Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-26
GRAFT A SOCIAL SIN

actually deceiving them is unethical,
I will gladly mention your beautiful
houses gratis to any one whom l hear
inquiring about suburban home |
told this man. All, but that would not
be so effective he replied. What |
want you to do is to use your influence.
You know thousands of club women
and can get me into some Of the teas
as a social friend, just as well as not
This man was total stranger to me.
Il have no doubt whatever that such
propositions have been made to nearly
every club president or influential
woman in the city.
when you first come to the big
town it seems as though every one
tries to unload nice little gold brick
on you After while you do not no
tice it so much, as you have become
either wise or else got used to it.
"As stranger you are introduced to
a charming old lady with gray curls,
who is most cordial to you. 'Ah,' you
reflect, what was that | used to hear
about New Yorks being cold? Non
sense; people are lovely to me. Just
then your new friend opens her bag
and springs a little printed slip on you,
which turns out to be a book notice,
and urges you to buy her publication.
Everywhere you go people slip tickets
into your Enthusiastically worth 81
apiece-to concerts, lectures, enter
tainments, card parties balls-and
make you extremely uncomfortable if
you refuse to purchase them These
also come to you almost daily in your
mail. 1t is a common thing for five
tickets, representing $40, to drop out
of an envelope, accompanied by note
requesting you to send a check for
them, or, if you cannot use them, to
sell them to your friends. 1t is bad
enough when these are from some
philanthropy or organization, but when
they are sent you by an acquaintance
for her own financial benefit the mat
ter is most embarrassing. 1t is per-
haps not Objectionable for printed no
tice or tickets to be mailed to list
of people, advertising a concert or
lecture by Mrs. Smith-provided that
the recipient is absolutely free to pa
tronize the affair or not as he pleases.
But by what right does a lecturer or
musician turn you into ticket seller
and ask you to graft on your own
friends, begging them to send you
money as a personal favor, in order
that you may turn it over to the per
former for his own pocket.
There are professional presidents
of dinner clubs who charge several
dollars a plate to hundreds of people
for banquets and pay only 81 per plate
to the hotel management. This is re-
garded by some citizens as a graft on
the part of the manipulators OF the
clubs, but when the price of the meal
is perfectly well known, and the presi-
dent gives a large amount OF time In
securing an elaborate program Of en-
tertainers, it may be contended that
the difference in price is paid for the
entertainment.
81 am told that some society men
and women are suspected by their
friends of acting as runners for res
taurants. That is, they tell of a re-
markable place with excellent food at
reasonable prices, but you cannot see
anything to recommend the cafe
above others. They bring friends who
dine in a party, and they continually
boost and urge frequent rounds of
drinks, until at last the bill has
mounted up to considerable sum.
Those who have seen this system
many times feel morally certain that
the people who worked up the en-
thusiasm get a regular rake Off of
the firms earnings on that meal"