DOING BUSINESS IN SCOTLAND.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 41, 8 January 1842, Page 4

DOING BUSINESS IN SCOTLAND.

It must be owned that there is too much truth In f£us satirical sketch, as far as particular rural •districts are concerned. It has already appeared indifferent publications : It is not as in England, where, when an article is offered tor sale, it is immediately purchased, 4 or at once rejected as being" too dear ; but here there is a long haggling and cheapening of every article successively offered. of my transactions witli a man, will serve to show the general mode of doing business. He bi> s me call again, which I do several times without doing any thing. He wishes to be the last Ido with, but all cannot be last , and a’ have wished to be so. After a few days 1 get h : m to proceed to business ; be objects to the price cf the article I offer—he will not buy; I try to induce him, but do not offer to make any reduction. Says he, “ You are owre dear, sir; I can buy the same gudes ten per cent, lower; it- you like to tak aff ten per cent., I’il take some of these.” 1 tell him that a reduction in price is quite out of the question, and accordingly put my sample cf the article aside; but still the Scotchman wants it —* Weel, sir, it’s a terrible price, but as I’m oot o’t at present, I’ll just tak a little till I can be supplied cheaper; but ye maun tak off five per cent.’ ‘But, sir,’say I ‘would you not think me an unconscionable knave to ask ten or even five per cent, more than I intended to take ?’ He laughs at me— * Hoot toot, man, do ye expec to get what ye ask ? Gudeness ! an I was able to get half what I ask, I would soon be rich. Come come, I’ll gie ye within twa and a half o’yer ain price, and gude faith man, ye’ll be weel paid.’ I tell him that 1 never make any reduction from the price I first demand, and that an adherence to the rule saves much trouble to h parties. ‘Weel, weel,’ says he ‘since ye maun hae it a’ yer ain way, I maun e’en tak the article, but really I think ye are owre keeji.’ ■ So much lor buying and selling. Then comes the settlement. ‘ Hoo muckle discount do ye tak aff ir ?’ ‘ Discount! you cannot expect it; -the count has been standing a twelve-month.’ ‘ Ined, but 1 do expec discount;’pay siller without .count !■;—na, na, sir, that’s no the way here ; maun deduct five per cent.’ I tell him that I ke no* discount at all. ’Weel, sir, I’ll gie ye e money at a’,’ Bather than go away without settlement, lat last agree to take two and a a!f per cent from the amount, which is accordngly deducted. ‘ I hae ten sinkings doon against ye for short measure, and fifteen shillings for jama/es.’ ‘lndeed, these are heavy deductions., but if you say that you shall lose to that amount, I suppost that I must allow it.’ ‘ Oh, ay, it’s a’ right then, sir, —eight shillings and four pence for pack sheet, and thirteen shillings for carriage and postage.’ These last items astonished me—‘What, sir,-’ say I, ‘ are we to pay all the charges in your business ?’ Bnt if Ido not a.low these to be taken off, he will not pay his account; so I acquiesce, resolving within myself, that since these unfair deduciions are made at settlement, it would be quite fair to charge an additional price to cover the extortion. I now congratulated myself on having concluded my business with the man, but am disappointed. ‘ Hae ye got a stawmpe conveenent ?’ asks he. ‘ A stamp, for what ? ‘ Just to draw ye a bill,’ says lie. bill, my good sir; I took off two and a half per cent ,on the faith of being paid in cash.” Bnt he tells me it is the custom of the place to pay in bills, and sits down and draws me a bill at three months after date, payable at his own shop. “ And what can Ido with this ?” ,c Oh, ye may take it to Sir William’s, and lie’ll, discount it for you, on paying him 3 months interest.’’ “ And what can Ido with his notes ?” “ He’il gie ye a bill on London at forty-five days.” “So sir, after allowing you twelve months’ credit, and two and a half per cent, discount, and exorbitant charges which you have no claim on us to pay. 1 must be content with a bill which we are not to cash for tour months,and ajiaif!” “ Weel, weel: and now, sir,” says he, “ if you are gaun to your inn, I’ll just gang wi’ ye and tak a glass o’ wine.’