RETAIL COMMERCIALS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3009, 27 October 1891, Page 2

RETAIL COMMERCIALS.

TO THK KIIITOH. Sll!,—The, ..p.io-siti-.n t<, our local Htoro-keeper.-i by the travelling agents of Auckland linns must lin se.veie.ly felt by them. An " Anti-Tallyman " pointed <mt in your last issue, these agents must be well patronised, as their numbers are on tho increase, Their success demonstrates that ladies, in making their purchases, prefer to ba waited on at their own homes to visiting the shops. If this method of doing business were to have the p.lfect of closing the country stores, it would certainly nut be to the advantage of tho country townships—in fact it would hive a tendency to wipe them out, bud Indies urn not like.ly to be influenced by any consideration for the welfare of the borough or town district in which they reside when buying a dozen of lnngclnth or a pair of stays. If the local drapers rely on the growth of such a spirit amongst our wives and sist»rvi to rid them of the opposition of Auckland firms, such opposition will never be broken down, and some of these days they may be forced to "fold their tents" and steal away, silently or otherwise. The remedy must bo supplied by themselves. It will never do for them to sit patiently hehind their counters praying for customers, whilst the retail commercials are energetically scouring the district, securing the bull; of the trade, and effectually preventing tile prayers of the shopkeepers from being answered. Tho local drapers mint fight the travellers with their own weapons—they must also employ canvassers or canvass themselves for orders, selling their goods nt as rewi!) ible a price as tho Auckland people, thus securing the trade, and making it unprofitable to the city firms to send representatives tit his district, A persuasive, canvasser will often find customers and effect sales where such sales would never have been made had tho goods not been brought under the notice of and almost forced on the customer. The success of bunk fiends proves this. Those latter are able to disoonn of hundreds of volumes of trashy hooks, in less time than a local hnnksaller who waits for customers to call could sell ana of iinv description. Again, the drapery hawknr, like the book agent, does nnt press for immediate payment -he only wants the order now, payment can be made when he next visits the district, in three months time. This w« »U know from oxnorience with tho book men, is a powerful inducement, and it, decides many » waverer. Three months is a 1 mgtime t>. look forward to ; tn my believe thny will have the money reidv in limn, and no doubt m ike an effort to meet their engagement; but others there nie who give their ordeis with a lieht heart, glad to have, I he opportunity, and who don't cue a brass f.irthing whether the agent is ever paid or not. The stvlish and fashionable appearance of many ladies of humble rank "wheno'or they take their walks abroad,•' often and naturally excites the query, "How is it dono?" The three months' credit system throws a lurid light nil tiie mystery. The local drapers will find this system of long credit the hardest, point to overcome, in competing with the. retail commercials, but it will eventually kill itself, as the agents will he impo-nd u'o 1 and nuke so many kisses that they will have, in self defence, to demand eish payments. Local bodies cinnot invmsti a fee on the travellers as tli" impositi.il] of such a fee overrides a ci lonial statute, and although Rontiincnt may lie v.'i'h the local shopkeepers, when self interect clashes with sentiment, it. is |,!,« and not thu inter, , .*!; that has to take a bick s--eat. The shopkeeper* h:i vf! therefore, only their own effort* fo den-id on, and if they do not, like business m n n ought, devise some, uwthol of preventing the. trade of their own district hning filched from thorn by the travelling agents, they deserve no sympathy if they lose the greater part of it. —Yours, etc. VIGILATK. TO THK EDITOR. Sni,—The boycotting spirit and abusive style, of the letters of "Ou-lonker" and "Anti-Tallyman," in your issues of 20th and 24th inst. respectively, against commercial travellers representing various retail hoiise3 in the city, manifest a desire to create a hatred in the minds of the community ngainst those parsons, who I opine arc following their occupations in an honest, open way; but such low tactics, vindictivenes--, and partial statements as those letters display are not likely to enlist in their favour those in power whose ear they would gain in order to carry out their own unscrupulous desires; for our Councils are, not made, up of men of their mould, but of gentlemen capable of weighing matters fairly and coming to just decisions, It is mere presumption tor •• Anti-Tallyman " or " On-lnoker," or any one else, to dictate to settlers, who have come here independent, or who have struggled to comparative competency or to a position in which they can pay twenty shillings in the Al—practical people, who have had years of dearlybought experience, to tell such with whom or where they should deal. The proceeds of the sales of their butter, eggs, etc., at prices as a rula painful to mention are, I think, usually "taken out." Apart from their income derived from cattle, sheep, etc., the creameries ooen a market through which many by "hard slogging" secure a considerable monthly cheque. There are also many set'lers who are indispensable tu the dis'.iict, as ploughman, shearers, drainers, clearing men, etc., earning their wages by steady toiling. Settlers generally are now thoroughly acquainted with prices and qualities of the goods they use, and with the value of the cash that costs thani so much to acquire, that they need not the advice of "On-lnoker," "AntiTallyman," or their like,—l am, etc., Old Settlkh. Ngaruawahin, October 2li, IK'JI.