ILLICIT COMMISSIONS.
Page 13
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"The Inspector" Asserts that Illegal Commissions and Bribes are Being Increasingly Demanded and Urges Stringent Resistance by Makers and Others Before the Evil Gets Worse.
IT is not, by any means, a pleasant conviction, but it -is nevertheless one that has to be faced—a conviction that there is a growing tendency on the part of certain employees to look to manufacturers, agents, and traders to " oil their palms," if one may be permitted so to describe an operation that before the war flourished considerably.
It is at times when orders are not too plentiful, when business has to be hunted for, times such as those through which we have now been passing for a year or two, that these unpleasant blackmailing habits find themselves easy of encouragement. The salesman, whatever may be his personal feelings on the subject, finds it a serious and difficult task to stand out against such demands when the 4U-el-native is clearly to lose an order to a competitor who, maybe, is well known to be not so particular. There are far too many instances to-day of demands made by drivers, mechanics, foremen, and even by saperintendents and managers, for monetary consideration if their good-will is to be acquired—or shall I write, if their bad-'will is to be avoided. Most manufacturers, and a great many agents, to-day have serious complaints to make of the growth of these pernicious requests.
The position has become a great deal worse owing to the large amount of indifferent war-worn material that still continues to be offered at prices represent
ing practically " what it will fetch." Some few weeks ago, a. foreman, with considerable power to make or mar the reputations of the machines' of which he has charge, with brutal frankness, summed the state of affairs up in the cryptic if ugly saying, "Nothing's got no smell." And he certainly is one who leaves no doubt., in the minds of those with whom his employers have to do business, that his own olfactory nerves are in no way deficient in their
functioning.
These illegal and most undesirable defiances of current " Bribery and Corruption " legislation are by no means confined to demands upon chassis manufacturers. Coachbuilders and makers of and agents for all kinds of accessories and supplies know only too well that business has become badly infected in this way, and that increasing embarrassment is the lot of those who desire to sell " straight," but find it almost. impossible to allow the few' orders that are about to go past them. The seller is between the devil and the deep sea; he knows quite well that, if he listens to the tempter, he is legally culpable with him if he give way. If he decide to stamp it out and risk losing his order, he finds it extremely difficult to secure evidence that will stand the test of a flat and indignant denial by the wrongdoer.
This evil exists and in no uncertain measure is it increasing. In the interests of the industry it must be firmly scotched. The leading manufacturers who can afford to face the loss of an order, are known to be taking a firm stand in the right direction, but it is increasingly necessary for all who have anything to sell, not only actively to resist these attempts to extort illicit commissions, to press for payment for services which are entirely illusory, but to have the courage to bring the wrongdoer to book, to risk the occasional business rupture that here and there may be the reward for promptly reporting to the principals all attempts to profit improperly by the covert fears of destructive reports and unfair treatment in service.
This may well be a matter for the attention of the S.M.M.T. A little further ventilation may also lead to collective action to resist this tax on legitimate trading. The legal safeguards are adequate and the penalties severe. If the blackmailer be once taught that he will inevitably be blacklisted if he make the slightest advance to sell his blackguardly services, he will soon be more wary--to the financial and mental relief of thoso who find it hard enough work to-day to find pay for their workpeople and dividends for their shareholders.
For services definitely' and honestly rendered, there can never be objection to reasonable remuneration, either financially or in kind, bat, for implied withholding of damaging criticism or disapproval, the only reward should be the very full one provided in the current Bribery and Corruption Acts.