DECEIVERS

NZ Truth, Issue 1147, 24 November 1927, Page 6

DECEIVERS

Spectacle Tricksters'

Rich Harvest

In face of innumerable warnings and as many exposures throughout post-roar years, the public of Nero Zealand continues to permit charlatan physicians, nerve-manipulators and "doctors of this and that, to throw out their attractive snares and entrap the guileless human lambs who await their shearing. THE most illuminating example of * what may be accomplished with a full complement of plausibility and a superficial, but convincing, smear of technical knowledge, is presented by "doctors" of optics, graduates of foreign "universities," who light their lamps of attraction and await the little moths which pathetically flutter around them. The pernicious practices m which these pedlars indulge themselves are invariably attended by most distressful symptoms and cases have come within the purview of 'N.Z. Truth" wherein the unfortunate victims of these malpractices have suffered Irreparable harm to their sight. The method of salesmanship adopted by these "specialists" and holders of "diplomas" is circumscribed within a ridiculously narrow compass, but they are able, notwithstanding this apparently restricted mode of, persuasion, to flourish with comparative freedom and^ iriuch profit. ' The most remunerative huntinggrounds for these impostures is m small townships and among dwellers of country districts. These mendicant purveyors of nostrums and sight-aids • are soulless m their dealings. Can they induce a poor woman to purchase appliances for her small son or daughter, irrespective of necessity for artificial help to the sight, then it is merely a question of another sale and 800 or 600 per cent, profit. Whilst on the question of profit, It would be appropriate to quote the case of Percy Gerald Hendra, who, m May, 1925, was fined £10 and considerable costs m an action involving two charges of false pretences against him. THEIR VICTIMS At that time, Hendra, an itinerant salesman of spectacles, was operating m the southern districts of New Zealand, representing to the country folk that he was a bona fide representative of. a prominent Dunedin optical firm. His infamous little game progressed quite well until several dissatisfied I customers communicated with the firm which purported to have appointed Hendra as a' species of travelling expert. - The downy bird was caught m the trap of judicial proceedings,, resulting m the extraction of a few drops from the oceart of Hendra's rapidly-inflating wealth. During the case it transpired that the frames he sold at approximately £2/15/6 had netted him an easily-won profit of 300 per cent. Hendra left the district shortly afterwards. Door -to - door deceivers usually cover their shreds of faulty knowledge by an empty mummery of falsehood and misrepresentation. \ Poor folk thus victimized, who believe m the ability of these wandering "specialists" to* give relief, quickly find they -cannot' make use of the crutches on which they hoped to relieve, optical weaknesses. . . |

It is evident that : the Government of this country should immediately concentrate upon the. complete extermination of these pests, which flourish on the blood drawn from the lean savings, of poor people. Under present legislation, . it would appear, anybody may erect a suitable sign and commence to delude an unwary public willing to he impressed by displays of grotesque test-charts or refraction paraphernalia. Meanwhile, qualified graduates of British medical schools' must, perforce, await the lethargic passage of time to supplement their professional skill m blazing the trail to public recognition of their ability to ameriorate and transform. Many years . ago, Minister of Health J. A. Young— at that time a mere political fledgling — had this disgraceful anomaly brought home to him whilst awaiting the arrival of the Auckland express at Hamilton. i Strutting up' and down the railway platform was the fashionably-decorat-ed figure, complete with spats and an expensive flower -in his button-hole, of a man whose face seemed familiar to Young. Recognition was mutual between the two men and it appears that less than two years previously the resplendent young man had been hawking photograph enlargements m the country districts of the Waikato. HUMAN CARRION But with the keen eye of the opportunist, he had observed a field of income much more easily earned, and so, purchasing a case of lenses, he styled himself "optician" and the remainder of the money-making process was seemingly very easy. Of possible ill or hurt to his tmfortunatecllents, he appeared to be indifferent—and so it is with a good many like him. ' In the majority of cases where people have been hoaxed by spectacle tricksters, their sight is permanently damaged by glasses incapable of correcting distorted vision; instead of comfort they reap only confusion. Some "persevere" with their grasses, but their discomfort invariably increases, and when, of necessity, they consult a specialist, they receive the disquieting information that their vision has received, a blow which all the available scientific knowledge cannot completely remedy. There are cases on record m this country where men and women were threatened with partial— rand sometimes total— blindness, through delivering themselves into the hands of semi-qualified occulists and travelling humbugs with spurious testimonials or certificates. How long; then, is the myopic Government pf this Dominion likely to allow these human carrion so profitably to rend the flesh of New Zealand peopje; to permit the possibility of young children peering through lenses which will ruin their sight maybe, affect their whole lives? '.'.', , Are these money-snatching thieves 'of a nations fitness to remain unchallenged and secure or will some political Hercules be found to clean out this reeking stable— not next year/but -NOW?, ";■; What has the Minister of Health to say about it? f '. V