Eddy, Arthur Jerome: The new competition: an examination of the conditions underlying the radical change that is taking place in the commercial and industrial world ; the change from a competitive to a cooperative basis (New York [u.a.], 1912)

RELATIONS WITH CUSTOMERS 189
The law is made to fit the average man, consequently it
must be a little blind to his habitual failings—it does not
arrest him when a little drunk, but only when so noisy as
to disturb others; it does not interfere with a little lying
and a little rascality, but only with conduct so notorious
it cannot pass unnoticed.
IX
The open-price movement deprives the tricky buyer of
his advantage.
To refer to an actual instance:
The member of an open-price association called at the
office of the purchasing agent of a large railroad to see
about a certain order for which he had put in a bid. The
purchasing agent pretended to look through a file of papers,
then said blandly,
“Sorry, but there are two or three lower bids than
yours.”
The bidder was surprised, “I don’t see how that can
be, I am sure my bid is the lowest.”
“Not by a good deal, but I am willing to give you a
chance to come down-■”
“Hold on,”- the bidder interrupted, “either you are
stringing me or some one else is. Here are all the bids you
have received,” and he drew from his pocket an abstract
of bids.
The agent looked surprised. “Where did you get that ?”
“I am a member of the- Open-Price Asso-
ciation, and every bid made on work is reported to the
secretary the moment it is. made and he sends this ab-
stract to every member bidding. According to this re-
port I am the lowest bidder. If you have a lower bid,
whose is it?”
“That’s my affair.”