GO-GETTER SALESMAN FINED £10

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 2

GO-GETTER SALESMAN FINED £10

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Dubious methods of sales canvassing 1 and the "art of go-getting 1" received considerable publicity when Lou King was fined £10 at the Auckland Magistrate's Court on a charge of obtaining money under false pretences. "N.Z. Truth" often has occasion to refer to the questionable methods of canvassers for various firms, and the danger of signing forms and contracts without having thoroughly read and mastered the contents. _ o O— '■ —

IN the present instance it was alleged by Chief-detective Hammond, who prosecuted, that King, a, salesman for the National Academy of Music, of Dilworth Buildings, Queen Street, infformed Mrs. Lily Elizabeth Keen that her two children had been selected, among fourteen others m Onehunga, to receive free musical tuition for four months. It was this added inducement which, had persuaded her to purchase a mandolin-guitar on the time-payment system adopted by the firm. • It was the contention of the police that there was nothing to show that either fourteen children had been chos-. en or that Mrs. Keen's were among that fourteen . In the witness-box, Mrs. Keen stated that King had called, and giving her name, said her two children were among the lucky number. She had- allowed him to come m \ Not Impressed and play, and had liked the instrument, but on her explaining that she could, not pay the full deposit of £1 nor the full weekly payments of 5/- she was allowed to take possession on reduced terms ' of 10/- and 4/-. It was the extra inducement that her children had been, selected from a limited number that had turned the day m. the canvasser's favor, she said. She maintained this view m .face of strenuous cross-examination from Mr. R. A. Singer, who appeared for King. When the canvasser appeared on the following day to receive the balance of the deposit, Harry Keen, the woman's husband, asked him where he got his information about his name and the number and age of his children, but King would not reply. ' Keen asked 'him >to go to the police station, but on the way, King thought he had better see his manager, and left. . Keen was riot impressed by the offer of free tuition as, rather unlike most parents, he did riot consider they were any brighter than others m the district. In addition, he could, not afford iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

to keep up payments on the instrument and took it back, but it was returned to him with a letter saying that the firm expected the payments to bo maintained or pro- • cedings would be taken. He admitted that his wife had received a card which entitled theii children to the benefits of twenty fre< lessons each. A lady who was determined to havi the Court understand it was only thi: extra free benefit that finally persuad ed her to sign on the dotted line, alsi gave evidence. King had brought the machine inti her shop, and stated that the full pric< was five guineas, said Mrs. Mabel Bor rfc, but she toJd him that she coul< still remember playing one as a child and it cost only fifteen shillings. The canvasser had. then tried the soft pedal and informed her that his firm was anxious to give poorer people an. equal chance, to learn the soothing charms of music. At this moment her small boy, whon King had said was one of the chosen— the thirteenth, m fact — entered fron school. "Why, look at the music m his eyes!' exclaimed the traveller.

"Now, don't come, at any _. of that stuff with me," was Mrs. Bbrrie's spirited retort. However, the fact that the apple of her eye had actually been selected to receive tuition had been too much for her and she had undertaken to purchase an instrument. On her husband's return, the usual reaction had occurred and' the guitar was roturned to the. /Academy. It had come back, however, ac- " companied by v a letter to the ef- •;■ feet that the firm expected her to" *' carry! put the contract. When Mr. Singer asked her if she knew what she was signing, Mrs.. Borrie replied: Yes, but it was because he i was the thirteenth child I took it. Counsel: You knew you were paying 5/- down on an article worth £.5/5/-? Mrs. Borrie: Yes, but it was because He was the thirteenth child — "Oh, blow the thirteenth child," murmured Mr. Singer, as he sat down again. Further amusement was caused by Charles Osborne, who stated that King' had called on him, too, with the ."'selection of children" story. ■ - • *'•' "I told him he must be .a liar, Jis ray' youngest child was thirty Had Complaints said Osborne, a reply that brought 'down the court. Mrs. Isabella Reardon also gave evidence that she had been persuaded into buying a; guitar for the same reason. ( Gonstabie Week's, '.however, -was .ad&niant to 'all that King could say, and'ref used to become '.thejiroiid. OWftcr of ; one of the instruments. ; A representative 'of> Robertson's, music dealers, stated that similar articles were of a retail value of two guineas, but he had to admit . that perhaps the strings .of, such 1 were.of lesser' guage. - '„> Johnson, of Onehunga; related; that m consequence.: of com-, plaints, he interviewed King and. the manager of the National Academy, of Music, Charles Silver.' •.■•', King, at first denied saying, anything at all about selecting fourteen children, but afterwards: made a statement, which was. put m. ■ , •". :, , Mr; Singer queried whether he had a case to answer. There; was nothing, he said, to shPWthat the children had not been, m fact; chosen, and the onus of proof . was^ on the prosecution. ..'"'."' . : •The Magisti-ate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, adjourned the case to the following day,

saying that he would then give a ruling. When the hearing was resumed, Mr, Hunt decided that Mr. Singer must enter a defence. "Unfortunately," said counsel, "I have no musical knowledge of this " or any other instrument. r "You have an excellent chance of s learning for five guineas," remarked Mr. Hunt. s "Qh, I expect my connection with this case will secure me free 0 tuition," retorted Mri Singer, who went on to say that the disaemi--0 nation of musical instruments was a no , worse than that of • vacuum cleaners, sewing machines op bicycles at the rate of 3/6 a week [ plus 155 other payments if still ' alive. It had been suggested that there was no such thing, as a "National Academy, of Music,' 1 but the firm had , "Mad Slinging" 1 ————— — — — — „ been m existence m Australia and New Zealand for twenty years and this was the first, time tneir actions had been - questioned. "One can sling mud at any type of canvassing," proceeded Mr. Singer. "Forestry bonds are worse than this." "I'll attend to those when they come up," retorted the.-bench. It \ya,s obvious that Mrs. Keen had been anxious to avail herself of the tuition, continued counsel, and it would seem as though she and the other witnesses had been at an academy of coaching. This remark was queried by Mr. Hunt, but counsel explained that he had not meant anything by it. In fining- King £10, m default one month's imprisonment, Mr, Hunt said that he considered that accused hart carried on his business by means of false pretences. , Business could not be carried on like that m New Zealand. King had probably exceeded his instructions, said the magistrate, but he would not Imprison him without the option of a fine. . Security for an appeal could be fixed when proper application for such an appeal was made. lllllllllllll(llll(!(lllll!!!lllllll!!IIIIIIIIII!il!llllllll(!!lllll!lllll(!llllll!lll^