WAR ON BRIBERY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 230, 29 September 1931, Page 11

WAR ON BRIBERY

BUSINESS MEN’S CAMPAIGN. HOW BRIBES ARE OFFERED. CASES BROUGHT TO LIGHT. A great poster campaign against bribery and secret commissions has been launched in Britain by a smill circle of business men, who have suffered heavy financial losses owing to the activities of corrupt agents. These business men arc operating in conjunction with the Bribery and Secret Commissions Prevention League, which declares that although bribery in business is more prevalent than ever, the majority of business men are showing an amazing indifference towards the scandal. An attempt is now to be made to form an international league to fight the menace. Here are some recent proved cases:— A fish merchant offered 5 per cent, to a buyer, employed by a famous firm of caterers, on the amount of the account ordered by him. More than £3OOO was given by a firm of contractors to a number of oflieials of one of the largest municipal gas undertakings in the country. "Loans,” which were never repaid, and gifts of expensive wireless sets, carpets, and whisky, were made by a firm of engineers to corporation officials. A textile merchant tried to bribe, with £lOOO, a flro insurance claim assessor. A manager of a silk firm offered money to workpeople in a rival factory to obtain trade secretas. The number of convictions under the Prevention of Corruption Acts during the last year—there were forty—has only been exceeded in two war years 1917 and 1918, The cases extended over a wide variety of trades and included bookmakers, civil servants, a road contractor, silk merchants, sheriff’s assistant, wire mills manager, and tobacco factory foreman. “There is no doubt that bribery is widespread in almost every branch of industry and commerce,” said an eminent London solicitor recently. “It is particularly rampant in certain shops which handle women’s wear. Manufacturers who do not offer secret commissions have great difficulty in getting their goods on tho market.” Mr. R. M. Leonard, the secretary of the league, said lately that bribery was increasing by:—Secret commissions to buyers; open gifts of sums of money to those in a position to place orders; and false documents—bills or receipts which show a larger amount than that actually charged. “A welcome move has recently been made by a number of lull and hotel suppliers who have resolved to expose any attempt to secure secret commissions. Foreign firms are notorious for the lengths to which they will go to secure public contracts in' Britain. A Belgian firm recently offered a British surveyor a largo sum of money if ho would use his influence to secure the.m an order for road-making materials. Ho declined. No action could bo taken against tho firm.because it was not domiciled in Britain.”