SECRET COMMISSIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6138, 19 February 1907, Page 4

SECRET COMMISSIONS.

The weighty and solemn words uttered by Mr Justice Cooper in reference to the objectionable practice of giving secret commissions in order to secure the custom of important public bodies hardly leaves any room to the press .for urging on the commercial community the necessity of purging Wellington of this stain, if the practice is at all widespread. Mr Justice Cooper is sanguine enough to believe that the custom of secret commissions is not at all general. We would fain hope that his Honor is right in the opinion he has formed. But though it may be going too far to describe the custom as general, we do not for - a moment believe that the objectionable practice has been confined to the firm concerned in this instance. Rumour has it that the custom is too prevalent, and for the fair name of the city it behoves any firms who have been loosely or thoughtlessly tolerating a system of business similar to that lately disclosed in Court to take thought and mend their ways. Any firms who refuse to resort to this way of doing business are of course subjected to a most unfair form of competition. Secret commissions, inasmuch as they are secret, are naturally difficult to detect; but if the commercial community as a whole is in earnest in its desire to stamp this objectionable practice completely out, there can be no doubt that with the help of the necessary legislation they will soon succeed in their purpose.