COMMISSION. 403 



and dealers, as a valuable adjunct to the amount they pay 

 in weekly wages. A story which is both true and instructive, 

 is told of an old stud groom who, on leaving a rich master 

 whom he had served for a long time, asked for a small 

 provision for his declining years. " As I have always given 

 you a free hand in the stable, it is your fault, not mine, if you 

 have not feathered your nest," was the reply the man received. 

 The reason why employers who are aware of the existence 

 of this system of commission, usually ignore it, even if they 

 do not knowingly profit by it; is because they feel that 

 if they took from their servants the privilege of paying 

 bills, their action in this respect would partake of the 

 character of that of the historical dog in the manger ; for 

 the presenter of the bill, even if he allowed a commission 

 to the servant, would certainly not give it to the master. 

 I have known several cases in hunting countries, of farmers 

 being unwilling to supply forage to gentlemen, owing to 

 the rapacity of the grooms, who would not deal unless they 

 obtained such an exorbitant commission that the farmer 

 would either have to sell at a price which would not yield 

 him a sufficient profit, or appear by his bills to grossly 

 overcharge his customer. That desirable bond of union 

 which ought to exist between hunting men and farmers, 

 would be much firmer and would be of a far more friendly 

 nature than it is now, if the consumer dealt directly with 

 the producer, who would then have no illegal commission 

 to pay. 



In justice to grooms and coachmen, I must say that I have 

 never known any unpleasantness exist between master and 

 man respecting the prohibition of commission, provided that 

 service was entered into on this understanding, and that 

 the owner took an intelligent interest in the affairs of his 

 stable. 



In England, the rate of stable commission is not fixed ; but 



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