Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1863-01-17
Liberality In Business.

There is no greater mistake, says contempo-
rary, business man can make than to be mean in
his business. Always taking the half cent, and
never returning cent for the dollars he has made
and is making. Such policy is very much like
the farmers, who sows three pecks of seed when
he ought to have sown five, and as reconpense
for the leanness of his soul only gets ten when he
might have got fifteen bushels of grain.
Everybody has heard of the proverb of penny
wise and pound foolish" liberal expenditure
in the way of business is always sure to be cap
ital investment. There are people in the world
who are shortsighted enough to believe that their
interest can be best promoted by graspng and
cinging to all they can get, and never letting a
cent slip through their fingers.
As general thing it will be found-other things
being equal-that he who is the most liberal is
most successful in business. Of course we do not
mean it to be inferred that man should be prod
igal in his expenditures but that he should show
to his customers, if he is trader. to those whom
he may be doing any kind of business with, that,
in all his transactions, well social relations,
he acknowledges the everlasting fact that there
be no permanent prosperity or good feeling In
community where benefits are not reciprocal.
We know of instances where traders have en-
loyed the profits of hundreds of dollars worth of
trade and yet have exhibited not the slightest dis
position to recprocate even to the smallest amount.
Now, what must necessarily follow from such
course? Why. simply the loss of large profits per
annum, i'll the loss of trade, which, under a more
liberal system, might have been retained.
The practice of some men seems to be, to make
little show in the way of business as possible.
Such a one, if trader, takes pains with the ap-
pearance of his store. Everything around him is
in a worn-out, dilapidated, dirty condition. To
have it otherwise it would cost dollar for white
wash, and perhaps FIVE for painting, and few dol
lars besides for cleaning up and putting things to
order. And so he plods on and loses hundreds of
dollars worth of custom for the want of attention
to these matters, while his more sagacious neigh
Dor, keeping up with the times, and having an eye
to appearances, does prosperous business.
Another will spend no money in any way to make
business for fear he shall not get it back again.
Consequently he sends out no circulars, distributes
no hand-bilIs, publishes no advertisements but
sits down croaking about the hard times-moan-
ing over the future prospect of notes to pay, no
money, and no trade and comes out, Just where
he might expect to cOme-short, while his neigh
Dor, following in different track, doing all that is
necessary to be done to make business isn't short,
but has money to loan and it would be Just like
him to gettwelve per cent, perhaps more, for the
use of it and we should not blame him for 50
doing.
The fact is, times have changed. The manner of
doing business is different now from what it used
to be. Ii would be Just foolish to insist upon
doing business now, in the old-fashioned way as it
would be to insist upon travelling with an ox-team
instead of by railroad; to get news by od-fashiOned
stages instead of having it brought by the light
ming telegraph. The times demand men of en-
larged, liberal, energetic souls-men who will keep
up with the world as it goes men of hearts, too,
who not only desire to go ahead themselves, but
take pleasure in seeing others succeed and who
have public spirit enough to do something for, and
rejoice in the prosperity of the peoples. F. Mer-
camille Gazette and Prices Current.