The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-08-18
LONDON GROCERS.
Tricks of Their Trade by Which
They Swindle Customers.

"Most people would be astonished If
they knew how many London shop
keepers are compelled to resort to all
sorts of mean economies" said a Lon
try, but who served many years as an
assistant in large provision store in
the English capital.
Il don't believe there is any Yankee
doners would be incredulous If one
told them that many of the shopmen,
especially those in the provision de-
partments, are absolutely compelled to
practice the tricks Of the trade. AT
the shop worked at IL any one of the
weight he would be at once dismissed
and another man more expert at
weighing up put in his place.
.This seems, | know. sensational
sort of statement TO make, but it is
nevertheless quite true. In some shops
have worked in the proprietors abso-
lutely discourage honesty-make ii, in
fact, an utter impossiblity for any as
sistant To serve the public in an honest
and straightforward manner.
What do | mean? Well. take, for
instance, the butter counter under my
charge. l am served out with forty
pounds of butter and ten pounds of
wrapping paper, each weighed to the
fraction of an ounce, and for these |
must show returns for fifty pounds of
butter If | do not there is trouble
ahead.
How is it done? Water of course
weighs heavy, so we use plenty of il
while patting the butter into shape
Dash some more water on the paper
then thump butter and paper on TO the
scales together: snick a bit off if the
scale goes down heavily or smack a
morsel on if it won't move; take it off
and give it another pat. then thump
the lot on again. The scale moves
down slightly and, whisk, off comes
the butter and another paper goes
around il! Butter, water and paper
only weigh just a pound altogether,
same price for the paper and water
as for the butter. This weighing up
might say, is done very quickly and
neatly.
Cheese Is much easier to manipu.
late, and occasionally when our butter
receipts are low we can make up the
deficiency at the cheese counter. A
lady asks, we will say. for a pound OF
cheese - 'eightpenny cheddar' - and
cut piece which weighs slightly more
Picking up few of the smaller
weights, put one or two on each side
Of the balance. Perhaps the cheese
weighs half an ounce over the pound
seventeen ounces, ninepence, madam,
l say. will that doY And. as a rule
she takes ii without question. thus
paying for the extra half ounce at the
rate Of IS. Sd. per pound.
'In the other departments IL k the
same. Tea is Usually weighed in q
lead wrapper. and sugar, OF course. In
the familiar thick and heavy paper
SO that in every case the customer pays
for the wrapper at the same rate as
for the article.
'Of course IL Is not fair TO the pub
lie, but what can we assistants dol
II we are at any time found giving
more than weight we are reported and
most probably dismissed. The man.
ager will sometimes send a small boy
or girl into the shop for some butter
or cheese: then directly the messenger
hands him the package he bounces In.
TO the shop and puts the butter OF
cheese on the scales again. II IL, with
the paper, just balances. then alls
well."-New York Herald.