THE ARTFUL "DROPPER."

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 154, 30 June 1911, Page 3

THE ARTFUL "DROPPER."

WITH HALF-A-POUND OF TEA.

(By Telegraph,—Own Correspondent)

CHRISTCHUR.CH, this day.

Housewives in the city have frequent experiences of the backdoor vendor of cheap goods, and many women have purchased spurious articles from glib merchants who, by artful talk, have accomplished a sale of worthless articles. With a limited field to work upon, and the necessity of securing trade in the midst of keen competition, the confidence merchant of this type—a "dropper" he is termed by the criminal class—has to resort to many artifices, and to appear with novel ideas to induce people to part with, their money. One salesman who has succeeded in victimising many housewives recently has dealt in a brand of "confidence tea" that has given to its purchasers little more than food for reflection. His methods are simple and alluring. He appears at the door with a packet of tea less than a pound, and on the appearance of the housewife ho presses this upon her, following it with a teapot which he presents to her. He then speaks of handsome cruets to be given away with the tea packets, but he does not show the articles. His victim is then informed that the tea and teapot are presentations, but that if a coupon is found in the packet a fee of 2/6 must be paid. He reassures his victim by stating that only one packet in every 20 contains a coupon, and then he asks her to investigate the. packet and learn her fate. The search is made, and the coupon is discovered. In mo3t cases the "lamb" pays the half-crown, and the "dropper" goes on his way rejoicing, and it is only on rare occasions that he meets with defeat. Large numbers of people have been visited by the merchant, and after his departure the tea has always been found to be worthless, and the teapot to be of very little more worth.