THE PELORUS GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5,1892. Cheap and Nasty.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 3, Issue 10, 5 February 1892, Page 2

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5,1892. Cheap and Nasty.

On a certain market day a man and his wife, who were not well versed in the English language, took with them two pigs, and were endeavouring to explain to a probable purchaser that the youngest pig was the biggest, but, in doing so, they got the affair rather mixed. The man asserted that the youngest pig was the oldest, but his good wife, seeing that her husband had made a mistake, came to his rescue, and stated that the littlest pig was the biggest. We do not wish to get quite so mixed in our attempt to explain that the dearest article is the cheapest, but, however paradoxical it may seem, we believe that sucli is the case. But, though soma people may be fully alive to the fact, circumstances very often prevent them from acting up to their belief, and they are compelled for want of funds to take the cheap article when they knew that in the end it would have been much cheaper to have paid double the price for a good article. The fact is, we are living in a cheap and nasty age, and all the inventive genius of man has been brought into play to produce articles at the lowest possible prica. When invention could not supply the demand cheap labour was brought into play, until we have arrived at that stage when it is necessary to pause oefore we go any further for fear of evil consequences. We have been like the man who wished to keep a horse but had not the means, so he fried the experiment of gradually reducing the animal's allowance till he thought the animal would be able !to live without eating at all. Whatever truth there may be in this tale it is realistic of human folly, and however foolish his experiment may seem, he was not one whit more stupid in realising the fatal consequences of his action than what the whole world has been in its desire for cheapness. The man who could undersell his neighbor was the one who succeeded, no matter whether it was at the sacrifice of life or properity. He was the man who was patronised, and he was the man who was looked up to while his more honest competitor went to the wall, and was looked down on because he had not succeeded. This craving for cheapness has brought into play all the worst qualities of man, and caused our commercial morality to be of a less elevated character than it would have been if this mania for cheapness had not been so prevalent. The expression that So-and-so is too honest to get on is familiar to everyone, and also the remark which is often made by one to another that to get on you must practice a little hongst(?) roguery. We think it was Robert Dale Owen whc mentioned that he was asked to manufacture a certain kind of cloth that would look as well as that in the mirket, but which would be of a much inferior quality, and consequently could be sold much cheaper. If we remember right something similar occurred in Victoria when the Melbaurne merchants sent Home samples of Geelong tweed, and asked the manufacturers to produce an article which would look the same, but i i consequence of its inferiority would b ■ sold cheaper than the locally mad-' tweed. So far as the world generally is concerned nothing has been gained by all this striving; after cheapness ; in fact, it has had the effect of doin? a great deal of harm to the great mass of the people. It has been said tin. competition is the soul of trade, biU,, unfortunately, it has been of the wron - gort—a competition which has brou 4 t dishonesty into full play by encourajj ing people to revert to all sorts of dodges to outbid his neighbour for cheapness. It is not necessary for us to give examples of this as it is of everyday occurrence. The competi tion which should be encouraged is fiat which brings into prominence nun's natural talent, and the one who

can do his work the best to receive the

reward of his ability, perseverance, and industry. This is seen in oar pastimes where the best man is chosen; not the one who will play cricket, row a boat, or ran a race the cheapest, but he who can do any of these things the best. Then why should not the man or woman who can execute the best piece of work be honoured in a similar way ? It has now become quite natural for anyone who enters a shop, for instance, to ask the question, " What is the price ?" It never occurs to anyone ti say.

" What is the quality?" Unfortunately/people have been blind to their own;interests, and have competed with one*; ahother more like men bereft of reason than rational beings. The preseq.t Government haue taken a step M-*t]ie direction of putting a stop to tl|* tfnhealthy state of affairs, and givealnen an opportunity to earn a fair ttjty's wage. We hope to see the plan "adopted by the Government become general, and if the great mass of the people are wise they will do all that lays in their power to encourage the production of articles of first-class quality instead of rushing madly after what is cheap and nasty. This we bok upon as one of the most important questions of the day, .and requires the careful consideration of the general public. It would take something more than the ordinary space of a leading article to fully discuss the subject, but if tha above remark! cause only «, few to think ov«r

the matter we shall be filly satisfied, and we can only hope that the time is not far distant when quality will be demanded before cheapness—when this wretched craving to get things done cheap will be replaced by a desire to get them done well, and when it will be fully realised that the dearest ft tide is the cheapest.

