Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-17
TIPS AiSERIoUs EVIL
EFFORTS IN ENGLAND TO AeoL
1874 SECRET MISSIONS.
All Branches Of Trade and the Learn.
ed Professions as We'll Reported TO
Have Been scandaized by Revela.
tions-An lntolerable lnfIlction.

Evidence multiplies daily Of the
seriousness OF the evil which it is now
sought to combat by legislation in the
shape of a bill. penalizlng 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
insuperable. Lord Russell Of Killo-
ven, has introduced in the House of
.ords his bin making it a criminal Of
tense to give or receive secret COM
missions. The offense IS classed as q
nisdenmeanor with q maximum pun
ishmcnt Of two years at hard labor.
The most interesting part OF Lord
Russells 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-
ton TO the prevalence Of bribery in
the case of buyers for large houses
and cooperative companies; also in
the calico trade the publishing trade
and the printing trade. Lord Russell
said he had a letter from the repre-
sentative of a 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
forders. When the price fell so as to
make that commission too heavy the
Dverseer suggested that they should
send smaller drums, as the drums
we're not weighed on delivery. An
other machine overseer, who was
leaving one place to go TO another, de
manded G. from his firm. otherwise
ne would not recommend their inks at
bis new place.
, In another case a foreman levied q
commission of one penny pound or
about 20 per cent, on the ink supplied
by the firm. From this man com
munication 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 mace in
which he could get rid he ink.
The writer OF this lette~ led that
the acceptance OF ink Machinery
depended. except in ca here men
looked after their ovT mess, not
upon the excellence OF things nor
their price, but upon amount OF
the brides that were given. He had
in his possession original demands
from overseers for Christmas boxes
which were to be sent to them private
", and in some of these cases sums
amounting to &25 had been paid.
The report also stated that the prac'
ice prevailed in the brewing trade
brides being given to buffers, major
domos. coachmen, game-keepers and
even gardeners.
A case had come before the courts
in which a 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 pun
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
II proved that engineers received fees
or payments from builders. It was al
SO proved that chemists paid doctors
commissions of 25 or even so per cent
on tho prices charged for medicine
supplied by prescriptions TO patients
that doctors handed to the sorrowine
widow an undertakers card and re
ceived a percentage OF 10 TO 20 pei
cent. on the funeral charges. though
he should be sorry to believe that
these practices we're general among
medical men.
Then the report went on to give Il
. lastrations relating to the cutlery
trade, I'm which it was stated this mis-
chievous practice had done a great
deal of harm. The system of levyinl
blackmail went right through some
, houses TO the boy who took In The
manufacturer card to the buyer, anC
, civility and attention had to be pail
Tor BY the unfortunate traveller. Ont
witness said he had lost scores o.
orders through refusing to bribe
It can not be said that the prospects
of Lord Russelfs bills passing THU
session or next are particularly bright
The Lord Chancellor pointed out tina
, previous bill collapsed because i
, appeared that a gentleman who gav'
, porter a sixpence on a railway plat
I form rendered himself liable to tive
, years Imprisonment. It was a secre
commission. because It was a bride L
, the companys servant TO do some
, thing for a third party Possibly al
1 act may bring the more fragrant case
I inside the criminal law, and the whole
system be discouraged by publicity. al
q it is in the secrecy that the vice lies
Mrs. Victoria Woodruff Martin, a
: an American woman long resident il
England, gives her experience of tn
( eject of secret commissions on dc
T nestle arrangements. She mention
Z the case of a woman who had reasol
r 10 be dissatisfied with her chef, AM
! engaged a country girl for the josl
I For some weeks after the girl wa
/ mistress of the kitchen the accoun
I books kept a reasonable level The
r they gradually increased, until tn
I employer felt herself compelled {
? point out the steady swelling Of tn
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