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Simple English definitions for legal terms
truck
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A quick definition of truck:
Truck is an old way of paying workers with goods or tickets instead of money. This was common in the past when workers lived in isolated areas and depended on company stores for food and clothing. However, this system was often abused by contractors who sold goods at excessive prices, making more profit from truck than from the contract. Truck shops, also known as tommy shops or tally shops, were often run by the contractor or rented out to a shopkeeper. The goods sold in these shops were frequently of poor quality and sold at high prices. Truck systems were abolished in the 19th century.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A historical payment system in Scots law where workers were paid in goods or tickets that could be exchanged for goods instead of money. This system was common in isolated areas where workers depended on company stores for food and clothing. However, it was abolished in the 19th century due to abuse.
Example: Truck shops, also known as tommy shops or tally shops, were frequently run by the contractor or let by him to an associate or a shopkeeper for a rent or on the basis that part of the shop profits would go back to the contractor. The goods sold in these shops were often of inferior quality and sold at excessive prices.
Explanation: The example illustrates how the truck system was open to abuse and how contractors could make more profit from truck than from the contract itself. Workers were often left with goods of poor quality and had to pay more than they would have if they were paid in money. This system was unfair and exploitative, which is why it was abolished in the 19th century.