The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, MAY 7, 1883. THE MERCANTILE UNION.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1031, 7 May 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, MAY 7, 1883. THE MERCANTILE UNION.

The Hawera people have taken a very sensible step in forming an association for the facilitation of business upon sound principles. During the jpast twelve months traders of all kinds upon the Coast, and, for the matter of that, in all other parts of New Zealand, have had bitter experience of bad debts. So long ns trade continues, so long will business men make bad debts, but there is no reason why these should not be reduced to a considerable extent. There are firms whose business, otherwise profitable, has been turned into absolute loss in the course of the past few months, ill rough the system of credit which prevails almost universally. Credit is a necessity to trade, but there should be more care taken in giving it, or business men will continue to find themselves fleeced by unprincipled men. By an association, such as has been started in our sister town, a great deal of good may be accomplished in the way of preventing loss through bad debts. The object of the Mercantile Union, as its promoters have so happily termed it, is to prevent the members being defrauded of their goods by those who would purchase, and be unable, or perhaps never intend to pay. It will also embrace all matters of interest to the mercantile community, in fact will perform the functions of the Chamber of Commerce in larger towns. We think it extremely desirable that a similar institution should be started here. Patea people have been heavy sufferers, lately, from reckless -trading, and: some steps towards a preventative in future seem almost a necessity. It would be advisable, we think/ to join with the Hawera people and make one association. The business interests of both towns are bound together, and will be more so by and. by when the railway connects the two places. Patea merchants look to an increase of trade in the direction named, and this should be a strong argument for joining the newly established Union. We commend the idea to whom it may concern.