BITTER BOYCOTTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 365, 16 April 1910, Page 10

BITTER BOYCOTTS

STRUGGLES WAGES AGAINST HIGH PRICES.

Ages ago, in the early dawn of civilisation, when one changed a suit of skins if or a 'bronze dagger, the man who considered he had been cheated in a deal procured the biggest club lie could find and waited behind a tree for the unjust trader. 111 these enlightened days we find it more profitable and more convenient to refuse to purchase the goous >of those who do not meet our ideas of fair trading. A trader obtains his livelihood by selling goods to other people, so his (position becomes precarious if 110 one will buy. Only a few years ago large firms and combinations thought they ■had i the consumer at their mercy, but the purchaser now discovered his power, and by combining with other purchasers is able to inflict defeat 011 the biggest'of manufacturers if he is not treated fairly' Much has been heard of the American Meat Trust and its methods of obtaining control of the food supply so that it can charge what prices it likes. Even Britain has suffered from its greed, but fortunately the Mother Country is not yet under its complete control as are the people of the United 'States.

REFUSED TO EAT MEAT AT ALL.

There prices were forced up to such an extent that the consumers revolted and organised a boycott of meat, thousands becoming vegetarians for the time being. Only a few years ago the packinghouses suffered severely during the horrible revelations concerning the meattinning industry of Chicago and other places, and it seems strange that they would willingly face a second similar boycott of their goods. If the people are determined, not even the strongest ring of producers can ignore them for any length of time. Tt is only a year or two since one of the fiercest trade wars was waged in England. Everyone remembers the attempt to form a grfeat combine of soap manufacturers which, was frustrated by the .public refusing to buy the goods of the amalgamating houses.

American methods seldom succeed in this country (says a Home paper), as a well-known library discovered to its cost. The booksellers said they would not buy books if the library were able to undersell them by putting almost new copies 011 the second-hand market within " few weeks of publication. The publishers therefore refused to supply the library, which capitulated after several months' warfare.

Pretty much the same thing happened when the American tobacco manufacturers bought Ogden's and tried to obtain control of the trade in Britain. The British makers combined and j fought the Americans with their owi weapons, so that a very large number of shops refused to stock the tobacco and cigarettes of Messrs Ogden and their allies. In the end victory rested with the TTome firms, who purchased 'Ocrdon's and obtained almost, complete control of the British market. CRUSHING A GOLF BALL TRUST.. Not many months ago there was a trade war over golf balls. Certain big retail firms sold golf balls at cut prices, which almost completely killed the trade of the smaller dealers, who only thought in small quantities, and therefore could not afford to sell at such low rates as their big competitors. The stood by the smaller traders, refusing to lower their wholesale prices, and did their best to .prevent the cutting firms from obtaining supplies. It will be remembered that quite recently the butchers in many parts of the country proclaimed their intention 'of boycotting those farmers who would not give a warranty with their meat. ■The farmers would not give the required warranty, and, although many butchers refused to attend their sales, there was not sufficient agreement among retailers to force the farmers to agree to their terms.

Then the confectioners were also up in arms at one time and hinted darkly at boycotting the big chocolate makers who supplied stores and big firms selling confectionery at what was practically wholesale rates.

One confectioner had a shop opposite a grocer who was selling sweets at ridiculous prices and so killing the trade of the legitimate dealer. The grocer could afford to do this, as what he lost 011 his confectionery he made up on his groceries. The confectioner retaliated by selling tea, jam and other groceries, •and attracted so much trade that the grocer was glad to come to terms.

• A suggestion has been made bv one or two licensed victuallers' associations to ■boycott Irish whisky should Mr. Redmond refuse to oppose the passing of the Budget. Germany has also' had trouble with her Budgets of recent years, for the taxes on beer have been increased. The brewers were obliged to put up their prices, but increased them ,out of all proportion to the tax. This was too much for the beer-loving; Germans. and those firms who raised their prices to an outrageous level were boycotted until they reduced their charges. Trade boycotts are even used as a method of waging international war. During her recent high-handed action in the Near East, Austria lost hundreds of thousands of pounds by the refusal of Turkey, Servia and Montenegro to buy her poods.

America is said to have lost millions by the boycott that China placed on her exports a few vears ago. and Britain has more recently suffered in a similar way, while in Calcutta, the disaffected Bengalis refused to purchase British manufactures when Indian ones could ibe procured.

ELECTRICAL AXAESTHETTC. According to telegrams from Hartford, Connecticut, Dr. Louise IVoinofciteh. the Bussmn physician, who has for fifteen rears been experimenting with methods of electrical nnaethesia, supervised an operation of Mr. John firosic, twenty-five years old, at St. Francis' Hospital. Three toes were to lie amputated while the patient was under the influence of the current, which was used for practical purposes on a human being for the first time. Dr. M. Johnson applied an elpctric current of four milliawipero* and fiftv-fotir volts, l>y means of thre* electrodes, one at the ankle, another .at the shin-bone, and a third fct the from. the patient feeling no pain, and absolutely no other effects. Later, at the Hartford "Medical Society's club rooms. Dr. Ttabinoviteh demonstrated tin l nossibilities -of her discover 1 * o™ a rabbit, which she subiected to olc'-rical anaesthesia, and after cutting tV cord sewed un the wound. T !v> liVt hooped freelv about the room - 1 - '? 11 othing had happened. '•Vlion -oil M-ere courting me." sn'd h'- wfe. '"von dec'ared there wasn't another woman in the world like me." "Vm." rrnlied her husband, "and I'm glad of it—for the sake of the other men."