GIVE THE CANVASSER A CHANCE!

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 243, 13 October 1910, Page 2

GIVE THE CANVASSER A CHANCE!

Cl'o the Editor.) Sir, —During the present century the writer has turned his hand aud brain to a good many things iv quest of a living, but, candidly speaking, about the most trying occupation 1 ever attempted was that of a canvasser. >Some people I think it is an easy life. Not at all! It I looks easy, but looks are often deceptive, and the lot of -an agent In many capaci- , ties is au unenviable one, so 1 -would ask your thousands of readers to gh'e the canvasser a chance, be is just as human — and lias the same feelings as the .balance of those struggling with this mortal coil. Of course, anyone in this line hits a good time occasionally, by what we term a run of luck, but taken all through it is a hard, unsettled, and worrying business and 1 have heard it said that a person wants the heart of a lion to stick to it. but i think in some lines of business, one would require the hearts of a complete menagerie overcrowded with exceptionally brave lions. Tbe canvasser generally starts on his rounds about 0 a.m.—sometimes later—when materiajiiilias has pa.ckod the children oft' to school, and knocks at his first bouse, and in answer to his summons a feminine face is thrust out of the door, and a voice, perhaps, shrieks, "'Nothing to-day, thanks!" then bang goes the door, and on you plod to the next house, and the usual knocking takes place., and the usual feminine face—sometimes very unusual —appears, and you tell -her it is a beautiful morning; but, of course, she knows that, still, site mly have, a bad memory, anil it serves as an introduction, after which you disp'ay your "lines," or -fell her the precise sewing machine company, insurance office, or line of tea, baking powder, or photo-enlarging firm you represent, and impress upon her tbe fact (alas! if possible) that your goods, etc are absolutely the best in the universe: in fact, better than in Mars or Jupiter, if she is not a student of astromt>ny, or geography; in any case, you are compelled to pour a running fire of good and bad English into her mentality, and keep it tip, and pretend not to hear the monotonous, hut firm and decisive, "Nothing to-day. thank YOU." You receive your salary and commission for advising Iter that she does -want something to-day, and she goes on to explain her reasons for not patronising you, and how long her husband has been out of work, and the doctor been in the "house with all the children, including one with the fever. With a hurried glance at the drainage, you hurriedly depart, and sometimes the family watch-dog urges you to do so in loud tones, as you keep one eye on, him and the other on tbe gate. Personally, I always provided against dogs, but there is always a risk of trouble with them, and they" attempt to lunch off your wardrobe" occasionally. The day passes very quickly (so it seems), but the various incidents one passes through would full a volume. On one occasion a little man with a long white beard actually threatened to fight ' mc, but I .prevailed upon him not to"be : so rash, still, no doubt, he had a grievance against canvassers. Perhaps one of ! the profession had ran away with his ! wife or eldest daughter, still, I did not ' do so, so far as 1 can remember, and I would earnestly advise your readers never to judge a person by what tho other -person did, as it is extremely un- ; fair, and, furthermore, never to* look | down, even on a man if he is. selling fish, ' fruit, pork pies, or hair oil. as we .have all got to live in this world, and, perhaps, ' if that very individual we may scorn was not doing a certain business, it might i be our fate to be occupying the identical position. Jam aware that house-holders : arc very often annoyed by petty thin** such as a continual run of callers In ' search of a client for their wares, but ' that does not happen every day, and I must admit that when a person rushes to ' the door expecting to greet a dear friend. : it is rather annoying to find an entity! with his muddy boots on the spotless j doorstep, asking if there are any stray beer -bottles about the premises—especi- : ally if the person in the house wears the ' blue ribbon of a- temperance life—and if' is hard .for both the public and the knights of the road, door knocker, and generally speaking liandbajg. so it is as well to have a little consideration on both sides of the doorstep. I must say that, taken all round the one who is writing this has not found human nature so very bad. but, oh! tbe hells one can come across in (iod's Own Country! Is assure you, sir, your readers Mule dream of them. Hells of hunger in some eases, ami ignorance and insanitary conditions; and some of the cases I have come across have fairly disheartened mc. Why, on one occasion I counted in almost every third or fourth house the breadwinner had •been out of employment, and the si-ms of hardships only too apparent. °lf anyone can testify t„ the conditions ot things it is an agent on his rounds, either rent-collecting or in other positions, ami it is very pathetic at times who one meets. An old lady on one occasion came to the door in answer to mv summons, and begged to be excused from doing business, as she could not see, being in complete darkness—stone blind --and as I pushed ahead thought that even a person on the road in search of business is in a heaven compared lo some poor souls. Another thing, what a number of old people one meets who seem to be sick to death of life, jf U, L » struggle is, and has been, too severe. It is appalling; still life is nil right, and glorious. It is the disgusting system we are hampered with. Verily, before I finish. 1 say the continual roving life of a traveller in any form it. not so pleasant as appears on the surface, and what with catching trains. boats. tram-cars, and. maybe, operating over miles of country, and a manger Lo evpryone (especially to a I bad hotel, where tbe food is very steer-j age. and you must stay somewhere), it I is not all beer, skittles, nn.i honey. j I have hi.l .t fair say. and I trust! these lines will he noted by hundreds.' .lus-_ give a fellow-being a fair hearing and a liule courtesy; it costs nothing,' and is vory cheering. I happen to be among the single division on. this planet,

with myself alone to look after, so it must be hard ort a married man with, a family dependent on him; and there are hundreds; and these lines will act as a plea for single and wed-ded alike, and '"do as you would be done by," being, at the came time, careful to be "done by" nobody, of course.—l am, etc., ARTHUR PICABJD.