Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 33

397. Had you made up your mind before you went there as to what you wanted to buy?-Yes.

398. And you got what you wanted?-I had to take what he had. I had no other chance.

399. Did you want these goods at that time?-If I had got the money, I would not have bought them at that time.

400. What would you have done with the money?-I would have bought grocery things-things that he did not have.

401. How do you get provisions when you want them?-My mother has a farm, and I work with her.

402. You sometimes work out-of-doors?-Yes.

403. How do you pay your rent for the farm?-My mother sometimes sells an animal, and pays the rent with the price.

404. To whom does she sell these animals?-To any one she can get to buy them. I don't know any one particularly to whom she sells them.

405. Whose ground are you on?-Mr. Bruce of Sand Lodge.

406. Is there any one in your family who goes to the fishing?-No; my brothers are all in the south.

407. Do you sometimes exchange for provisions the goods you get from Mr. Linklater for your hosiery?-No; I always get provisions home with me without changing them.

408. How is that? Have you some money?-Yes. It is by the farm that we have it.

409. Have you ever had occasion to exchange your goods for provisions?-No.

410. Do you know whether that is a common practice in your district?-I don't know.

411. Have you ever received a line instead of goods?-No.

412. Have you ever asked for a line?-No.

413. You say that to-day you took a shawl to Mr. Linklater, which he had ordered, and that you got from him along with goods?- Yes.

414. What was the value put upon the shawl?-10s.; but I had had a shawl in with him before and some veils since I was in the town last.

415. Had these been paid for?-No.

416. Then what was the whole sum due to you day?-I think it was 1, 2s. 6d.

417. Why did you not get your money or goods the last time you went in?-I sent the articles in then; I did not come myself.

418. So that there was no opportunity of settling with you before today?-No.

419. How much money did you ask for to-day?-I asked for 2s., and I got it.

420. Did you not want more?-I did not ask more and I don't think I would have got more if I had asked it. That was the reason why I did not ask it; because Mr. Linklater does not make it his practice give money.

421. Then when you go in any day to the merchant, you just say, 'Here is your shawl,' and you ask how much you are to get for it?-Yes.

422. What is his answer?-He just mentions whatever he likes to give.

423. But he gives you a fair value for the work, does he?-Yes; sometimes.

424. Do you think he puts too low a value on your work?-Yes; I often think that.

425. Do you think there is anything very unreasonable in the value he puts upon it?-Yes; sometimes I do.

426. How long does it take you to make a 10s. shawl-I would make one of them in a month if I was not doing much else.

427. Would it take you so long as a month?-Yes.

428. When you take in the shawl, you say the merchant puts his value upon it: do you ask him for a little more than he says, or are you satisfied with the value he puts on it?-If it is reasonable-like, I say nothing about it.

429. He does not hand you the money?-No.

430. What takes place then?-He asks me what I want in goods. If I ask for money, he says no.

431. Does he give any reason for refusing you money?-He says he never gives it, and he won't give it to me.

432. Is that the only reason that has ever been a.s.signed to you for not giving you money?-Yes. There was one of them in the shop that said that to-day, and Mr. Linklater himself came in and gave me 2s.

433. Then you were refused money to-day by the shopman?-Yes.

434. He wanted you to take the whole amount in goods?-Yes.

435. He did so, because that was the practice?-Yes; and Mr.

Linklater himself gave the 2s., and he also offered me a pa.s.s-book.

436. Who was the shopman who did that?-I think Robert Anderson is his name.

437. Did you say anything to Mr. Linklater when he came in?-I just asked him for the money.

438. You applied to him for the money when the shopman had refused it?-Yes.

439. And Mr. Linklater gave it to you without any hesitation?- Yes.

440. The 2s. was all that you asked?-Yes. I thought I would not get any money, because I had been denied it before.

441. Did you take the pa.s.s-book that was offered to you?-No; I did not think of taking it to-day.

442. Were you thinking of not dealing with Mr. Linklater any more?-No; I have got another shawl from him to make.

443. Did you get the worsted for it to-day?-Yes.

444. Does Mr. Linklater take a note of the quant.i.ty of worsted he gives out to you?-Yes; he weighs it.

445. He knows how much it will take to make a shawl, and he weighs the shawl when it is brought back?-Yes.