INTERIOR ECONOMY AND SUPPLY 45 



has usually nowhere to keep even a ton of hay 

 (40 trusses) or six to a dozen quarters of oats (12 

 or 24 sacks). He must thus buy from the dealer 

 in small quantities, and is always made to pay top 

 prices. It is his own fault if he pays these prices 

 for bad stuff, but he will do so if he doesn't look 

 out, and if he leaves it to his groom it is almost 

 certain that he will. 



Memory recalls the following incident. A big 

 firm of forage-dealers, not 100 miles from London, 

 give a groom los. at Christmas, and offer him five 

 per cent, on all his master has. Groom tells master. 

 Master pays his account, deducting five per cent, 

 from the total, informing the firm that if they can 

 afford to give it to his groom they can to him, 

 adding that they need not expect his custom in 

 future. Firm refuses cheque and demand payment 

 in full. Master sends it back, writing words to the 

 effect of " Take it or leave it, and go to law if you 

 like." Firm write back accepting cheque, and say- 

 ing that if their representative did give groom 105. 

 (they ignore the offer of five per cent.) it was only 

 for having taken care of their sacks, and this they 

 regard as a ^rade expense (!) which they would be 

 very glad to see done away with (! !). 



Now, what is the origin of this "trade expense" ? 

 Simply that generations of masters have been either 

 too ignorant, or too lazy, principally the former, to 

 look at and judge their own forage. Then Mr. 

 Groom goes to the forage-dealer and says, "If you 

 don't give me so-and-so, I tells my master your 



