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GAZETTE
sepTemBER
1986
as the Firm prospers so, hopefully, will I". He saw his
future clearly.
They shook hands warmly and the employee left the
gold-plated penthouse thinking: "What a fool I was, even
to
think
of increasing the Overheads". He did not see
the Boss smiling, the door closed softly, murmuring
"There's one born every day".
The next employee who came was treated in exactly
the same way. His heart swelled and head reeled with the
possibilities as he heard Sam say: "One day, who knows,
you may be sitting where I am". He left, a happy man,
and also a smiling Sam.
But Sam knew in his heart that this state of affairs
couldn't last forever. And it didn't.
One day, one of Sam's lawyer employees left without
notice. The young lawyer thought that too many people
his senior were aiming for Sam's chair in the penthouse
and for him, Joe, it was a long, long way to the gold-
plated desk.
Joe bought a small office in the street around the cor-
ner from Lex Street (for, as stated, all of Lex Street
belonged to Sam) and put up a Notice over the door
"CHEAPER LAW".
Sam watched Joe's progress carefully. Each night Sam
went around to Joe's office window and carefully jotted
down his colleague's prices. Later, on his calculator Sam
estimated that Joe's services were costing 10% less than
his own Junk Basement. Next morning, on the Breakfast
Show, citizens of Utopia were delighted to see that
G.U.L.S. Bargain Basement had a giant sale, law prices
were slashed 25% or more. They rushed to buy.
Poor Joe had to lower
his
his prices by 30% to stay
in business. Even that wasn't enough. For Sam soon
advertised on his TV a Campaign for Lower Priced Law;
Junk Law was now down to 50% of recommended retail
price for the following Law Term.
Joe began to starve and his wife began to rail him for
leaving the secure job in the big Law Store. She even
threatened to go to the Junk Basement for advice on her
Rights.
Sam watched Joe's decline with great sadness and
when, approaching Christmas, he thought the time was
right he left his penthouse, went down the lift to the street
and personally strolled around to Joe's office. He greeted
his Brother in Law warmly and invited Joe and his wife
to dinner that evening. Joe grasped the invitation eager-
ly; he knew, and Sam knew, that Joe's wife would be
delighted to get an offer they couldn't really refuse.
And Utopia, from then on, lived happily ever
after. •
• Frank O'Mahony is a Solicitor practising in Bantry, Co. Cork.
W. King Ltd.
We have now opened our new Head Office & Showrooms
at
54 Bol ton Street, Dublin 1
(Opposite Technical College)
Tel. (01) 731285
731463
731455
FULL AND EXTENDED RANGE OF ALL LEGAL/GENERAL PRINTING
Open 9.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Our branch at 18 Eustace Street is also open
9.30 a.m. -12.45 p.m.
2.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.
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