Rangitikei Enterprise in Scotland.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 174, 26 January 1897, Page 2

Rangitikei Enterprise in Scotland.

Mr Alex Bell, formerly of Rangitikei, writes under dato Glasgow, Nov. 16, to tbe Rangitikei Advocate: — A few ant* lines of what I have had to do in starting batcher shops, of which I have fire opened, and so far they are doing fairly well. Up to the present time their average cash takings per week are £35 each for the three weeks I have had them opened. I opened one two doors from one of James Nelson and Son's, Limited, selling River Plate and American meats. The night I opened they gave me a warm reception in prices. As soon as they saw the tickets on my meat, the price of which was the same as theirs, they at once altered their price tickets from l£d to 2d below mine, and stuck up a large bill to the effect that there was a great downfall in the prices at Nelson's shop. I was at one of tbe other shops at the time, and one of my men came to see what he was to do — if he was to reduce prices. I said no, and at once went back with him to the shop. It was the greatest bit of tun I over had in my life to see such a crowd of people at and around my shop, and keeping my men going as hard as they could Hell, I, of course, was telling the people that this was a different quality altogether, that it was not River Plate or American meat. I had also a man standing outside shouting this out : " No River Plate or American meat sold in this 6hop or in. any of Bell's shops." There also happened to be a printer next door and I went and got him to print two large bills which he did in half an hour. I had them stuck on boards and had men walking up and down the street past the Bhop of Nelson's. This of course rather surprised tbe people and my men were kept ns hard as they could selling until half past 10 o'clock, when every bit of mutton was sold out and I could bare sold more if I had had it. There was only a little beef left. We sold 30 sheep and five quarters of beef that night, bnt even with their lower prices the Nelsons Bold very little. This Beems incredible, and I would not have believed it if any one had told it to me and I had not witnessed it myself. I was there all the time and expected every moment to see a falling off, but to my great surprise it kept on. This shop has kept up all along for three weeks now, and it is the best one I have got ; it takings are £70 per week. There has been great excitement over this matter, and Nelsons have had all sorts of bills printed and sent round trying their best to do me harm. However, I have taken another shop next door to the same firm's shop in another street, which will be opened next Saturday night. I have got out my bills for this shop.