Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-04-07
PETTY GRAFT IN PRIVATE LrFR
In the Home Servants Profit by Be-
traying Trust Placed In Them.

IN the nome Servants EroUt " D1~
traying Trust Placed In Them.
1t has long been considered tru-
Ism among q certain class that pub
/. Tic office Is private graft, and there
has grown up a custom OF expecting
public dishonesty, of accepting bril-
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 bril-
berry become that one OF the Shan
leys. the qualifications of whose fam
NY tree are only rivalled by those OF
the simpsons, estimates that Il
amounts to $50,o00,000 year, and
II has at last been necessary to place
law on the statute books of this
State to prevent this sort OF thing.
The SAKE law went into effect on
September /
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 year. One of the per-
quisites OF being a housekeeper or
butler In a wealthy family Is the
commissions to be made from the
tradesmen Wine merchants say that
even more avarieious 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 UNBEATABLE
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 lady's 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. II might not
be thoughttha ladies' tailors OF great
i nAufeS WOulu HtOOp w naSh ehsH01s
| Nevertheless, It Is true that ladies'
| maids draw the commissions for In
| luencing 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
| milliuer. In the matter OF gloves
| and hosiery and various other toilet
| accessories Ii 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 corn-
mission
Take the janitor. for instance.
| Most persons move into a new apart
| ment In hurry With a rush and In
| a general turmoil and turgid whiri
/ of mishandied lares and penates the
| family lands In It's new abode tired
| and hungry, fortunate II there is
other light than tallow dip-for
| the octopus takes It's time about
turning on the gas and appeals to
| the janitor for succor In the dire ex-
tremity. He recommends n certain
butcher, baker and grocer. II II SO
happens that the hardened mover
has got in with 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 1t 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 a commits
sion on the business of every one In
the apartment house. He does not
| ask this as favor. He demands IL
as 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 It will be often found that
the messengers OF the rebellious
tradesmen are harassed in every pos
sible way until upon some pretext
i tley are W thV
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-
l 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.
| A valet In court proceedings the
| other day testified that tailor had
| offered him $50 a year II he would
| double the amount of clothes to DO
ordered by his employer. and the
| tailor assured him this could be cas-
lily brought about by the valet SIKH
| fully rubbing the knees Of his en-
| ployer's trousers and the elbows OF
his employers coats with little In
| strument OF roughened wood. which
| would speedily make the garments
| look worn and threadbare. The tall
/ - &ha yoIaf 9TH fho In = ru-