"THE ANGLO-AMERICAN ART" CO.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 5

"THE ANGLO-AMERICAN ART" CO.

TACKLED BY PERTH "TRUTH."

How it Works the Game m the West*

THE BOUNDERS BADLY BUMPED.

Solne .weeks ago m these columns we t (says the Westralian "Truth") gave a comprehensive history and a detailed account of the dubious doings, of the . Anglo-American Art Co. This is a Jewowned "snide firm of free photo and frame fiends that has only just struck this long-suffering State, and which hangs out its shingle m Wellington-street. For , years past this concern, through gangs of house to house canvassers, has been exploiting the Eastern States, and its peculiar practices have more than once been exposed m the columns of the various ' Eastern editions of "Truth." The exposure published some weeks ago was so complete and convincing as to preclude any necessity for a recapitulation here. It was stated that the concern was a j SPECIOUS SWINDLE that -had only, just got to work m Westraiia, and against whose wiles the read--1 ers of "Truth," particularly impressionable matrons, were specifically warned. It was pointed out, .too, that the quondam manager of this precious concern (one, Alfred Weaver), had come across from Adelaide m the s.s. Sydney, reaching Fremantle somewhere about January 10, and , that this bumptious young bounder had ' openly declared that the firm rather glor-' ied m the exposures that had been made , of his cronk concern m t'other-side edi--1 tions of "Truth," regarding such" m the light of a profitable advertisement. Whatever little profit the Anglo-American Art . Co. may make out of this little lot, the Jew-owned "joint" is cordially welcomed to. Theirs is not the fitst shameless swinI die, by many a hundred', that, "The Peo- . pie's Paper" has bumped the stuffing out I of, and it won't. be the last. There are others— and near at hand, too. Of a verity the trite old Latin saying is sound : 1 "MAGNA EST VERITAS, ET . PRAEVALEBIT." , "Mighty is truth and will prevail.':' In addition to exposing the ingenuous insolence of the take-down tactics of this band of brazen bandits, .'. we also branded , the Anglo-American Art Co. as a scandalous sweating shop. That impeachment has been abundantly vindicated by a case heard m the local court on April 8, before Messrs A. W. Glover and J. F. Duf- ( , field, J.P.'s. The latter magistrate haar only that morning been suvorn into thg* Commission of the Peace, sb that this" was the first case on which he was assisted to adjudicate. The case was one m which a young English immigrant, Alfred Charles Hew__J itt, sued the Anglo-American ' Art(_ffiSrfDr: • the recovery of -£2, being £1 week's wa^& p and £1 m lieu of a week's . notice. :(,Tif!_f plaintiff, it may be mentioned, on perceiv?! ing that an attempt had been made by the" Jew-owned "joint 1 ' to diddle, him out of his just dues; had called on "Truth" and had been advised . by this paper to tackle 1 the crohk concern m the Small Debts Courts, with the result shown m the sequel. The plaintiff was represented by Barrister Hare and the A. A. A. Co. was represented by the redoubtable Lavan. Mr Hare explained 'that Hewitt, the plaintiff, was an immigrant, who had been sent out from Australia from the Cold Country, by the Westralian Agent-Gener-al. He had been led to believe that- he would find abundant openings for the sale of his labor on Westralfan fruit farms, but, disappointed m this direction, he eventually .' !■ FELL INTO THE ; TOILS of the Anglo-American Art Co. He was > to canvass for photos, promising custom--1 ers an enlargement FREE OF CHARGE, 1 though the Co. got m its finer work by subsequently sending along another canvasser to try and "ring m" upon the prospective victim -a fancy priced frame. Hewitt w,as to be paid at the munificent rate of "20s a week and find yourself"— real good cocky farmers' rates— and he was at liberty to work as many hours a day as he chose or as he could crowd into the day. The Co. made no restrictions m this respect. He was. engaged by Weaver on a Thursday morning, and on Saturday received 6s Bd— two days' pay at the rate of 3s 4d per day. On March . 21 he was sent to canvass Northam at the rate of 30s a week, but not making any headway m that sweet, rural settlement, he returned to Perth, appropriately' enough, leaving Northam on APRIL FOOL'S DAY. He was: then sent along to Maylands, but found the rustics there ecjually shy, and again returned to Perth, lie had signed a receipt for "wages to date, but not "m i full," and. now claimed the sum of £2 ' from the Co.— one week's wages, £1, and m lieu of one week's notice, £1. Mr Hare sought to put m the agreement which the servants of the ' A.A.A. Co. foist upon unsuspecting customers who "'come at" the "free of charge" enlargement fake, but, on the objection of Mr Lavan, this, interesting document was not admitted hy the Bench. The plaintiff, an intelligent young man, and apparently a decidedly desirable acquisition to the State's population, told a tale that m every particular bore out the opening explanation of his counsel. WEAVER IS WORRIED. _. Alfred Weaver, the gentleman who, as manager, introduced the A.A.A. Co. to Westraiia, entered the witness-box, and had ah exceedingly lively time of it under the searching Qross-examfination of Lawyer Hare. .He produced a document which he confidently anticipated wouldblow the plaintiff higher than the moon. It didn't. Here is the document : — NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES. All employees/ m the employ of the Anglo-American Art Co. are hereby notified that all engagements of employees are from day to day. A week's notice is not required on either side. By Order, Anglo-American Art Co. 15/2/'O7. per Zukka. Weaver testified that he had engaged plaintiff at 20s a week and claimed that he could "sack him at a day's not.cc," all the Co.'s employees were engaged on those terms. He had come across from Adelaide m the s.s. .Sydney and had been, manager of the A.A.A. Co. until the preceding day, when one Zukka had taken over the management. Cross-questioned, the wily Weaver, cut a very sorry figure indeed. He could not remember how long he had been m the State, or how long Zukka had been m the State, though he believed the latter had come across m the s.s. Grantala. He could not certainly say whether Zukka was m the State on February 15, the date on which the precious notice just quoted was ostensibly issued. ZUKKA'S LITTLE YARN. The new manager of the gorgeous A.A.A. Co. then took the stand to testify. He, too, proved a man of peculiarly unreliable memory. He was employed by the Co. purely as a servant— "to do anything"—but he could not say the exact date when he struck Westraiia. He had been working for the same Co. m Victo- , tia. He could not say whether he bad j been m the State a fortnightg&Si£**§^£^ it't was engaged. fi0&«&r e!r Mr Hare : What vc P " Westtalia m, the G" was the Grantala-.^-- ____^ This aerc**-*.''' ~ """ ' " •07. Wft^-~

