Cut throat
competition
A feature of the Iraqi Jewish merchant
was his competitiveness. He would cut prices to
its rock bottom. Very often an importer of textiles
would be content to make the price of the wooden
box or the gunny bag of the goods as his profit,
or earn a little interest by paying a month or two
after receiving the goods and hoping to sell for
cash.
Telegrams were costly and everyone had a telegraphic
address. (On festivals, instead of sending a long
greeting, everyone used to make do with 4 words
such as:
Dashoo London TAZLARUN ABROHAMAZ
Meaning: David Sasson and sons London
Tizku Leshanim Rabboth ve Neimoth
(Wishing you many and pleasant years)
Abraham, Rosa, Haron, Mazli
One exporter in Japan wired his brother in Baghdad
asking the state of the market. The reply came-
Vests up Pants down.
In the thirties, when Japan came on stream as a
major exporter of cotton goods, Iraqi Jewish merchants
switched overnight to Japanese suppliers of cheap
cotton goods. The British Embassy used to complain
about the Jewish merchants' lack of loyalty to their
British suppliers, not realising that they would
not survive if their supplier was charging even
1% more than the competitor,
In contrast, Babylonian Jewry has shown staunch
and undying loyalty to our religion and traditions
through thick and thin, whatever the price.
