THE NIMBLE FARTHING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144134, 2 July 1913, Page 5

THE NIMBLE FARTHING.

ITS USE IN ECONOMY. LONDON, May 23. While on tho one hand wc. have the big body of the suffragists—not suffragettes, a more minority of militants —urging with much logic the fitness of women generally to exercise tho vote equally with men, wo have the drapers gravely assuring 1 us, that the most of their lady customers greatly prefer gloves at, say, Is ll;]d, to the pdir marked 2s, “Not, mark you,” says the West End draper, “because they consider the 2s too much to pay, but simply because Is HJd seems to thorn to be so much less than 25.” They are quite content, it appears, to receive a packet of pins or needles or a thimble instead of the farthing change. The point has arisen in an interesting discussion raised at tho London Chamber of Commerce. where the wholesale and manufacturing' drapers met to consider the tyranny of the farthing in regard to drapery prices. After solemn debate a resolution was passed drawing tho attention, of the textile manufacturers, and also the public, to tho evil of adopting a sot of popular selling prices (s|d, BJd, :113d. etc.) to the exclusion of the intermediate ones. The manufacturers complain that this arbitrary system of pricing'goods by retail drapers checks enterprise and originality, because they are compelled to produce only such goods as the retailer can produce at the standard of price ho has adopted. He docs not encourage the production of superior articles, which should bo priced at, say, 7d, Is Id, or 2s 2d, though-there must be thousands of the buying public who would welcome a superior article—in which better material and sound work arc allied—at a few pence-extra. The retail draper, however, is a student of human nature, feminine human nature in particular, and he has a different story to tell. Ho knows tho subtle’ overwhelming fascination- to a woman of a seeming bargain, and in this merry game tho nimble farthing is bis staunch ally. A recent cartoon depicted a woman refusing in one shop a yard of ribbon at 2s, and paying 2s in a taxi to secure it at another oxporium for Is 313 d. Her accompanying triumphant remark at the latter place is, “1 knew I could got it cheaper.” It is an old gibe, but none the less true for all that. It causes many a smile in the superior male. But lie laughs host who laughs last. It seems that the infection has spread, that the insidious poison is making its appearance in the camp of men. Hosiers and outfitters have in later years also begun to adopt tho draper’s system of prices, so far ns the halfpenny is concerned. “I find that a tie marked Is lljd has a much larger sale than one priced at 25,” said a London hosier who lias adopted the halfpenny as a trade attraction. So far the men have fallen victims only to the halfpenny, but the descent to tho more hypnotic farthing will have to be strenuously guarded against.