Chapter 69

"How do you mean?" Ebenezer was unsure what she meant.

"Various social pressure groups use petitions with thousands of supporters, to put pressure on companies to rescind unfair practices. It is quite effective, I understand."

"Phoebe, do you think you could start one, against all the seed merchants pushing up their prices together, and looking at a cartel? I wouldn't want to do it from me, as a distributor."

"Sure, I can do that. It gives me something to contribute to your business activities. I'll go and do that now."

She released Ebenezer, came round and kissed Euphemia lovingly, and went off to see about petitioning. She had to see which organisation was best for business pressure.

An hour or so later, she brought out her phone to show Ebenezer the website where the petition was now live. The petition was addressed to the ant-monopoly government bodies in the USA, the UK, and the EU. It already had over a thousand signatures supporting it. Ebenezer was impressed.

"Phoebe, if this works, you will be the hero of the hour!"

Later that day, Ebenezer had a call from the editor of the Rehome News.

"Mr de la Torre, are you linked to a Mrs Phoebe Penrose?"

"I am. She is my mother-in-law. Why do you ask?"

"I was told that a petition was started about a business cartel on Earth, and the originator was a Mrs Phoebe Penrose of Rehome Colony. My enquiries suggested that a person of that name was resident at your address."

Ebenezer was surprised that the editor should contact him. "I don't get it, sir. What is your story?"

"You haven't been checking the online business news, Mr De la Torre. This has caused a furore, with the seed merchants being accused of unfair business practices by the Monopolies Commission in the UK, and other similar bodies are starting to latch on to it. The companies concerned are getting red in the face with being caught out. One CEO started by claiming that their costs had risen and their prices had to reflect that, but some expert pointed out that their costs had only risen by two per cent on average: a tiny fraction of the price rises they are trying to impose.

It is all down to Mrs Penrose's petition, which has already got over 600,000 signatures. The politicians are taking notice. They want to keep the voters with them, so they are starting to put pressure on the seed merchants to drop their prices. One or two of the smaller firms have ale=ready said they were going to do so. One CEO claimed, "We simply went along with the prevailing pricing practice of the market. It did not occur to us that there was any underhand business practice going on. We are happy to drop our prices to last year's level, plus two per cent."

The pressure is now on all the others to do the same. This all came about from your Mrs Penrose's petition. Can I speak to her, to get a quote for our paper, as she is now famous?"

"I don't know exactly where she is at present. Can I get her to ring you back as soon as I find her?"

"That would be great, Mr De la Torre."

Ebenezer went to find her. She was in the kitchen, helping Isabella with a new recipe for today's evening meal. "Phoebe? You are famous now."

"Eh?"

"Yep. Your petition stirred up a hornet's nest, and the politicians are pushing the seed merchants to back down. The likelihood is that the prices will go back to last year plus two per cent. Over 600,000 signatures to your petition, and the Rehome News editor wants to speak to you. He will want a quote he can use, probably in a headline, so take care with what you say. Tell him that your son-in-law was dismayed to find that the seed prices for this year had rocketed, and that you wanted to do something to help. That is nothing but the truth. DON'T say specifically that we are going to be seed distributors, just mention that we grow exotic varieties of vegetables for a discerning clientele. If the editor cares to mention our interest in seed distribution on Rehome, that is up to him. If you want to mention it at all, say it is your daughter's business opportunity. You can phone him on this number – it is in my phone, so just use my phone, Phoebe."

Phoebe accepted the phone, and went through to the lounge to sit comfortably as she spoke to the newspaper editor. She found him very easy to speak to, and enjoyed her chat. He was interested in her being a new arrival, and asked her opinion of the Colony. She responded, "My daughter decided that as her love was here, she should join him, and she is very pleased with that decision. As I am due to become a grandmother in a few months, it simply seemed right that I should join her, and be able to help with the family while the adults are conducting their businesses."

Within hours, the story was live on the newspaper's website. The main headline was "Consumer Champion Chooses Rehome To Live." It went on to describe Phoebe as a middle-aged widow who was offended that her son-in-law's farming business was threatened by the seed merchants hiking up their prices without justification. This spurred her to start her petition, and farmers and gardeners everywhere jumped on the bandwagon, seeing the validity of her petition.

The Rehome News spoke with the Managing Director of the largest seed firm involved. He admitted that there had been pressure on them from major shareholders to boost their profits, and raising prices seemed logical at the time. He admitted, "We now reflect that this was not the correct way to go. Our customers should come first, and we have now told our shareholders this fact of life.

We are grateful to Mrs Penrose for bringing this error to our attention. Our customers can be assured that we will keep our prices as low as possible in future, in the hopes of selling more to our valued farmers and gardeners."

On the suggestion that there had been a cartel in operation, he was horrified at the idea. "No-one thought what was happening was anything other than a reaction in the market. Our prices went up, and other firms saw the opportunity to match them, that is all."

Ebenezer laughed at the statement in the newspaper. "Oh, yes. No cartel! It is all a sheer coincidence! Pull the other one, mister managing director. That was a cartel, but stopped in its tracks. Well done, Phoebe." He pulled Phoebe to him, and gave her a big kiss. This time, Euphemia did not flinch. Her mother deserved her kiss, she agreed.

They would get back to establishing their seed distribution business, now that the worry was gone.

Amelia wanted to get back to work. She told Trevor, "I went to work after we married, until I was too big in front. I am back to my normal shape now, so I feel I should be back at my tourist job. Tracy and Dinah are going to look after my baby, as well as their own. They are going to be god mothers."

He admitted, "Well, we don't need the money, now that I have a good job with a satisfactory income, but if it will help you feel fulfilled, then by all means take on the tourist guide work that brought you all to me. Just be careful what you eat, my darling."

"No truffle, I can assure you, Trevor! I do need to speak to my former employers, to make sure they still have an opening for me."

Amelia phoned her former boss, and was told, "Yes, we can take you back. The tourist industry has expanded since you left. We can use all the help we can get, and trained personnel is even better. I would recommend a one-day refresher course, though, as a few things have changed since you left."