INANGAHUA MERCANTILE COMPANY, (LIMITED.)

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1340, 24 December 1883, Page 2

INANGAHUA MERCANTILE COMPANY, (LIMITED.)

; . . ■_ ■ ............ (To the Edetok, Inanovhul Times.) Sir, — The importance of the above scheme to the inhabitants of this district will be my only excuse for troubliug you with th" following remarks on the subject : — lt is a notorious fact that with all the public money that has been spent in this district in making roads and bridges the prices charged for the necessaries of life are nearly aa high as they were when we had only bush tracks and no bridges at all. It would appear from this that the public money was spent for the special benefit of a certain class of the comma- I nity. It is for those reasons, I presume, j that the promoters of the above company are exerting themselves, in order to reduce the price of living in proportion to i their earnings. It may be argued that the | wages on the West Coast are higher than in any other part of the Colony, which I will admit ; but the facts are that the working classes, owing to the .fluctuating nature of th« labor market, cannot find employment for more than say nine months in the year of an average. Thus the majority of them are simply living from hand to mouth. In the face of those facts, I think the promoters of the scheme deserve the thanka of all the working classes in the district, and all those who are large consumers of general merchandise, such as licensed j victualers, the profits to them would be considerable. The basis upon which it is intended to manage the business is set forth in the prospectus, and it is unneces sary for me to refer to it, but I will endeavour to point out a few advantages that the company would have over any private individual in the same line of business. In the first place, they would know the number of customer^ they would have before they start business, as every shareholder would be a customer. We will say for instance that the whole of the shares are taken up by 300 customers, or an average of something over 3 shares per customer. The company can calculate pretty nearly what the working expenses would be, and it is a well known fact that the larger the business the less the working expenses, and the same argument will apply to buying and importing goods. The larger the quantity, the cheaper they can be bought especially when the company is in a position to pay ready cash for them. This district is just ripe for such a scheme ; roads are madf% or are in course of construction, to every remote' part of the district where there are people living, at the public expense, offering every facility for the conveyance of goods in drays, or other vehicles, and in all that is fair let us try and have some of the benefits arising from the expenditure of so much public money. The success of the above scheme means, to the shareholder, goods at wholesale prices, leas working expenses ; whether in first or second class goods, full and honest weight ; prompt attention to their orders ; a clean and well arranged : store, where everything must be in i;s place, and a place for everything ; where business must be done as it should be done ; correct bills must be rendered to customers. No, such a thing as items charged twice over, or neglecting to credit customers with moneys paid. This sort of thing frequently occurs with the present business people, but negligence of this kind on the part of a clerk in the employment of a company would mean immediate dismissal. In conclusion, I sincerely trust that the general public will embrace

this opportunity of bettering their condition, and it is to ihe interest of every person in the district to* help those who are now endeavouring to reduce the necessaries of life. The Provisional Directors have given their labor gratis, and will continue to do so until the shares are' applied fur and alloted, when they will hand the whole business over to the shareholders, to make their own rules, and elect out of their number as directors, those who they may thing, most able to manage the business. I may add that it was arranged that the promoters will, in the event of the scheme not being a success, or, in other words, a sufficient number of shares not being taken up to warrant them in going On ' with " it, they will bear all the'preliminary expenses themselves, and return the application money to all other applicants upon production ,of their receipts. Under those circumstances it is only reasonable to expect that mi ending shareholders will meet he Directors half way, and apply for shares, by so doing they will save them a deal of trouble, as it is their intention to canvass the district,»and push the scheme to a'BUccessfut issue, if possible. Le it be remembered that one share will entitle a person to all the benefits derived from the Company, but the greater the -number of shares •he greater tliebeaefits. ,' ,one Bhare ought to be within reach of any person in the District, the ■ calls on it beiug only tea shillings per month. By inserting the above you will oblige . '', i- > ' -■■'.. Your.&Cf ■'■■„.-- - (:. " ■-.'. , -I-. &h.?£." - 'f~v : t'.;. 'jpzaQKßia. ; Reefton, December 20th, 1893. ,~