A GROOK CONCERN.

NZ Truth, Issue 12, 16 November 1907, Page 5

A GROOK CONCERN.

THE ELECTINE MEDICINE CO.

Is it Blackmailing or What?

How the Post aud Customs are Used!

"Truth" is unaware whether the Electine Medicine Co., Ash-street, Sydney, is on the New Zealand black list. If it is not, this paper directs the attention of the Postal authorities to this curious concern, which sends out Kidney Beans, Blood Tonics, Nerve Pills, Liver Granules, and cold and headache tablets. What all these concoctions are compounded of. whether they are harmless or injurious, whether they do all that they are guaranteed to do, is not worth while troubling about. No doubt it is one of those bogus Cure-all companies that thrive, sunnressive legislation and postal proscription notwithstanding, on the simplicity? and credulity of the nuhlic, who, when sick, snatch at anything, no matter What, to rid themselves of their ills and ailments, regardless of cost and pain. The fool public has been so often tricked and robbed by the charlatanic cure-alls that ,it is wonderful indeed that there should be any necessity for exposure and warning. Not knowing very much about the wonder nroperties of the concoctions manufactured by THE ELECTINE MEDICINE CO. of Ash-street, Sydney. this paper cannot say anything on that score, but when it comes to an examination of its methods m pushing its pills before the public, a great deal can be said and will be said, and if the Postal and Customs authorities do not place an embargo on all correspondence and the delivery of all pills and potions it will not be any fault of -'Truth's." It is a .tricky little concern is this com-na-ir-. and the tactics adopted by it mark it as a company of charlatans who use the Customs and the Post Office to further their charlatanic business. How this concern gets its 'pills and potions through the Post and Customs to the public is told by the story of a Government servant, who, nearly twelve months aeo. received at a G.P.O. box, a Departmental box too, received a notice that a parcel awaited him at the Customs, on which Is 3d duty had to be paid. Little dreaming the contents of the parcel, the ls 3d was paid, and the discovery was then made that the parcel contained eight boxes of New Life Ven-etable Pills. What on earth they were' sent to him for is What the individual concerned could not make out. Pie did not order them or instruct anyone to order them for him. He made futile efforts to induce the Customs to return the amount paid for duty, and still has the nills on hand. Naturally enough, the "patron," as the crook co. imnudently addressed him later on, declined to accede to its request for the payment of eight bob, and the result has been that almost every month he has been billed and billed, each tvne-written and unsigned document beinrr couched IN THE MOST IMPUDENT TERMS. Here is a sample of the bluff of this exploiting crowd :— Our contract with you was a plain, business-like arrangement, which we are prepared to fully live up to, and we must insist on you doing likewise. You, of course, are aware that we have your written order m our office, showing clearly that you undertook to sell our goods 'within SO days, and return us the proceeds. We first wrote requesting settlement m December, 1906 ; we had then allowed many months to elapse, so that you might have every opportunity of takinrr advantage of our very liberal premium offers. Although you received our first letter m December, you have not as yet seen fit to make settlement. You must admit that we have been "very lenient with you," and have allowed ample time to send us the money.. The amount involved being so small,, you can easily understand we cannot afford to be continually writing requests for settlement. Should the amount not be received within the snecified 15 days,' we shall be comnelled to transfer the matter to our solicitor. We have your order, which constitutes legal proof of your contract with us, • and you are, no doubt, aware that to order goods and not return the money received from the sale of them, constitutes an act of embezzlement, and such persons are liable to summary prosecution. There was no contract whatever entered into between the would-be "victim" and this crook concern, and the threat of being prosecuted for embezzlement is only sheer bluff, and an old trick of the quack fraud. The Electine Co. are liars m declaring that it had an order, and though the amount is small and the Co. could not- afford to be continually writing requests .for settlements, it has, per post, pestered the very life oiit of the gentleman m question, and he has given "Truth" the correspondence m order that a very necessary exposure should be made. The last and most impudent letter comes from what is known as the "International Collection Agency." Commercial Buildings. Sydney. On blue paper, which might very EASILY FRIGHTEN FOOLS, this dunning institution threatens to take legal proceedings unless the 8s is paid within 20 days, together with costs. There is more about frauds, and the dunning concern says, inter alia : — WE ARE UNCEASING m our prosecution of a person who intentionally orders goods tb obitain same without expecting to make payment. On the other hand we are always willing to give consideration and investigate any good reasons advanced for what at first may appear to be a dishonest transaction. Frequently we discover persons who are using fictitious names, or those of their neighbors, and otherwise attempting to defraud our clients. Thc amounts involved m most cases are small, and they think because of this nothing will he dono. but these dcprr._-._ons have occurred so often a*'-' ! m so Pa^i-ant .*» manner that it will become necessary to go to the full extent of the