The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-23
PETTY GRAFT IN PRIvATE LIFE.
In The Home Servants Profit by 3e-
traying Trust Placed IN Them.


1t has long been considered tru-
ism among a certain class that pub
lie office is private graft, and there
has grown up a custom of expecting
public dishonesty, of accepting bri-
berry, as the usual thing In public SER
wants and honesty as the unusual,
until the same view has become
prevalent with regard to private ser
vice. SO widespread has private bri-
berry become that one of the Shan
leys, the qualifications of whose fam
lily tree are only rivalled by those OF
the Simpsons, estimates that 1t
amounts to s50,000,000 a year, and
IT has at last been necessary to place
n law on the statute books of this
State to prevent this sort of thing.
The SAKE law went into effect on
September 1.
In the inquiry into the death OF
Mrs Jane Stanford, one of her ser
wants testified to receiving commits
sions from various tradesmen more
than $4,000 a year. One of the per-
Quisites of being housekeeper or
butler in n wealthy family is the
commissions to be made from the
tradesmen. Wine merchants say that
even more avaricious than club stew
ards are some buffers of private fam
lilies, and one well known family in
New York was nearly eXterminated
by poison before the buffers butcher
was chosen. At one time the entire
family with the exception of one son,
was Ill with ptomaine poisoning. The
head Of the house tells now with con-
siderable zest how spoiled food came
on the table, meals were uneatable
and the family had to take to dining
out That particular butler was dis
charged, but the next one selected
his own tradesman and no questions
were asked.
The ladys maid also finds means
to augment her income. Madam's
last seasons dresses, of course, de-
scend to Clarinda, but there are pur-
chases to be made. There are the
milliner and the dressmaker, the
hosier and the glover. 1t might not
be thought that ladies' tailors of great
names would stoop to such things.
Nevertheless, It is true that ladies'
maids draw the commissions for in
| fuencing their mistresses in the pro-
per way. This is a work of diplom-
acy and deserves good pay, for most
women think they know without any
telling who is the best dressmaker or
miliner. In the matter OF gloves
and hosiery and various other toilet
accessories 1t is easier to earn the
pay. Many of these things are left
| entirely to the maid, and she has lit
| tie else to do than to collect the COM
| mission.
Take the janitor, for instance.
| Most persons move into a new apart
ment In a hurry. With a rush and in
| a general turmoil and turgid whirl
| of mishandled lares and penates the
| family lands in Its new abode tired
| and hungry. fortunate If there Is
other light than tallow dip-for
the octopus takes its time about
| turning on the gas-and appeals to
| the janitor for succor in the dire eX-
| tremity. He recommends a certain
| butcher, baker and grocer If 1t so
| happens that the hardened mover
| has got in with a fair degree of COM
| fort and proceeds to find his own
| tradesmen without consultation with
| the autocrat, that individual will af-
ter a brief interval suggest the men
who may be found satisfactory to
deal with. And It will be generally
found conducive to the peace of the
tenant to agree with the janitor and
avoid discussion.
The janitor frequently goes to the
tradesman and demands commits
sion on the business of every one in
the apartment house He does not
ask this as a favor. He demands 1t
as a right and states It as a sine qua
non of the tradesman entering the
building. This commission is usually
10 per cent. of the amount of the
bill. To enforce his demand the jan
itor has every means at his disposal.
There are poster rules for delivering
goods, and 1t will be often found that
the messengers of the rebellious
tradesmen are harassed In every pos
sible way until upon some pretext
they are forbidden entrance to the
building. II the tenant be recalci-
trant, his food disappears, the milk
is sour, the meat tainted, dinner is
late because the groceries are not de-
livered. All sorts Of methods are at
the disposal of the janitor, until both
tradesman and customer give in, the
specified man is employed and the
commission paid, and everything is
lovely.
valet in court proceedings the
other day testified that tailor had
offered him $50 year If he would
double the amount of clothes to be
ordered by his employer, and the
tailor assured him this could be cas-
lily brought about by the valet skill.
fully rubbing the knees of his en-
ployer's trousers and the elbows OF
his employers coats with a little in
strument OF roughened wood, which
| tI,,, .,