Principles of western civilisation

APPENDIX 505

sentatives of Trade and Professional Associations apart from the Chamber and other gentlemen to their number, to make the Committee more thoroughly representative. No less than twenty of the Trade Sections of the Chamber were represented on the Committee by either their Chairmen or Deputy-Chairmen.

2. With a view to obtaining evidence as to the prevalence of secret commissions in the various trades, and the extent to which the same obtained, the Committee caused communications to be addressed to the members of the Chamber, the various Trade Associations, Chambers of Commerce, and also to the general public, by the insertion of a letter published in the various trade papers and the press generally, asking for information.

3. In response to these invitations, your Committee received numerous communications on the subject, both written and verbal. Most of them were received under a promise that they would be treated as strictly private and confidential, but in a few cases the persons giving the information were not unwilling that their names should appear.

4. Your Committee much regret that in this way only were they able to obtain information, as they are fully conscious of the yalue which would attach to communications made public with all particulars, and substantiated by the names of the parties communicating the same. The information thus furnished to your Committee is, of course, varied as regards its character ; in some cases it has been vague, in other cases specific, but in no case has your Committee come to a conclusion except upon evidence which they believe to be trustworthy.

s. Your Committee conclude from the evidence before them that secret commissions in various forms are prevalent in almost all trades and professions to a great extent, and that in some trades the practice has increased, and is increasing, and they are of opinion that the practice is producing great evil, alike to the morals of the commercial community and to the profits of honest traders.

6. Bribes in all forms, including secret commissions, owe their existence sometimes to the desire of the donor to obtain the assistance of the donee; sometimes to the demand expressed or implied of the donee that the bribe shall be given.

7. In the first class of cases your Committee have reason to believe that the bribe is often given unwillingly and with a pang of conscience, as the result of the keen competition in trade, and in the fear, too often well founded, that unless given other less scrupulous rivals will obtain an advantage; many cases have come before your Committee in which traders have believed