The Daily News THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7. THE SUBSCRIPTION NUISANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 7 February 1907, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7. THE SUBSCRIPTION NUISANCE.

Ik' olk'i' day we had something to •a,* aboiu ihi' honest (.-atiader who mis to pay fur the "luul marks'' oil trade-men's books. liiat is not the only preventable burden placed 011 the shoulders of the would-be cash trader \\ iuit is know 11 as tla- subscript ion mii ante, if jiot as greal, is on;' at any rate that is increasing to an alarming extent. Traders almost a.l over Lin' eolony have reason Lo eurse the .-ill ser-ption cadger. biu 11 must of iiei:e--ity be inwardly, lor Leo outspoken unulhemalisation, und; v lli& iiu<iuilims system, uiiiy serves lo alienate patronage. It is 0111 yloo well known that many subscription envoi's do not hesitate," when soliciting a tradesman's donation, to let it bj understood teat a refusal will mean the withdrawal of the custom of tne cadger and his friends. They do not In---,l.ii e. either, f 1 play o;i" one shop keeper against n rival in 'the amount oi' ;t ui.inuiuii. Any i)tistu:'s> man in laiauuki will hciir li'sijnumv to llii*.

lie' shopkeeper is tlie primary loser niayha|i. but the consumers. naLurady, cave eventually to fool tne bill. Il is only a natural Inisine s proposition tiia! it siion d lie so. We are con -liaiiied lo refer lo this -object by an aitiel" I'roni (lie pen of .Ur A. W'll I. nsoii. KstliHsn, which appears 111 lh" current number of the "Mercantile < x-'l ((•/' and also because our render.s will have noticed that the New I'ly Inouth Tradesmen's Association lias ;:<mo out of existence. The rogulal nig 01 tne Mib.-cription nuisance is as Mil':,, 01 tile illlel'e-t sol' llle CUUSlliliel's lll ' tinders. 1)11 tii is Hot likely 10 be regulated miles, united action, si.ch as is possib.e per medium of a tradesmen's association, is taken. While 011 this asjieet oi the ,pies! ion. we 10.ght stale parenthetically that although (l| , local association has put "!• 'f' shutters, tiieic is a pmhabi.il V oi' its being rccon-tiuciod shortly on a stronger and ni.jr- rqmwiruitirc ha-1, til,in ever. Tne individual trades in the town are forming associations of their own, an I it is i.eiuoed that from '■ach oi I he-, ■ representatives will eventual,lie appoint,d to a central body t'' w-'l'-il li.e JiMlelili i1,1.-rests of Ul'e whole. (; liialiers noi whether the r, eons) 1 lie!, d b,„U hikes the form /,) a. branch oi ine c..amber of Commerce. 'ras - n in,,. t Obi title. Till i... x j^ L . M ' ll ' nI u ' ; ' inier-'-is oi ab concerned I", i,,:peiat.re. 1 nlc--- so.ii.- v.i.-li 0,., i Cla; executive l„„|y eeanes into e\l-t..

lil(,< '. ~:le ol the priin-. p.i 1 objects ol lae.-e l:ad"-u.e,i', -oeniie- will 11,. ,j„ '■'"t.'ii i-l'ii. 1,1 CO ~p,-rai \.' acl i,,,, be " :l li "' |uo\ in, iai s,.»ute-j ,!i r-., 111: ii a proYiaei,,.: e.'., c,il.i\\\'e are e -i'tain liiat \ver ■ eeers' sliopkecp ei in the province e.lli liated 1,, a body "I such ivprcsenlaiive sfrength, the\ and l!i,. consiiiuer would leap llie ben elit.

