SECRET COMMISSIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 268, 8 August 1919, Page 7

SECRET COMMISSIONS

— PREPARING FOR HUN KNAVERY At a meeting of the British Bribery and Secret. Commissions Prevention League recently Mr. Stanley Machin, in responding to the toast of "The League," said that during the last twelve months the membership of the league had nearly doubled, and now stood at 716. The prosecutions instituted for breaches of the Corruption Act had not been many during tho year, which might bo satisfactory' from certain points of view but, on the other hand, might be explained hv the fact that there was little occasion to uso illicit means to get business durine the war. With the renewal of comnntition and the possible underhand activities nf our enemies to regain a com'weicial fooling amongst us, the need for such an organisation as this league might lie as great as evei. (Hear, hear.) The Sale of Honours. Mr. Harold Cox, proposing "Tho Legis- , htnro," said he was not sure that they rould place much faith in a legislative I bodv which was .largely dominated by : one of the worst forms of secret commission—the sale of honours. (Cheers.) 'Phev ware also familiar with the fact that the greater part of the time of a member of Parliament was taken up in staving off or trying to satisfy the demands of his constituents for jobs.' Tn view of this difficulty of relying upon the Legislature the necessity for such an an organisation as that league was apDaient. The standard of English morality wo* relatively high, and our relatively high standard of honour had been the basis ■of our commercial success, upon which, in turn, tho success of the Empire had been based. But if we wero to maintain and strengthen the reputation We must "nlay the game." (Cheers.) Sir Clifford Cory, who replied for the House of Commons, said that, during tho period of the war there had been 164 convictions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and of those no fewer than forty related to Government contracts. What would have happened m connection with Government contracts if it had not been for the existence of that Act' to hardly daxed to think. (Hear, hear.)

Cooks and Commissions, The ohairman, in responding to tho toast of his health, proposed by Mi. George H. Longman, said that when Mr. Harold Cos began to talk about tiie sale of honours he began to feel a little nervous—(laughter)—but he could assure them that ho was quite innocont. (Cheers.) He had been twenty-five years a member of the House of Commons, and. only recently a member of the House of Lords, but his experience of the letter House had been long enough to enable him to say that there he had_ found mem. hers voting according to their conviction -(hear, hear)—and thinking of they could do for tho good of England ratuer than of any class of interest. (Cheers.) Something had been said by the proposer of hi 3 health of a ease in which, when a certain rich wan in the West End was informed of irregular transactions relating to commissions in which his cliff was concerned, ho had replied that ."the man was a very good cook, and for goodness' sako leave him alone." (Laughter.) Ho (the chairman) knew of another case, for tho facts of which he could vouch, concerning a highly-paid man-cook and Ins cmiiloyer. The employer remarked io him that there were' certain reports going about of. men in his position .accepting commissions, and added: "I suppose nothing like that ever occurs in your oaso?" Tho chef looked at his employer with a cold and glassy eye, and replied: "Monsieur must bo joking! What does monsieur think I live upon?" (Laughter.)