers, is a very old one ia the drapery business; but it is somewhat of anew departure so far as the hardware trade is concerned. To continue the reading of the circular: ' Nobody could believe, without seeiUg, the terrific bargains to b» offered, as it is a rule with the railway companies to sell all damaged goods on the spot, so that what Messrs. Claude Henry Colehurst and Company. Lim., offer are new goods, and we could easily sell to the ironmongers at double the price we are asking you, A representative with samples of goods will call this afternoon, the stock consisting of All Classes of Goods, price from two-pence to ten shillings—wo'rth JJS •' There is the dulcettone legend sung by these -syren-like philanthropic' merchants, manufacturers, and thb largest buyers of bankrupt and railway stock in the United Kingdom.* We said just now that the 'dodge' was commonly practiced with drapery goods; and we doubt not that the methods adopted with such are precisely what will be tried in the case of the 'hardware bargains.' Some time ago the Editor of 'Truth' (we don't need to be of Mr. Labouchere's political creed to appreciate his grand work in showing up swindlers, at great cost to himself very often) has told that ' these men produce some samples of splendid stuff?, for which they book orders to ba paid for on delivery. The duped housewife begs tbe man to send on the stuff ordered at once—for she is afraid the bargain is too good to be true. The man says he will—and then he produces a length of dress material, or Home Other similar article, to be disposed of then and there for cash. Tempted by the price, and misled by the excellence of the other samples shown, and also to win the man's favour to be sure and immediately send on the other goods already ordered, she buys and pays. But later on she discovers that she has been 'had' by some inferior rubbish, specially got np to look good—while as for her original order, she never hears a word further about it, the sole object having been to sell the rubbish for a high price. So no doubt it will be with Messrs. Claude Henry Colehurst and Company, Lim. It will be noticed, that the . bill does not specify which railway companies the sale is 'by order of' and we may just say that some of the great ones of which we have made inquiry, know nothing about it. Bnt from the smile that played round the lips of some of the polite officials, it was easy to guess what was passing in their minds. Our ironmongery friends had better be on the alert, and vara their customers against the eminent firm in question, or any such nefarious traders in 'ways that are dark, and tricks that are mean' 'The Boys' Home' dodge has before to-day been exposed, and it is not long since a man who used to buy his goods in the regular 'cheap jack,' market was fined for illtreating his 'boyf,' who, his circular declared, made the goods, the said circulars being blasphemously headed, ' Help the Pit Der will help you. There is also: the ' Made by the blind' swindle, and so on, ad lib. A Maachester contemporary recently had the following paragraph which has a bearing on the matter we are now disoussing:— 'The district round Manchester have lately been favoured (P) which visits from Jew philanthropic pedlars, who—rigged .out in kilts—have been off ring unparalleled 1 bargains in Scotch tweeds! A Dundee manufacturer has a surplus stock, which he must get rid of, as he wants the room, and must hence devote his energies to making 'corkey (khaki, probably they mean) for the soldiers going to South Africa.' A very likely tale. Verb. sap. Oh,—and there was one item in the bill had been entirely forgotten to mention: 'This bill will be called for, as we sell so cheap that we must s;tudy economy, and cut bills are used by unscrupulous persons who have no official connection with the railway companies.'