To return to Hie subject under review, we citiiiioi do bctl r ilian make a few extracts from Mr \\'. \\'ilki,,^,,,, s vuiumiiuktilivii,which speaks f.„- itself, lowing how Hie' l-;lli;ain Tradelinen's Association lias overcome Uie dillicu.i.v, and tlull without iiijuriu" anv genuine appeal. "i 'may" Mt.v.'' writes Mr Wilkinson, "thai Uie Milium Tradesmen's Association ha, been iu existence [or -J 1 /., years, and ilie o.av prevailing „f sub'sciiplion kits lias become absolutely a tililliJ id' lee |«... There have been , K , lwl , circuiale.l in 1-iHnaui lIV oulsitU-r, dur. iiiy the whole of the above period., with lllc. exception of one approwd by tin; Association, and the Kiil)-c).iptii.ij!,s m this case were limited to 1/. J. nin\ lie mentioned that we pay our secretary :CIU per year, and we ale ill tin; hope of forming eventually a I'rovin eiai Association composed of delegates from all the dill'erent towns in Xaran aki. When Ihe Association is f'oriued we shall be able io grapple. with the larger evils at present Mll'licUiig Ue retail dealers. Since tunning ike Association we have amended "the rule in order thai matters of local import anee should not lie killed through lack of assistance 011 die part of the louie--people In this ease the Association does not stamp a subscription list with the seal of tin; Association and allow any Tom, Die!; or Harry to take it round among the aader-.. The c.veeull\e appoints one or mors niciilbers ot I lie Association to ileal wilii the li-i. and it is taken round and no piv--urc is brought 1,0 bar upon 11k dmereat trailers give: 1111 ■ll ■ iji'id of curse is lo a\oiil iindu.' jires.-airc up on file members of the Association, Winch used to be )ii\-\ at,-iit when UsU Were taken round by out-ide interesL. Ed parties. Nnce tills rule lias 1 1 ill force it lias only been availed of on two occasion-. You wiil »e by the foregoing and by the rules thai the Jiiltham traders are we!l safeguarded troni tie, oiiei- prevailing nui-ancc o| promiscuous begging on file pail of those who think shopkeepers are fair

Tradesmen, it will In' seen, can, i; tlicy would bul unite, easily pul ihc "rcsp.ctifcWe mendicant" in his proper place and do mvay willi Hit- cadging nuis'.nil'.-. Traile-meii Ino by t unc-i'i'u'd acliou can also inininii-e the credit .sy-lciiii and individually tlicycan |iii( I lading mi a lunch betier foot, in;.' than it is at present by Hiving umre hnncsUy lilioral I real incut to ca<h customers. Wc are a'-sured that inEIIcain i h ree iouitiis of the business i« "II a purely ensli liasis, I'vi-ry store having two prices, and several of the eadine -lores dralinii nniy on the rash s.v-lnii. What is jj11ss;111■ ■in Klihani is possible in every other part ol' 'J'ai auaki. There i„ üb-nlutely no rca-nu why t i-.-ulii.g in tne province .-Imulil not I"' on a cask basis. There is no place where i In- ]i,'n|,h' art |«tiii so nfjiilariy, aul 1 ere tiir wenli !i won frnni t lie land i- ilisl ribull'd so rv:'nlv. ' a-h Irailin.i men lis cheaper "vim:. and dial ran be ll """ 1,1 ' 1 "'1 1 "i I In- bi-injjriiijMf aboul of tin's de-idi-in [ i|i,i should !,r -uppoitcd '•y <'"iv-nmevs and train-, alike, boll, of whom il brnrlil-.

Slralford scliciol (hciH paieiit-. 1 caelii'i—. n nil frieirls. t,, the "11i11 b:■ r of over fiflccn liiindrcd. will picnic tinhiy at Arnliiroa. This; is now quite a rccopnised hi;;- annua! f unci ion. and. .e-iven line wralher. (In; eniherinu' should be aiiinnciile.l by )i(-'veral: hundreds of lolvilS])eop , e.i, The (raiu brineinit' the exenv-ion i-1- will be one of (lie bieeesl (lint has ever enferi'll Xe'w I'lviuoul li. Tile ' cliairnian of l/ic Slratford Sclionl foiiiniiltee slalr- dial (he excursion will be made to-day uii'ler any wea(her cninlilions. If (he day proves unsuitable for outdoor picnicking the Drill Hall will be utilised, '