MRS MOODLE ON THE PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 375, 16 July 1903, Page 3

MRS MOODLE ON THE PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

<► " I say, Bill, what's this ' Preferential Tariff' the papers are all talking about ?" " Oh, that there 1 Why it's a thing that Joey Chamberlain and Dickey Seddon's fixed up," " Dick's always a-fixing up things. Is it got anything to do with those frozen sheep ?" " No. you silly ; it's a new thing 1" " Well, what is it ?" " You be quiet, and I'll explain. Supposin' you was—was —" " Go on then." " Gimme time. S'posin' you were going to Syksie, the storekeeper, and said t j him : ' Here, mister, if you buy my eggs I'll buy my groceries from you—that'd be a preferential tariff" " Would it 1 But I know better ; that old Syksie would charge me more than enough." "Not him. He's as honest as the day--IF YOU KKEP YOUR EYE ON HIM." " I gut ss so. Last Tuesday I said to him: ' (iimme lib Hondai Lanka Tea.' Sez he: "I've some far better.' Sez I: "Well; sonnie, I'd like to see it. Bring it out' So he fetched out a beautiful ornament and sez : ' That's 2s 4d a pound.'" •• Ho, ho!" " Yes, and sez I,' How much of this goes to a tea cup V ' Oh,' sez he, ' it's the tea I" mean.' • Then why don't you say what you do mean 1 Show me that good tea.'" "He hadn't got it," " Hadn't he. He pointed to a stack of Jinks's blend. ' That's the best,' sez he " . " Oh, the old swindler! Why it's peri feet rubbish. Didn't, we pick the sticks out of the tea when we had a packet ?" "Of course; and little Jimmy cried when he drank it, and called it senna tea 1 So I said: 'Mr Syksie, my cousin 'Jack, the grocer, told me had a tremendous profit, on this, but nobody would buy, ornaments arid all.' The cheek of Syksie I I said, sez 1: ' Sonnie, hand out the Hondai Lanka , an' none of your jokes; an' I was that mad I just tipped his old ornament on the iloor." " Ha, ha 1 Now, Bella, that explains the preferential tariff. He prefers ' Jinks's Blend' because he gets big discounts." " Oh, you don't know a thing about it. You're like all the rest of the men—you're as full of knowledge as an empty pot " " Well. I know you can't beat Hondai Lanka Tea." " Any" fool knows that, but it's only a woman like me that will insist on getting it from grocers like Syksie. But there's not many like him. Jack says'they are mostly straightforward, honest men." " Oh, well, let's get a cup of the real unblended stuff. For the genuine, pure Ceylon, Honriai Lanka can't-be equalled by any blend going."