COMMERCIAL MORALITY.

Kumara Times, Issue 800, 24 April 1879, Page 4

COMMERCIAL MORALITY.

A writer in the Dunedin Star gives the following nice little story how some people do business :—A feW weeks ago an extensive manufacturing firm in Dunedin sent away a lot of goods, a whole stock in fact —to the order of a man who was about to open a shop in a up-country twonship a hundred miles off. The transaction was done in the ordinary course of business through a traveller, who has as a matter of duty satisfied himself as to the bona fide of the new customer before the merchandise changed hands. Nothing furtherwas heard of the matter until the early pare of this week, when the firm received an anonymous letter stating that the afordsaid storekeeper was about to dispose of his stock summarily and clear out with the proceeds, and concluding by advising the owners of the goods to send some one to inquire into the affair. For some time the manufacturers were disposed to look upon the warning as a hoax, not only on account of its anonymity, but because it was dated on All Fools Day ; but on second thoughts it was decided to despatch one of the firm to the spot. As soon as he got off the train he made for the address of his suspicious customer; He easily found the building, but the shutters were up, and the merchant perspired with anxiety as the thought suggested itself that he was too late—he ought to have had the sense to have come up earlier. However, he made enquiries of a neighboring dealer as to the whereabouts of the object of his search, and learned with some satisfaction that he was at that moment in an auction room down the street superintending- the selling off of his stock previous to sailing for a distant clime. “If you hurry up,” added the local trader, “ you may catch him there before the sale is over.” The manufacturer was not in running form, but managed to travel down that street at. a pace which alarmed all the pathway loungers, and reached the auction just as some specially valuable goods were being ’knocked down “without the slightest reserve.” The sequel may be guessed. The would-be levanter, caught in flagrante delicto , changed color like a dying dolphin ; the auctioneer, apprehending the situation, immediately stopped the sale ; negotiations were at once commenced for a general restitution ; and, after a deal of haggling with the buyers, the wholesale man managed to recover all his material excepting about 15 worth. He is quite ready to be April fooled next year.