A COMMON DODGE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2549, 23 May 1881, Page 2

A COMMON DODGE.

A somewhat interesting story of a case of gross unscrupulousness on the part of a tradesman in an up-country township has reached us (“ Wellington Post ”) on good authority. It appears that a storekeeper in the locality was recently burnt out, and with the money obtained from, the insurance office prepared to erect new premises. After he had called for tenders, a local builder waited on him and told him he could easily have £SO or £IOO on the job. On being asked how this could be done, he said, “ I will put in a tender leaving the sura blank; you may fill it in £SO or £IOO below the lowest of the other tenders you receive.” The storekeeper, astonished at this extraordinary proposal, and knowing that the builder was in a in a somewhat impecunious condition, asked how he could afford to take the job on such terms. To this the builder replied that he could get the timber and ironmongery on credit —or at least tbo greater part of it—and he intended, when be had got the job all but finished to file. It is satisfactory to be able to add that the storekeeper at once refused to have anything to do with such a dishonest proposal.