Catoctin clarion., 1899-11-30
TIPS A SERIOUS EVIL
EFFORTS IN ENGLAND TO ABOL.
ISH SECRET MISSIONS.

EFFORTS IN ENGLAND TO ABoL.
IsH SECRET MISSIONS.
All Branches of Trade and the Learn.
ed Professions as Well Reported to
Have Been scandaIIzed by ReveIa.
tions--An intoIerabIe InfIiction.
Evidence multiplies daily of the
seriousness Of the evil which it Is now
sought to combat by legislation in the
shape of a bill penalizing the giving
or accepting of secret commissions.
Not only all branches of trade, but the
learned professions as well, have been
scandalized by the revelations of the
past few days. 1t is, however, one Of
those evils which are based upon de-
fective moral sense and are SO un.
iversal that the difficulties Of coping
with them by legislation are almost
wen, has introduced in the House Of
Lords his bill making it criminal of.
fense to give or receive secret COM
missions. The offense is classed as
misdeameanor, with a maximum pun.
ishment Of two years at hard labor.
The most interesting part Of Lord
Russell's speech was that devoted to
recalling the various shifts resorted
to In covering secret commissions
which he had met In his experience as
commercial lawyer and judge.
A number of witnesses drew atten-
tion to the prevalence of bribery in
the case of buyers for large houses
and cooperative companies; also in
the calico trade, the publishing trada
and the printing trade. Lord Russell
said he had letter from the repre-.
sentative of large firm of dealers
In ink, color and varnishes, who said
that the managers of certain news
paper in the provinces allowed their
machine overseer to order inks, with
the result that his firm had to pay this
man 3s per drum so as to get the
orders. When the price fell so as to
make that commission too heavy the
overseer suggested that they should
send smaller drums, as the drums
were not weighed on delivery. An.
other machine overseer, who was
leaving one place to go to another, de-
manded E2 from his firm, otherwise
he would not recommend their inks at
his new place.
In another case foreman levied a
commission of one penny pound, or
about 25 per cent, on the ink supplied
by the firm. From this man COM
munlcation was received to the effect
that he would not be able to use as
much ink as formerly, because a gas,
engine had been put In in place of a
boiler, and there was no furnace In
which he could get rid Of the ink
The writer of this letter added that
the acceptance of ink or machinery
depended, except in cases where men
looked after their own business, not
upon the excellence of the things nor
their price, but upon the amount OF
the bribes that were given. He had
in his possession original demands
from overseers for Christmas boxes
which were to be sent to them private
ly, and in some of these cases sums
amounting to G25 had been paid.
The report also stated that the prac-
Ice prevailed in the brewing trade,
bribes being given to buffers, major
domos, coachmen, game-keepers and
even gardeners.
A case had come before the courts;
in which company had been form
ed for the sale, in part, of some KIND:
of medicated wine in which 1t was
shown that founders shares were dis
tributed among doctors upon the
terms that the doctors were to puff
the wines.
Lord Russell quoted from the last
report of the committee of the Lon
don Chamber of Commerce appointed
to inquire as to the extent of secret
commissions. The committee found
it proved that engineers received fees
or payments from builders 1t was al
so proved that chemists paid doctors
commissions of 25 or even so per cent.
on the prices charged for medicine
supplied by prescriptions to patients;
that doctors handed to the sorrowing
widow an undertaker's card and re-
ceived a percentage of 10 to 20 per
cent. on the funeral charges, though
he should be sorry to believe that
these practices were general among
medical men.
Then the report went on to give IL
Illustrations relating to the cutlery
trade, in which it was stated this mis-
chievous practice had done great
deal of harm. The system Of levying
blackmail went right through some
houses to the boy who took in the
manufacturers card to the buyer, and
ciyility and attention had to be paid
for by the unfortunate traveller. One
witness said he had lost scores of
orders through refusing to bribe.
1t can not be said that the prospects
of Lord Russell's bills passing this
session or next are particularly bright.
The Lord Chancellor pointed out that
a previous bill collapsed because 1t
appeared that gentleman who gave
q porter siXpence on railway plat
form rendered himself liable to two
years Imprisonment. 1t was a secret
commission, because it was bribe to
the company's servant to do some
thing for a third party. Possibly an
act may bring the more fragrant cases
inside the criminal law, and the whole
system be discouraged by publicity, as
it Is in the secrecy that the vice lies.
Mrs. Victoria Woodruff Martin, as
an American woman long resident In
England, gives her experience OF the
effect of secret commissions on do
mestic arrangements. She mentions
the case of woman who had reason
to be dissatisfied with her chef, and
engaged a country girl for the Jost.
For some weeks after the girl was
mistress of the kitchen the account
hooks kept a reasonable level. Then
inprp1Cn1