This naturally led him to suppose that the cheapness of the first glass arose from the accident of its proprietor being about to retire from business, and he therefore decided upon confining his indulgence in the luxury of white light to his single reading lamp. One day, however, he accidentally saw in another shop window a similar globe of blue glass. On inquiring within, he was informed that its price was 1_s._, and that the price per dozen was 11_s._ Under these new circumstances he provided a blue globe for every lamp in his house. Now it is necessary to observe that these glasses, charged at 3_s._, 1_s._ 6_d._, and 1_s._, were offered for sale at three different shops not distant from each other a mile and a half, and were not only of the same size, weight, shade of colour and quality of glass, but had each the same maker’s stamp upon them, and may possibly have been taken from the same pot of glass. It is remarkable also that the cheapest glass globe, although exposed in the shop window, had no price attached to it. § It is obvious, if it were the custom invariably to mark the price upon each article exposed for sale, that such unreasonable differences of price in the same article could not exist. It is certain that, if the Royal Commissioners were to consult the dealer who charged 3_s._ for an article sold by his neighbour at 1_s._, they would be informed that it would be absolutely ruinous to have prices affixed to articles exhibited. Such a tradesman would assure them, and with perfect truth, that it would entirely destroy his trade. But if he cannot live upon the ordinary profits of capital employed in his trade, are the unwary public to pay two hundred per cent. beyond the market price, in order to support a tradesman unfit for his business? If, on the other hand, the Commissioners were to ask the opinion of the tradesman who sold the glass at 1_s._, he undoubtedly would not object to the general practice of affixing prices to each article. The opinion of the vendor of the glass at 1_s._ 6_d._ was sufficiently expressed by its being attached to that article. § There are several causes assigned for the admitted repugnance of shopkeepers to allow the price of any article they sell to be marked upon it. It is broadly asserted that the public, being unable to judge of the article, will be guided too much by the cheapness of its money price, neglecting its other qualities, and will thus be induced to purchase worthless things.