Australian Tales - Setis

must know that it is not right to countenance wrong, in any shape, or
under any circumstances.”
The servant looked startled at my ghostly invocation, and explained,
“that the candles had not been sold to her as full weights, but were
merely recommended as ‘very cheap.’ She was certain sure the
shopkeeper was a fair dealing man, and would not tell a lie for a cargo of
candles.” But when I asked her how I could possibly believe that, with
the palpable fact before my eyes, that he had given her but “thirteen
ounces for a pound;” she fumbled at her apron strings, and said “she
didn't know she was sure; but she fancied it was only for want of
thought; and nobody would believe it was anything more than an error of
the head, who knew Mr. Brown.” After cautioning the girl not to buy any
more cheap candles, or short weight articles of any sort, I sat down in the
dim glimmer of the thin tapers and began to ruminate on the light weight,
and short length system, which is at the present day so glaringly tolerated
in these colonies, and which sometimes bears the sanction of trade
marks, either genuine or forgeries.
But first of all, I tried to unravel the mystical legal distinction between
the open sin of Mr. Brown, in selling pounds of candles weighing only
thirteen ounces, and that of his neighbour, Mr. Doughnut, in owning
sundry two pound loaves, each being about an ounce short of the
standard weight; and I called to mind a case which was investigated at
the Police Office the other day. I mention it for the sake of the analogy,
rather than to enlist sympathy for the mulcted tradesmen. A baker
pleaded guilty of having thirteen loaves in his cart, which in the
aggregate, were fourteen ounces less than their proper weight; but his
feasible explanation of the accidental cause of the short-comings of his
bread, was not received in extenuation of his crime, and he was mulcted
in the full penalty by law made and provided. Why Mr. Brown should not
be fined for his short-weighted candles, or anything else short weight in
his shop, I failed to find a satisfactory reason, after half an hour's study,
so I gave it up; but would beg respectfully to commend the puzzling
subject to some of our active legislators, in order to get the consideration
of “the House” upon it, and if possible to remove the seeming
antagonism between justice and common sense.
But composite candles are not the only articles deficient in weight and
measure, and of inferior quality, which find their way to our colonial
markets, to prey upon the health and pockets of the humble classes
especially. It is not easy for me to enumerate the deceptive goods, nor is
it necessary to do so. I can adduce facts enough to draw attention to the
evil, and I wish I could hope to cure it.
There are many articles of daily demand in which the judgment of the
purchaser is less likely to detect fraud than in the consumptive-looking
candles just alluded to. For instance, in haberdashery wares, where short