Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1852-06-19
Paw as You Co.

|
& job when it was inahed-pay for 4 p2pe
when he subscribed for it, the community wouI
be all the better of for it, The credit sy-t"r
as Il general thing, is bad Ior all classes, partvts
larly is it in furious to those who are engaged il
mechanical pursuits. We were talking witt
one of this class the other day, who was en-
gagged on piece of work az could get m,
pay for this job when it is completed" he said
Il could do ten per cent: yes, fifteen per cent
cheaper than what will charge for it. And fo
this reason" he continued "when my work i,
done shall have to wait three or four month,
for my pay. At the expiration Of that time
present my bill. My employer, perhaps, does
| not find it convenient at that time to pay the
bill, and | am requested to cell again. After
waiting reasonable time | call anew. | do
not find him at his place Of business, or he may
be short at the time, and am again disappoin-
| ted. And so it may be over and over again
subjecting me to great loss of time which
might have been protitably employed. In the
meantime, | am obliged to obtain credit get
trusted for my stock. Irun up an account with
the grocer, the butcher, the tailor, the shocma-
ker, &c, paying an extra price for what buy,
for there is no man who will not sell at some
discount for cash on the nail. When my bills
are paid ! can pay what owe; but if my debt
ors disappont me, my creditors have to suffer
by the delay. lfmy workmen were sure of
getting their pay every Saturday night, they
would work for considerable less per diem; but
as it is, they have to get credited, or perhaps
they take an "order," and you know that an Or
der is vastly different from good bank bill or
silver dollar. The consequence is, they have to
pay an extra price charged all round. There is
another evil attending this credit system. A
man opens an account. His credit is good, and
he finds he has but to order an article and he
gets it. He is determined to live economically,
and within his means. But when his bill is
made out at the end of q given time he finds
that he has nsensibly run up a larger bill than
he intended. The balance is carried forward
to new account, perhaps, and he does not
mind it much. But on the next settlement
there is still larger balance. Then come duns
then follow other accounts opened elsewhere
succeeded by other balances and other duns,
until the poor fellow is harassed to death, and
can hardly hold up his head, as man should,
in walking the streets. Now all this vexation
might have been avoided, if he had received his
pay when it was due him. With the money in
his pocket, he could buy articles to suit him at a
less price He would look at his money twice
before he let it 60 out of his hands; and he
would closely calculate to make it hold out un-
til the end of the week, buying only what he
absolutely needed, so that when pay day came
round he would make both ends meet-more
likely have little fund in store for a wet day.
"You have no idea of all the evils of this
abominable credit system,' said our friend, who
was quite earnest on the subject. "Here is
little job am doing now, worth perhaps fifty or
seventy-ive cents. Instead Of getting my pay
for it when it is finished, shall probably be
told to charge it. Well, charge it, and dislik-
ing to dun a man for so small sum, let run
for some time. and then have to 60 for my
pay perhaps three or four times, losing in time
twice as much as what charge for the work
The man for whom | am doing this will proba-
blv have his pockets full Of change when he
calls for it. If knew he would pay when he
took it, I should ouly ask him fifty cents for it,
for it is all that the work is honestly worth
But know that he will not, and shall charge
him seventy-fve cents without any scruples,
for the extra twenty-five cents will not pay me
for the time and trouble shall he at in collect
ing it. These men seem to forget that, to the
and all who obtain their living by
labor, time is literally money. The merchant
can lose an hour or so without its affecting him;
but time is our capital, and We cannot afford to
waste it. Every unemployed hour is a dead
loss to u.s. Very frequently men call on me
to do nine. penny job, for whom, in all pro-
bability, may not do another cents worth of
work during the year, aad yet am requested
to charge it. Well, have charged thou
sand such petty jobs in my life, without
thought of collecting them, for they were not
worth the time it would take to collect them.
The whole system is a complete nuisance, and
if could only write as think, | should like
to give series of articles on the subject. How
much better now is the cash system. AS soon
Is mechanic finishes his work his money is
-eady for him. He pays his men, and he and
;hey pay their tailors, hatters, shoemakers gro
,ers, &c. &c. for whatever they buy. II an
article at one shop or store does not suit them,
hey 60 to another. There is an end to long
md doubtful accounts-an end to living be-
yond your means Everything is done on the
square. And then, again, tell you what it is,
man feels something like man who can
walk the streets jingling a spare dollar or so
n his pocket, knowing that he does not owe
cent in the world. He can take hold Of job
With spirit and will, which he is a stranger
o who has to cut round corners and through
,y-streets to avoid meeting dun. A man
sleeps sounder nights, and wakes up brighter
md fresher for work in the morning, when he
) free from debt, and knows that bis labor will
,ring in the ready cash." Something like this
vas the language employed by mechanic the
'ther day in our hearing, and we thought it
would not be bad idea to let our readess have
he advantage of t.--Postland Electric.
God Bor-The Committee of the Common