ARCH BOOSTER BROCKIE'S MAGAZINES WHICH NEVER SAW THE LIGHT

NZ Truth, Issue 1198, 15 November 1928, Page 8

ARCH BOOSTER BROCKIE'S MAGAZINES WHICH NEVER SAW THE LIGHT

TRADESMEN |! , , i liaVO no OHO 'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiii »iiiiutuititininmmi but themselves to . m , blame for doing business with a man who is obviously a bird o£ passage, ana m modern times it Js 1 difficult to undwMtund why shopkeepers, bucked Wim a fair knowledge of business methods', j born of trading m times of financial depression, can allow themselves to be St \ 1 1 1 A t\ ' ' Yet it is ever apparent that the public has too of ton to bo protected against itself, and from, ttmt viewpoint this paper issues the warning to small shopkeepers m progressive suburbs of cities throughout New Zealand -to beware of the operations of BrocMe, From his methods of business it ;s npparont that who la not unknown to the arms of the law, found the financial fountain running, dry, so he hung out his shingle at ofHces situated m Cnahel , Street, Christohurch, nnd atylod himself the Untversul Advertising Agency. It is significant, however, that from the day of taking over th^o ofTlces, they \\we tiot occupied, and one city firms card requesting him to call urgently on them, remained pinned to the door for something like three weeks. Brockie'B proposal to the suburban shopkeepers was to publish a trade magazine for eaoh suburb, containing advertisements and local news. JJroekle. a young man of firood appearance and suave tongue, played on the parochialism of the average suburban storekeeper, who, always keen to push the interests of his particular district, fell eaay prey for the "new" magazine.

The Millennium

Aocording to Brockie, the journal was to solve all their business problems. The necessity for advertising with the city dailies would be eliminated, and their claims as the leading businesses of the suburb would be advanced m the magazine. i

Here, surely, was the paved road to the Millennium.

And so Brockie went his way, happily, and unperturbed, while the shopkeepers of St. Albans and Papanui coughed their good money into the coffers of the go-getting advertising genius, mail of ideas and maker of fortunes — for himself,

Brockie, according to those he has collected from, casunlly would stroll into the shop and there would lay his plans before thorn for their consideration.

That ho was a Kood^ masrsman was evidenced by one of his victims who declared that Broqkie's salesmanship was devoloped to such a high degree that he could have sold a ham-bone m a synagogue.

Plis 'patter included a comprehensive review of the advantages to be derived from each suburb having its own magazine, and ho also drew the long bow to some purpose regarding the other shopkeepers who had agreed to take space m the magazine. The scheme was to publish 600 magazines for each . suburb monthly, and these would be givei.i to each advertiser as well as being posted to the countless subscribers who had allegedly fallen over themselves to bo jncluu"* ed on the subscribers' register. Fantastic tales of his own printing .works, where the staff was working ilill!lllllli!ll!!lllll!lil!llllllll!|lllllllllliillll!llllli

" Truth " Warns Public Against This News And Advertising Go-Getter A SUAVE-TONGUED YOUNG HUMBUG il'iiimiuimlummmmimim'imim^ m'liimiiiliMimiiiiiMiMiimiiiimmi'm iimimimiiiii mm miimiimm miniiiim iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuniiiniiiicuiiiiiiuiumiuuiuuiiuii' jt f| . ( (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Chriatohurch Representative.) ■ l| If /(■ has been authoritatively said that you can't fool all the people all the j| fl time, but " Truth* introduces its readers to a person who has embarked on a I || campaign m which he hopes to prove that u)ell tried maxim a fallacy. | |! The foundation of this go-getter's attempt to solve the difficulties of the jj suburban shopkeeper was well and truly laid m Christchurch, but <( Truth" If as, the guardian of the public weal, warns its readers against dealings with a If man calling himself R. H. Brockie, a self-styled gladiator of the advertising || f] world, whose glib tongue and, persuasive manner has already left many Christ- |f Hi church shopkeepers lamenting, ' fj"

feverishly until about 4 o'clock each morning to ensure the publication qomtng out at the appointed time, acted as further inducement for the shopkeepers to fall for the advertising genius. A photograph of each advertiser's business premises was, of course, an essential feature of the publication, and his own photographer would be alow? m a few days, to take a view of the shop. • A remarkable instance of Brockie's philanthropy was that each advertiser's bundle of 500 magazines would have his own shop on the cover, Presumably, Brockie was to stand the extra oost of printing so many different covers! So, having worked his client Into tho necessary atmosphere, Brockie would advance the financial terms of his getrioh'Ciuick scheme which, when driven to completion, would create untold prosperity, and the suburban shopkeeper's life would m future be free

||lllllllllllllllll|llllllll|lllllllllllllUlllllll|llllll|llll|Ulllllllltllllllll|l|llllllllllllllllll from worry and business would tumble m liko an April shower. .The year's subscription to this wonderful scheme was tho small consideration of .•£ 2 10s., preferably paid m advance, or,, if the client so desired, £1 Is. paid on deposit, and tho balance paid at the end of January next. For this Brockie also agreed, so his .victims declare, to throw m by Avay of a gratuity, 500 Christmas calendars.It must be very obvious that few of the shopkeepers who fell for ißrockio's patter had had much previous experience m ordering job printing pr they would quickly have ■discerned from his offer that he was giving them a lot more value than they were paying for, and that it was an impossibility for him to do so unless he. was ah out and out philanthropist, However, it , was explained that the money was required to meet the heavy initial cost of the publication, and Brockie's combination .of excuses and reasons^ was so complete '. and convincing that most of his clients were persuaded to pay at least the deposit for which an elaborate ' receipt was issued. .■■ \ . ■ ' y ■■ "■ ': ; Once the . money was! handed over, Brockie promised to lodge the proofs with the advertiser without delay, and a condition, inserted on the receipt, was that the money was returnable with a cancellation of , the contract/lf the proofs were unsatisfactory.

iiniiiiriniiiiMiiciiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! The balance, the receipt also stated, was payable m January, 1029, though no specific date m that month was mentioned as the likely day when Broakie would be around to collect the outstanding portion of his accounts. No doubt the fact that Brockie had a sample front cover of his magazine to display to his prospective advertisers induced them to the belief that his scheme was genuine. How he came by that cover, howover, throws a little more light on his nefarious project. Brockie approached one leading printing firm m Christchurch and arranged to have his magazines published, but he baulked badly when the proprietor suggested to him that £10 on account wyuld be an absolute necessity before the job could be proceeded with. Brockie promised to come back the following: day with the tenner, but also offered a few preliminary excuses which would, ho. hoped, explain his iiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik

absence, should he not be able to get along, As was expected, Brockie did not produce the necessary on the following day, but ho invaded another printing establishment and there induced the proprietor to take over the publishing of his magazines. . v .

Hove Brockie was successful m haying the front page of his book set up, and, expressing a desire to "see what it looked like," -ho was given a proof which he kept m his possession.

Since then the firm has seen nothing of Brockie, his "copy" oi* his money.

Brockio did not confine' his attentions to the shopkeepers m the distrjets m which he was operating, but also canvassed a number of houaes where ne was partially successful m securing a number of orders which were to be his. "paid circulation."

Ho also used a cunning ruse, to induce some of the shopkeepers to bite When ho ordered a case of fruit from one, and told a St. Albans butcher to keep him a yrloio joint of meat which he would call for at tho end of the week. He did not call for eithei*.

A representative of this paper palled at the offices of tho. Universal Advertising Agency, at 87 ; Gaahol Street, on four different , occasions, but on each visit there was nothing to indicate that the office was occupied, while

iimuiuimi'iiiiiiiimuiiiiiiMiiiutiMMuiiiiiiKiiii nripiuniiiiruilpii»Jillirripj|iuii[i|iranui|l(lHll|l

||illllill!ll|l||l|l|llll|l!|llll!llll|ll|lll!IIIH|lll |i tfoere was cerj;,! t&ijily no evidence of the. big printing works and staff working at fever heat on the suburban magazines, The occupant of an adjoining office states that there have been US many as. fifty callers Jn a week, desiring an interview with the principal ot: the Universal Advertising Age.nqy, but if there is such a person he. has. a very queer method pf transacting his bus!-? ness. ■ . - " ' , ■ This paper is m a position to inform the, public that Broekie's colossal business m Ohristchurch is purely mythical. Hla big printing worka is the property of someone else who would be glad, to, meet the arch-bluffer f Qr a few brief moments. Though over a month has ' passed since Jjpockie promis.ed to publish his magazines, nothing 1 has been seen or heard of him, yet the Jaw cannot take 1 action, and. thog^ who have been gruUed jmust stand the cost of bringm? him to law if they desire their money • back. I Brockie'g intentions m the first place might have been quite genuine, !but it seem.3 rathe.r. obvious that -JRapanui and St. Albans are not to have their magazines this year. It is quite possible that Brookie has used the money he derived from these people to transport hinrjself to another centre, where a similar scheme could be launchThe proprietor of the printing firm VhJph declined to do. Brockie's work without a deposit told "Truth" that he was a young ma,n full of Mea-g, but with a penchant for drawing the long

Fall of Ideas

bow, especially on how his schemes were taken up by New Yprk printing and publishing firms;

When the firm declined to proceed without some security, Brockie laconically remarked that m New York a similar firm would seize on such a new idea and publish the work at its own risk.

But it is a far cry from New York to Christchurchi and friend Brockie. had to take his schemes elsewhere.

Brockie may blossom forth iij an-, other part of New Zealand on a similar lay, and while he might be quite genuine m his degire to help the. small storekeeper along the road to prosperity, "Truth" warns the public to give the matter a little thought before' they do business on such, unsatisfactory lines.. ,

' A man doing a big business m that line must have the confidence of the printing firms, and therefore should not require the money m advance. '

There are many successful and' reliable persons genuinely engaged ;n this class of business., and it is preferable to . patronize them, with some measure," of security, than a bird of passage- like Brockie whose, operations m Christchurch have left many amall shopkeepers lamenting.

There are many ways of advertising a business without firing money away m such a manner on wildcat schemes such as those sponsored by Brockis.

So long as shopkeepers fell for this craze of something for nothing, so long will men of Bi'ockie's typo prey on their gullibility.