The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-02
CRAFT IN
BUSINESS
Not All the Grating is
Done on the Political
Plum Tree.
By Henry NJ. Hyde.

| marks. In its shameful new meaning
: 1t stands brazenly naked in newspaper
and magazine headlines whats your
graft now" is an only half-jesting
| commonplace of familiar conversation
Graft seems to be in the very air.
| The old-time CRATER attached a pear
twig to the side of an apple bough, and
| thus made his apple tree bear pears
| The modern CRATER makes a connection
ION the side" too, to the end that the
legitimate fruits of his labor play be
multiplied
Not all the grating is done on the
political plum tree For every man
in Office who takes a. bribe there must
be a man who pays the bribe. The
briber is either one who has something
to sell or who is payino his money in
return for some favor or concession
out of which he expects to make a
profit. In other words, he is business
man. There is that much graft in
| business, then, to start with.
And the business man does not al
ways sympathize with the politician
who is not a CRATER. Here is a state
ment made by a business man whom
every one of his associates would de-
clare is the soul of business honor:
I'm the old days when 1 wanted to
lay a switch track to my factory
paid $3.50 to the alderman and got the
permit. He stuck the money into his
own pocket, and that's all there was to
/ h9 lIcrh T211f
they've got a reformer in the job it's
player. and he holds me up for $500 for
the city treasury every time want to
lay rail-.
The dealings of business men with
politicians make up but a trffling part
of the enormous annual aggregate of
business. Do business men pay rebates
and commissions and give gratuities
only to the despised politician, or does
grating have it's regular place in the
immensely greater traffic between bust
ness man and business man? How ex-
tensive and widespread is graft in bust
ness? In what line of business does it
chiefly flourish? And what steps do
business men take to protes them
selves from graft and grafters?
in position to deal more intelligently
with the problem of graft in politics
to adopt the proper precautions and
apply the best remedies.
William Allen White says, in effect,
that graft is the real issue in every
political campaign-national, state and
that graft is the chief menace to the per-
ma of inc rT1I,
subject is one worth investigation.
Business graft shows itself most COM
monty in the selling of goods While
most men were in business for them
selves and did their own buying there
was small opportunity for the grating
salesman. The creation of corporations,
with buyers and purchasing agents,
opened up large and fertile field.
Here is a chapter from the experience
of purchasing agent in Pittsburg. He
had held his position year. During
that time he had been scrupulously
loyal to the interests of his employer.
He went home on Christmas Eve feel
ing fairly well satisfied with himself.
His wife met him at the door.
Fred she cried delightedly, you
ought to see the beautiful things that
have been coming to the house-all day!"
There was a fine Oriental rug, bear
ing the card and the compliments of
the firm from which he bought coal; a
handsome mahogany chair from the
that held his contract for oil
and similar supplies; French clock,
with the best wishes of the corporation
that furnished paper-stock to his en-
rloyers. and in addition to several
other expensive articles of household
use. collection of more than 1000 fine
cigars, coming from dozen or fifteen
other firms that he had patronized in
a minor way.
On the day after Christmas he called
an express wagon and, waving aside
the fearful protests of his wife, loaded /
up the whole outfit and personally saw
that every one Of these holiday re-
membranes was returned to its do
nor.
Not all purchasing agents are so
As matter of fact, most /
Of the firms to which the Pittsburg pur-
chasing agent returned their gifts
set him down as foolish |
frank. For it is true that business men
n many lines will frankly and sincere
w defend the giving of gifts to pur-
chasing agents and other employees in
l position to influence business as moth |
ing more than a perfectly legitimate
and honorable return OF business
,ourtesies."
Here is the argument they make
Smith is a purchasing agent. and
others in my line compete for a large
contract which it is in his power to let.
There is little or no difference in the
Juality of our goods. All things con-
,idered. our prices are the same. Smith |
gives me the contract because he likes
ne personally-on the ground OF good
fellowship If the contract is large /
me T NAV make a lot of money out OF
+. Smith don't make q cent Now If |
, man helps me to make money it :
,nly human nature that / should re-
,iprocate. If he bought a comparative (
" small amount of goods 1 will send
him a box of cigars. If he is a large