By Isle of Wight Observer
The editor of the Isle of Wight Observer published on 26th July, 1856 was very forthright about his views on touting in Ryde.
TOUTING.
Strangers visiting watering places are considered as sheep to be shorn: whether they desire to be fleeced or not, operators will obtrude their services in every shape and form. Ryde is no exception to the rule. A system as wide spread as the town itself has grown up, dignified by the title of touting, and it is become an intolerable nuisance. Touting is one of two kinds: open solicitation in the highways, and private recommendation in houses; and it is perhaps, difficult to decide which kind is the worst of the two. It is true the former is the most annoying to the visitor, but by the latter he is mulcted of extra charges by the party “recommended” to pay the percentage which that recommender demands.
It is a vicious system, which ought to be abolished; but the question is, how is it to be done, when all participate in it? Some tradespeople lately have entered a crusade against one of its forms, and they attempted to make a cat’s-paw of the directors of the Pier Company, who they memorialised to put down “open solicitation” on the pier; so far so good. Why, however, stop there; why did they not also memorialise the Commissioners to stop it in the streets; and, to complete their ease, memorialise themselves to stop the other from “unfair recommendation.” Most assuredly as long as certain tradesmen will, by a “consideration,” obtain the names and addresses of forestalling a rival in business; others submit to allow discount for unfair recommendation; and others plant scouts on the mainland to inveigle strangers; so long will “open solicitation” on the pier and the streets about the pier prevail in self defence. It is, therefore, all hypocrisy to pretend, by persecuting a few needy persons, that any real desire exists among tradespeople to put down touting.