THE BOOK-CANVASSING FIEND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 33, 29 January 1908, Page 4

THE BOOK-CANVASSING FIEND.

Tilt MUDL? UI'KKANDI. Lpon the door of one ci the public offices in tlii town i-s displayed a n..,i .-.■; " admittance to iiook agon'.-, etc What a lot of trouble would in- -av-d to people ii tlii-y would make a ru-olu-tion to the -anie effect, and act up tu it. I lie Iwok canvas-cr, like a lot of other nuisance-, is always with lis. Aud like many oin-r p.-ts he brings truuolc in bin train. Ai».ul twelve mouths ago a iKX-k .ig.-ul canvassed -New I'lyinou'.n, ".tillering orders lor an encyclopedia much was to >»■ i-sii.-d.

go, i iju-jjic-n in .sew I'lymouth, ami -cured many orders. His reeeijit for th.- .;ep..-ii of one guinea was olt"!i> given in advance., the .subscriber sending along the cash Liter. The .sequel to one canvass »;i- aired in the S.M. Court i.-terday. when Ihe evidence of the dc-len-iaiil was taken in the ,-uit Commerci.ii Agency I fur the publishers) v. Archie Hooker, the claim being for one guinea due oil an 1.(1.1'. given on lath ■iiiiiuarv. I'.uit;.

'I Hi' defendant, in hi- -wn t-laieiiient. said that on Itli .January. JUUti. a man named I'nilocK came to where defendant wa- working and asked if he could see him particularly that evening. An ipimintment was made for 7.W1 p.m., but Pollock did noi come till 8.:S0. He said he was representing a firm of publishers, and wanted some information for a book that was to bo issued. After he hail obtained all the informati.il! that lie could l'oll.ick brought up the question ;"f Hooker taking the l>ook he was interested in. Hooker could not sec his way clear ;ust then to iKVome a -übseriber. After a lot of discission Pollock ask«d if defendant would take the book later on if things improved, anil ilie latter said lie would. "He then said." the evidence continued', "that he would fill in an oriler form 1 would get it according to priority of order. (In the other hand if I finally de>-i.1e.l not to snli-r-ri!.e. niv order would Ik- .b-tmyed. and no harm would be done. )|e piomi-cd to call again in about six week-" in two month-' ijunto -#c- what I would finally decide, and if the order were to stand good 1 was then to pay him a depo-it of -21s. llu the duplicate of the order form whi.-Ii he left with mr is a form of rer-r-ipt for one guinea which lie completed and signeil. I understood that the receipt would prove that he hail no claim against me in the event of my not proceeding wi'li the order. He never called again as promised. In March following 1 received a letter from him demanding the UN and threatening prosecution in the eveat of non-payment. He stated that ho w.i- urgently in need of the money, r-

hi- wife \va- going into the hospital. .W I had not known his address before receipt of this letter, and had been expecting -him tn rail I had not told him of my final division not to take tin bunk, but I immediately wrote and said thai I eoiild not see my way to take the book. There v.a- no I.O.l". made out or signed by me. I signed the order form only, and in reply to a query of his as to my correct Christian name I wro!" on the cover of his order book mv name. 'Archie Hooker'." The defendant also stated that he bad not <,;•» Pollock or. lath lanuarv or on anv date after the 4th -lanitarj-'. !•>«.