of my belief I was, but I will not -fewear to the date of my arrival. .£ • When did you sign this agreement 2—l think it was the day after I arrived. Is it not a fact that this Anglo-Ameri-can Art Co., of which you' are now manager, has been repeatedly hauled over the coals by the press, and exposed as a swindling and sweating concern ? Mr Lavan objected, and the question was not answered. Mr Hare pointed out that the vacillating tales told by Weaver and Zukka for . the defence, and.klso that the "potiee'' ostensibly signed by Zukka was of iso effect, seeing that it was a contravention of the law of the land. Mr Lavan contended that if the flain.tiffi consented ■to be bound by such an agreement, it was "'liis own look-out" i' he was victimised. The magistrates very properly and properly entered judgment lor the plaintiff for the full amount Claimed (despite the protest of Lawyer LaVah) with £1 3s costs. . BOUNDERS BADLY BUMj^KD. This decision constitutes a 'decidedly bad bump for this enterprising l ; and of house-to-house bounders, and should "serve to show them that, however ■ cireßessful . they have been m their campaign of dwindling and sweating m the Eastern States, they cannot with impunity carry on the same merry ' game m Westraiia. That much was prophesied to the Jew-ewned "joint" weeks ago by "Truth," but, seemingly, the A.A.A. Co. employs oi:lv persons of pachydermatous hide, and" the warning was unheeded. Manager Zukka had better sit down and think 'hard ere worse befalls his snide show. And foolish flats who neglect to unloose -the family house-dog when these photofframe fiends call, have only themsalyes to blame if they are bitten. This paper has discharged its duty to the' public m once again warning people just what sort of a crohk concern this Anglo-American Art Co. really is. „ . .-..