New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-31
nor SERTANJS CHAT THAIR EuPLOYERs.
rx>cuxG COMMISSION FROM rRADHsMr:;-A But

EXACrING A COMMISSION FROM TRADESME:;-A But
LER WHO WANTED TWO SETS OF BOOKS KEPT.
1t has been reported that buffers and other ser
wants. who buy provisions for families and clubs.
make u practice cf exlctng from the dealers of
whom they buy certain sum Of money per n Onth
or PERCENTAGE of the purchases "a compensation
for their custom. 4 TRIBUNE reporter recently
asked many dealers about Tie trutE of the state
mpnt. Ihc 1iIst place visited was Fulton Mar
ket. 4 number of dealers Ii ere said that
Trey were not Callr1 on to give any
percentages TO stewards or servants as they
dealt principally with hotels, and always directly
With the prOpritiOrs. Ore large dealer III produce,
however. admitted his acquaintance with the
practice but would not talk about the matter for
tear % II jrrng his trade. Ia Washington Market
RAJ dealers positively denied that they ever
paid servants for their employers custom but SAID
HEY knew the Practice was general III the uptown
Shops. The servants of the rich tamil les they said.
did not bny extensively at their market. as Y was
so tar away. They 4 80 Sald mat thoy sOld at
lower rates than the sh0pkeepcrs III tie up
town avenues and streets. and az could
nos afford to give any commissions for custom
prominent provision dealer III Tornpkins Market
der c,l that le ever gave servants commissions and
did not think the practice was gen raj in the mar
net. lie sad Ia" knew that the custom was a com
mon one among the shops uptown, and tDat II was
having bad effect ms business. As an INST lnce,
lie sad that new customer woman, callel one
dav ana paid her uTst month Dil Tor meat IN
conversation that followed, the woman praised ths
honesty OF her servant girl vino did hor mark"tlng.
short time after she left the place. the girl called
and kid for her cOuinl>>I"h OF per cent rn tEe
Hi. Beng told it was against the Drac ice of the
firm ~ pay ally commission. she wet away, but
never bought any more meat OF the r'n transfer
ring the custom oi her employer to an uptown shop.
Al the sop Of lorg-c>tallAhcd marhetnan in
Broadway above tnon,>q' II was stated mat
the firm pa ii no comm s>iOnS 10 servants, but often
nar tirIu presents on New Years day OF -. OF a
bottle al VINE, turncy or some otarr d'llcd'y
{" keen their good VIII, and L. return Tor tucT
IailcuCr >rmct mes Wlrl the sale, al.n could not
Nalt on them Imhc'Ildit IT,
y Ilr-c ucalrr IA I9,4, and provisions IN sixth
ave uckuowr led frankly tLat Zee aaTc she servant
girIS WHO paIoniIr! him : - Ol - "A month Tor
l,r.r custom lie said hr kuoW the custom to ne
prevalent al over the uWown portion Of the cltV,
bur thougnt II vas most piacilSrt IN SNth-aNt.
don't like to do )" SAID lie, "but have to do 1t
IN uIi, 20 keep mV customers. II do not SEND the
cooks motley th,y viii send the E,eat oa,k and say
Ii va, not good. Ihrn their ml~trrs,eS VIII tel
them io patron 2, some 0i'rT iUtCler 1t house
keepers wuuid JulY l"'k at the mat themselves we
could gct along bat Inauv OI them must ell nelly TO
en- SCI wants. some 81 my customers 40 th,ir own
marketing ana sclrci i"r themselves ana with ihc>e
o Mayo We no no ' lST cook. al" snms Ig Il Win" rr
emf on New Years lay. hut TIL, giving
'vo. three ~ more collars month TO cooks or SIR
wants, iul each 0t nearly hundred Cu,tO. rrS Is
TONER 70 iIcce oil coru.d beet aud do nat t'e the
cock; s" :uay 60 X it abpnt hat ah hodr AMI then
pat the tIplr, when. OF coulsc. II Is not TIT 10
car. She wiil tell her c"rl"ver that ne meat -
tough ;inF poor. and thai she Eas been cooking
We told he employer 10 suP'rihtehI the ro'kllS
h,r,rll, ana size admitted that II WAS rs line piece
OF meat Il, size ever had one butler mad the cool
ness 10 ask ne To Ecrp two huok, with Hlu-Onr 10
show hiS employer. IA whIch th, charges shOu!d be
nearly a tnIni more than Ill the ok b'iacpt. hen he
wanted 10 per cent CumlnlNSI III Oh That
brsr.cs o. course lhrcuod t. do his, as it wGs
downright stealing from his emp oyer, and
thought ii ever nld to steal would steal for my
self
Tn" man who delivered provisions for this dealer
saId some servants, IN buying Ave dollars worth OF
vets from the mlNmHn would return hln
srycrl tickets and keep the price OF them. Coaci-
men have also been known 10 run up fictitious bills
at the harucS-nakei'S and blaoksuitns and compel
the trad .nrn to divide with them. A grocer III
Slxti-ayr. SAID that he treqrntlY made presents
TO tie servants who bought Of him. inquiries OF
Other dealers revealed The same facts. The conf
ssiOn must of course come oft Of the pocket al
the employer eventually ~ the dcaler afford
il without charging enough III his nil to balance It.