| Show TRI THE GIFT T SYSTEM 4 ji 1 IT has become very fashionable of late throughout the eastern states when parties wish to obtain an extensive sale of some article which they desire to dispose of to offer as an inducement to purchasers a gift of some kind there are book stores in the eastern cities conducted upon this plan whereof reif a person purchase p ur 1 hase a book will receive with wit hitas btag a gift apiece piece 9 of jewelry of trifling value but h i is in the publication of f news papers magazines and other periodicals that thit the gift business flourishes great inducements are held out fo to persons to raise clubs and though in many instances stan ceis ceia a person sending but two subscriptions script ions will receive what is called a premium it is those who send in a large amount who receive the large largo prizes or gifts almost every conceivable article is offered as a premium those sending small amounts are generally offered newspapers magazines books engravings plated knives and forks a and nd spoons and cheap jewelry generally while those who send larger amounts have articles of greater value offered to them such as watches sewing machines pianos organs melodeons melode ons reapers readers and mowers ploughs hs ac the person who gets up the club and sends bends on the names receives the pk premium yinlum and in some neighborhoods these people who wh tempted by the offer of the premium desire to get jet up these clubs become great bores through pestering families to subscribe for the periodicals which they wish to circulate they get all the advantage while the subscriber only receives his paper papery or magazin eor eon whatever he may subscribe for it is no more than right that agents who secure subscribers for fon fora fona a paper or magazine should get pay for their labor but the premiums offered by publications who have recourse to this method exceed in value the tho mere pay for the work performed jf if these premiums merely paid men mentor fon for their labor there would not be so many engage in getting tincup up clubs but they are tempting because of their value and they induce persons to exert themselves to canvass their neighborhoods the practice is an incorrect one and it is is really unjust to the mass of the subscribers it is upon the principle of a raffle or a lottery A number of or persons combine together too ether and subscribe small sums each whick which which in the aggregate amount to considerable each animated by the hope that he will draw the prize he ire i is s willing to gamble that amount for the chance and if he should be bd so lucky as to win and draw the prize he obtains an article for which he paid no fair equivalent but which the unlucky ones have more than paid for that is the case with a lottery or a raffie raffle our legislature has hits wisely stamped such transactions as illegal the premium business for periodicals is not conducted exactly in this manner 3 yet it amounts in fact to the same thing valuable premiums are given which the men who raise the clubs do not legitimately earn but which the subscribers really pay for the fairer way would be to pu put t the price pride of the periodical down to a 1 liv iv ingrate these remarks have been called forth by the recent announcement that every holier holler of a ticket for a lecture which Is to be delivered in this city on wednesday evening will be entitled to an article of some kind the most valuable of which will be a silver plated tea set we do not like to see this practice adopted here from the ability of the lecturer we think such a method of securing an audience annec I 1 essary bielle better r far to reduce the price I 1 of ad admission and let the value of these articles be equally divided among the patrons of the lecture by charging a lo 10 lower q price r i ce for tickets we are convinced vinc eat that h at this would meet with more general favor 0 i I 1 I 1 ii I 1 |
