Page 11 Advertisements Column 3

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 11

mHE MONEY OR THE CARPET. A few days ago, a well-known merchant in Dunedin ordered at Messrs Ingijs and Co. a very valuable oarpet. He left word that i it should be sent down to his private house and be cut and laid. Now, this firm make it a point never to give oredit to anyone, be he great or small ; and the parcel bearers and oarriers are instructed to adhere tenaciously to this rule. So, when the carrier, in this case, had finished his work of laying the carpet, he very politely tendered the bill, and waited for payment, taking up a tailor-like position, with arms folded and legs crossed, in the middle of the floor. "Do you want the money now, my man V queried the merohant, a little taken aback at the quietlydetermined tone in which the man had made the request. " Yes, sir, them's my instructions." « But I am ; my name's well known. Why, I spend £300 a year with the firm you represent," returned the other. " Can't help it, sir ; must, have the money or the carpet," reiterated the man, who was now preparing to roll it up again. "Why, what are you going to do ?" exclaimed the raei'chant as he saw the intention. "If you must have the money, wait till I send for a cheque book, for I haven't one in the house." And not till the cheque was in his hand, did the man budge from bis position in the middle of the oarpet. The Messrs Inglis and Co, receive such small profits that ifc would be impossible for them to do business except on purely cash principles. The merchant referred to bought the carpet for £25,; had, he got it at a " credit house " it would have cost fully £35. "VT^HAT IS A CAPITALIST? Without a little consideration one would be very apt to give a very imperfect rendering of the full intent and meaning of the word " capitalist." The dictionary definition is very vague : it says a capitalist is a man having money or property invested in business. Ask the question casually in the street, and you are replied to as follows :•— " A moneyed man," " The owner of property,"" One who handles capital,"" A bloated aristocrat." Ask an exasperated wit, and he will tell you that a capitalist is " One who always wants • tiok' and never pays till summoned/* Picture a capitalist in your mind's eye, and you will soe either a sleek-looking individual, with lips continually shining as though recently in contact with hob buttered boast, an anxious-look-ing man, or a dried-up-looking party with tightly buttoned pockets ; this latter is the man who can afford to look shabby, In these days of unions and strikes, however, the word capitalist signifies, iti the majority o* instances, something very different to the. above. The widow, whose late husband was killed by a railway accident in a brave endeavour to save lives, and in whose behalf the proceeds of a subscription list have been invested in a limited liability company— is a capitalist. A dividend of 10 per cent, to her means a bare living ; 8 per cent, means Blow starvation* The wife — with a largo but young family — whose husband is unable to work owing to illhealth, and who has a small income of her own, is similarly a capitalist ; so ako is the lady living on the income derived from her late husband's life iusurauco policy invested in a tramway company. Many thousands of old couples who have invested their. savings in "safe steadygoing OOQcems" are likewise capitalists. When the leaders of labour organisations hesitate toapply the "complete boycott," perhaps it ia their sympathy with the poor capitalist that causes their iudecision. When managers or directors of large companies make a firm stand! in resisting the demands of employes, probably they have in their mind's eye a long list of names cm their '.bure registers of persona to whom & concession would menu utter ruin. The writer of this articln sympathises with all capitalists excepting fchote who, insist on " tiok," ao£ Unionists of all descriptions are esteemed by him as brothers. These are the sentiments of Petec Dutton, the manufacturer of the worldfamed " Red Cross Remedies" which, are sold by all chemists and druggists.