The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-10

Terms IS ;Oe per gear IN advdsscs. AsAAe
~ Reading Matter on ell -Four Pages
THE HAwKERs' AND PMDDLERs'
LAW OF THIS STATE.
The Boston wholesale merchants are very
much disturbed by the operation of one of the
laws of this commonwealth, which is designed
to prevent unauthorized and and unlicensed
parties from abroad, such as dew peddlers,
German hawkers, and B0ston runners, from
setting up their shops ins the, front rooms "
sky parlors Of every hotel in the State, cohssfs7
inythem into wholesale and retafi franc = lops'
while escaping all the burdens OF taxaslon 70
which our local merchants ere sHDlectean Fl >
II has been the custom for Boston mer-
chants to send out their clerks, during the
duh business season, all over our State, each
carving a valiss or trunk full Of samples, and
these runners have been accustomed to go in
to ali our villages, spread their wares upon the
bed or table in their sleeping room, and then
invite in al the small traders, snd heads Of
families, and take their orders for 1goods'-the
smallest favors being thankfully received-to
be forwarded from Boston by express, "a
Every person who has had experience with
these fellows is aware of the fact, that in MAJ
jority of cases when the answer TO the order
is received, it is found to be apartiai or Q per-
feet swindle; that is, the goods sent do not
compare fasorably with the sample from
which the order was made. Perhaps when
the order is received in Boston the precise ar
ticles demanded are not in store, and so some
thing resembling it is sent; perhaps an inten-
tional swindle is perpetrated, cotton warp be
ing sent in answer to q silk warp order, or 3
fabric composed of equal parts of cotton, linen
and starch labeled squire .faza-being palm
ed off in place ofgenuine linen, or sea Island
cotton of peculiar finish, may be made to gu
an order for raw silk. All such tricks Of
trade" are familiar to those who have made it
practice toibuy BIZ sample T-tricks which are
hard to play off when the purchaser goes into
a wholesale store and makes his aselections
from full stock. Z, : 7FTssFs1 ~ xas 80
Itmay be as well to state here, that these
remarks are no reflection upon the character
of well established and reputable merchants of
Boston, for it is not this class that send their
runners abroad loaded with samples, on such
errands as we have spoken oE I'm nine cases
out of ten the houses In Boston from which
these runners emanate, are either those of a
tricky or doubtful reputation, or they are new
establishments, with small trade. whose pro
prietors resort to'this kind Of policy In order
to build up a. trade sorsto procure customers
that would not otherwise find them out. The
best houses do not, - . general rule, send
their wares, or even samples, away from home
to secure sale. It is tricky business, wen
fitted to cammend itselfto suspicious houses,
and to engage the services of q class Of young
men having many of the afasts attributes
young men who can be trusted with samples
and to procure orders, more safely than they
could be trusted in the warehouse, face-to-face
with customers whose good win il all imporz
tant to retain. Ise1 9ncO .AooIa aiqQsID
But it was not aloneIto protects eur people
againt imposition that the law of this State
was passed, nor is it TO this simple end that
its enforcement is now called for. There are
other reasons Of vital importance to inter-
est and welfare o, our own State Hundreds
of our merchants go to Boston to purchase
their goods Boston isl 70 al large extent7
not necessarily Sour great market town. We
have our wholesale merchantss not only in
this city, but Tin Bangor, in Bath, and in other
large towns and cities Of the State, who go to
Boston and New York and purchase along
side of the Boston jobber, or they purchase
of the manufaeturefs agents at the sams fig
ure that is paid by the Boston dealer The
Boston jobber pays isttaxes In Boston; he
pays a U. S. license to sell at scholesates tn
Massachusetts,, and no where else The Maine
merchant pays taxes IN Maine, and is licensed
to sell goods in Maine. He aidsin supporting
our state, county and municipal corp rations,
our schools and highways not enc 0farthing Of
the expense Of which falls upOn. the man ip
Boston who sends his runners here to sen
goods by sample. Now the Boston J6bbef or
small Wholesalers. Is not satisfied TO, sell To
Maine merchandise Boston; heis not satisfied
to do business in his own store, on his own
premises, where he is licensed to do it, but he
claims the right tOiopenSa Wholesale sandsre
tail shopineeEery public house IN vMRine, to
compete with our merchants at Their own
doors, without payment Of rent, without sub
lection to taxation, with6utany Of the hurdens
which fall 50 heavily upon our own nercfahts,
This is their policy, and they claim that they
hava n ,.inbf tn nurSue IT,
But the law0of our State puts azbar In their
way, at which they, rage and foam and gnash
their teeth Letltheun come into Maine and
rent stores and pay taxes and aid In bearing
our burdens, and we will wish them a hearty
Godspeed, and welcome them warmly but we
insist that il they are to haye The benefits Of
our trade they shall dose leg6imateiysM Find
ing the law in their way--a law which only
prevents their gaining undue and unjust adj
Understanding without corresponding
burdens such as our own people are forced 70
submit to-they are clamoring for its repeal,
and report says they have raised 2 large fund
to secure this object, and further report has It
that they find agents in this State who are
willing to become their tools to work the ruin
of our own merchants; work their ruin by
discriminating against them and in favor iof
outsiders and transient strangers We ars
told that John Al. Poor has agreed, IN consid-
Grafton of $1,000 to be paid to him, to secure
the repeal Of this law. Perhaps he can pur-
chase thelegislature Of Maine, but we are not
yet prepared to adopt such supposstfon a8bst