The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1895. FALSE TRADING.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 58, 5 September 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1895. FALSE TRADING.

Tiikke baa been for some years past, iv fact since the beginning of the labor troubles, a bad system of trading carried on in the colony, and recently in the District Court in New Piyrnouth, Judge Kettle drew attention to its pernicious conditions He pointed <»ut that contractors without capital went in for contracts, cut down prices below payable point, and in nine cases of ten found themselves in the Bankruptcy Court. Iv other busi nesses plso, people without capital too frequently entered into compeitttion wih others who had capital to lose, the result being that, in many cases, both became insolvent. His Honor held that a man to carry on business in a legitimate way — pay 20s in the £ and live honestly — he must have some thing to fall back upon when the ordinary misfortunes of life or business overtake him. He further stated that it was the duty of the Batik ruptcy Court to endeavor to put an end to this state of things, and he would enforce his views aB far as the law permitted him. We agree with the Judge, but before the offenders arrive at the Bankruptcy Court they have already done irretriev able injury to bona fide traders, and the punishment of the former is but a poor consolation to the latter. The thing is how to prevent mushroom contractors aud traders springing up. The old, but now obsolete, plan of taking; guarantees from bondsmen acted as a mild check on reckless contractors, but the storekeepers and the working men were wont to lose just the same ; so as far as they were concerned the guarantees were of little real value. As to the traders, well, co valid reason can be advanced against a person starting with the proverbial half crown, as a yendor. but many arguments can be brought forward to support the opinion often expressed in chambers of commerce, but as often acted against by tho individual members, that wholesale merchaoti Bliduld e^erciee more care in

supplying their wares on long credit to retail dealers, and ascertain whether the latter are first, able to carry on their business, and secondly whether they have a modicum of their own money to risk. It is when the trader has nothing to lose that he " cuts " prices in order to take the custom away from a business already established. Then the wholesale man repents — when too late.