The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-21
THE BEST POLICY.
Honesty and Fair-Dealing Sure 60 Win In
the Long Rur.

the Long Ruiz.
We have heard on numerous occa-
sions some very bitter things said against
farmers by the class of people who buy
of them in the public markets of our
towns and cities. They sometimes go
as far as to assert that such thing as a
farmer who gives honest weight and
good measure is not to be found. But
such sweeping assertions are to be 70
ceived with many grains of allowance.
There is no doubt considerable fault on
both sides. The buyers on the one
hand are often disposed to beat down
and ''haggle" on prices to an exasper-
ating extent, and not infrequently prac-
tice mean and petty tricks to reduce the
price of commodities they intend to
buy. 1t is undoubtedly such practices
as these that have given rise to some of
the questionable methods employed by
the farmers in the market to get rid of
their produce at an advantage. Blu.
nothing can be said in defense of dis.
honesty under any circumstances. The
result of fraud and deception on either
hand is sure to work injury to all con.
cerned. When mans word and as
surances are mistrusted it occasions
trouble and vexatious delay in order to
test and prove matter of trade Every
pound of hay must be reweighed, the
wood piled and measured, the fruit
barrels explored. the butter tubs ..tried'
through and through, and everything
else subjected to a rigid inspection be-
fore the buyer is satisfied that he is get
ting the worth of his money All this
takes time and is not little trying to
the temper of sellers, especially of those
who have honest intentions.
But, perhaps, dear experience has
induced a state of feeling in the buyer
that It's not safe to rely upon
the representations of interested
parties. Perhaps he has beforetime
bought load of hay sin the lump"
bright and solid to all appearance, and
found, on taking it to his barn, that he
had been deceived with ..made "
load, packed firmly with good hay
around the outside but hollow and
black in the middle. Perhaps his cord
of wood in the market has sflrunk to
half cord by the time it is piled in the
shed, and the s.crows' nests" are
Strengthened out. Perhaps he has seen
his barrel of apples or potatoes shrink
wonderfully in size and quality us he
approaches the bottom of the barrel.
Experiences like these have made him
suspicious and nistrustful of every Of
fered bargain. and he settles into the
belief that nothing is TO be accepted as
genuine that is not proved before his
eva eyes. Looking at the matter from
his standpoint. the buyer seems justi-
fed in his belief Regarding it from
the other side, it seems, as we have
said. that the seller has been driven
into sharp practices by the petty and
artfnl tricks that are often employed to
reduce Che price of his commodities.
The result in many cases has been to
make the places where the farmers and
their customers meet q scene of UNDER
handed warfare, of cunning and trick
cry on both sides, chat is humiliating
and disgraceful to all concerned. The
one and only thing to do, is for the
seller 10 give honest weight and honest
and for the buyer to use dis
and treat honest men as
they deserve to be treated, and not look
upon every man of a class as rogue
because there is now and then one who
deserves that title.-N. T. Observer.