January 3, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



473 



all good things have their limitations 

 and what is beneficial or wholesome in 

 some cases often produces the contrary 

 effect in others. 



The Abase of Oedit. 



Assuming that credit, well regulated 

 and judiciously used, is a privilege that 

 the strictly honorable and enterprising 

 business man cannot fail to ma!ke the 

 most of, it becomes an absolute menace, 

 often to a whole business community, 

 when placed at the disposal of the un- 

 scrupulous trickster. To illustrate my 

 idea: I know of a florist in the west, 

 doing a thriving business, who seems to 

 take especial delight in defrauding his 

 creditors. He buys everything in or out 

 of sight, in Holland, Belgium or New 

 Jersey, throwing his goods on the mar- 

 ket at prices, compared with which, those 

 «f his legitimate competitors seem pro- 

 hibitory. 



Here is a case of credit misapplied, 

 the result proving detrimental not only 

 to the man sustaining a direct loss, but 

 to the florists in the immediate vicinity, 

 as well. 



I will cite another case. There is a 

 florist in one of the middle states, who 

 makes it a practice to order every new 

 seedling carnation in sight. Unlike the 

 careful, ultraeonservative grower who 

 pays his bills and who, as a matter of 

 course, wants to know something about 

 the variety offered, the man I speak of, 

 orders indiscriminately on the principle 

 of "something to gain and nothing to 

 lose," never paying for the stock. 



The season following, he offers rooted 

 cuttings at a reduced price, underselling 

 the very man he victimized, thus doing 

 him a double injury. And yet, despite 

 such instances, and I could cite many 

 others, and despite the fact that trick- 

 sters, under the assumed name of flo- 

 rists, are encroaching upon the legitimate 

 trade in a manner most injurious to our 

 common interests; in our anxiety to 

 outdo our competitors, to swell our vol- 

 ume of business we are inclined to take 

 chances; we fail to discriminate, to draw 

 the line most rigorously, as it needs to 

 be drawn, between those worthy of our 

 confidence and those who should be black- 

 listed in letters so large and conspicuous, 

 that he who runs may read. 



And right here I wish to be under- 

 stood, that I am in no wise reflecting 

 upon the honor of those, who through no 

 fault of their own, but owing to adverse 

 business conditions or unforeseen cir- 

 cumstances, were compelled to liquidate 

 their affairs as best they could ; in other 

 words, to fail in their business. Such 

 men deserve our sincere sympathy and it 

 behooves us as men, and as members of 

 a noble craft, to do all within our power 

 to aid them. 



Run the Rascals Out. 



It is the scamp, not the unfortunate 

 victim of circumstances, the man (God 

 save the name) who lays his trap for 

 the unsuspecting Hollander, who scans 

 the trade papers and picks his victims 

 to suit his own nefarious designs; it is 

 a fellow of this sort, I say, that deserves 

 our unqualified censure and our utmost 

 condemnation. 



Aside from the moral element involved, 

 and, aside from the fact that scoundrel- 

 ism should be discouraged on general 

 principles, we must view the situation 

 from the standpoint of self-interest, of 

 self-protection. It is a duty which we 

 owe to ourselves, to our fellow-members, 

 to the community at large, to turn the 

 I'ascals down and out. It is high time. 



An Anniversary Basket of Plants* 



indeed, that we realize the situation as 

 it affects our common interests. Often 

 the misdeeds of one miscreant will re- 

 flect upon the honor of the innocent. It 

 is but human nature to profit by ex- 

 perience. If John has victimized us, it 

 is not likely that we will place our im- 

 plicit tnist and confidence in Tom, not- 

 withstanding the fact that the latter 

 means us no harm. 



It is in instances of this sort where 

 credit not only ceases to be a blessing 

 and a privilege, but it becomes an abso- 

 lute curse; and the sooner we realize it 

 and the sooner we devise some means 

 and ways whereby to put an end to such 

 abominable practices, the better for all 

 concerned. Our trade papers can and 

 should help us to accomplish this worthy 

 object, for there is no means more ef- 

 fective, there is no weapon more power- 

 ful than the press. Under the glare of 

 its far-reaching searchlight, human rats 

 invariably go under cover. If credit is 

 a privilege, that privilege must not be 

 abused. 



Fortunately, however, such men, the 

 black sheep in our fold, are but in the 

 minority and need not he considered in 

 connection with our credit system, as 

 practiced by the rank and file, the men 

 whose honesty and honorable intentions 

 are beyond reproach, who meet their ob- 

 ligations in the long run. 



Obligations of Debtors. 



A few weeks ago I happened to meet 



a fellow-traveler, representing a western 

 crockery concern, who, in the course of 

 our conversation, said to me, ' ' The flo- 

 rists are awfully slow pay. While other 

 business men will either pay upon matur- 

 ity, or else will write to the house and 

 ask for an extension of time, the florists, 

 as a rule, do neither; statements, letters 

 and drafts seem to have no effect upon 

 them. Eventually, of course, they pay, 

 but they do so to suit their own con- 

 venience, regardless of conditions or 

 terms. ' ' 



r no,pd hardly add that there is a deal 

 of truth in these remarks and that the 

 man knew whereof he spoke. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, and I say it without any 

 fear or reservation, in the majority of 

 cases, terms are honored more in the 

 breach than in the observance. 



To be sure, the average florist means 

 well, he means to pay his bills — some 

 time. He has good intentions; but, and 

 here comes the rub, good intentions 

 never were and never will be a negotiable 

 asset. Good intentions can never pay an 

 account. A book full of * ' good inten- 

 tions " is no more effective and can no 

 more sustain the stability of a business 

 house, than a prayer of Dowie, for ex- 

 ample, can stay the ravages of an incur- 

 able disease. Like prayer, good inten- 

 tions are good enough in their place, but 

 in this matter-of-fact world, unless 

 backed by something tangible, something 

 negotiable, good intentions are of no 

 particular consequence. 