The Rev. E. Ensor will conduct Divine Service on Sunday next at St. Peter's, Havelock, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Mr Dart at Havelock Suburban at 2.30 p.m. It is evident that the telegraph wires from Blenheim to Nelson via Picfcon, Cullensville, and Havelock are insufficient for the work they have to carry. Notwithstanding every effort on the part of our local Postmaster to speedily get messages through, it is often impracticable owing to stress of work on the wire and delay is inevitable.

At Nelson Sir William Fox said he was celebrating four jubilees in this year. Last week he had attained his dOth year, that day he was helping in Nelson's Jubilee, the third of May was his golden weddiag day, and the 9th of November was his fiftieth anniversary of his landing at Wellington.

The second te3t match All England v. Combined Australia was won by the latter by 74 runs. Mr Edward Powell has just returned from a somewhat prolonged visit to the Pelorus Sounds taken for the benefit of his health. He speaks in terms of the highest praise, not only of the great benefit he has derived, but also of the kind hospitality of all whom he has encountered. Mr Powell will resume his professional visits to Havelock probably on the Bth, certainly not later than the 15th inst., and thenceforward regularly till the winter. Three men went out in a yacht to H.M.S. Ringarooma at Nelson on Tuesday and anchored a short distance from that vessel, and then made the attempt to get the remaining distance in a dingy, but the latter swamped and they had to swim for it. We learn that one of the three was our friend Mr Dowsing who managed to get to the man-of-war first.

The man-of-war Ringarooma will be at Picton from Sunday until Wednesday next. At the Nelson races on Wednesday 4,000 were present, and £2,445 passed through the totalisator. The Maiden and Cup were both won by Mr H. Redwood's Awarau Rose, and must have beed most popular victories. Martha won the Grandstand Handicap, Victress and Echo ran a dead he tt for the Flying, and Marksman w >n the Hurdles, paying the nice dividend of £l4 2s.

A Liberal Association is being formed in Wellington, and a Liberal evening paper is in course of being fl jated.

The next meeting Education Boird promises to Wan interesting one, what with the resignation of the B■enheim Committee, the dismissal of pupil teachers, and the neighbourly broil at Okaramio.

Sir C. Hall, Q.C., has been appointed Rjcorder of London. The Otfm.ru Mail tins Tole, Mont gotmry, Feldwick, Walker, Pyke and Fitc lett as certainties for the Legislative Council.

A meeting of householders of Okar amio school district is convened fo Tuesday next.

Advertisements will be f jund elsewhere referring to tie appointment oi C)nstables Franklyn and Williams as collectors of the dog-tax for the Pelorus District.

The dates of the meetings of the licensing Committee are advertised in another column.

Reollc-t fiat this *'• Summer Sile' is limited to 15d»y«, from January 80th and will on no account b* prolonged b>yond Saturday, February 13 h, a' Tt» Aro House, Wellington.

The " Summer Sale " commences od Sitird.iy, J=inuarv 30th. and iritnM f■»!■ the disposal of the season'* stock promises to be oiie of th<» twist t<uccaßsful ever held at Te Aro Houa >, Wellington.

If uoable to pay a visit to this '• Summer Sale " we will forward a sale price list on application, postage five, mid any orders acq nnpanied with th<» etsh shnll havo instant attention and prompt d spatch from Te Aro House, Wellington.

This •* Summer S-tie " shoul Ibe a perfect god-s nd to all purchasers and country residents, and sluml.l in their own inter sts pay an early visit to Te Ato Houe. By so doing they would secure an opportunity of buying some of the greatest bargains ever he ird of in the Drapery trade in New Zealand. This " Summer Sain " will present, to all.visitors a wonderful array of Ivtr-tfains in all d-p rhmmts. We d<> not b"liev« in the polipy of carrying •ver goods from one season to another. Wh would rather clear thsm out every Himce th«re are Hibstantial reasons for the unmistakable bargains *hat will be offered at the summer sale i at T.i Aro Houae, Wellington.

The steam-power of the world is placed at 4. t ),00p,000 horse- -ower. Thi* is (iqniva'ent to tlu* working cipacity of men, which is m>re fclmn double the total working population. In Paris 200 in lea of streets are *itl> (re%