Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1962-08-09, Page 3No More Gifts from Salesmen To Customers A 6lhudl group ,.if bu.:iness executives and professor, or business edtnilhi.straiten dined together at the Harvard Club of Boston the othee evening, and lingered around tie dinner table until 11 p.tn. The di.ecussion topic that held them up to thee late hour was "ethics in business." It wee a private session among friends. Many of them had'grad- uated together several years ago from Harvard Business School's Advanced Mesagement ' P r o - gram, and were gathered in Boston for a class reunion. In the quiet, relaxed exchange they probed for answers to a prob- lem that usually seems gray and Ill-defined. "Who of us ls not guilty of giving gifts because a competi- tor has done it?" asked one exe- cutive. "What do you do if a superior asks you to do something you feel is not completely honest? I tried standing far my principles and it got me into trouble." said another. Gordon .Sul; Affleck, pur- chasing agent far the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, and past president of the Na- tional Associations of Purchasing Agents, had been invited by the group to speak, He reported that his church, which, he said, has business interests in many fields, no longer accepts gifts from any salesmen. He said this bad been welcom- ed with increased respect from the sales people involved. Fur- ther, Ms, Affleck reported, a survey published in Purchasing magazine in December, 1957, in- dicated that 75.6 per cent of the purchasing people and 76 per cent of sales people polled "would like to see gift -giving eliminated entirely." Sales and purchasing people who have eliminated it Have not suffered, he said. "In most cases, the vendors "appreciated the at- titude (against gift -giving) and determined stand against this unsound business practice" According to the same survey, Mr. Affleck said, business gifts in the United States are esti- mated at $500,000,000 to $1,000,- 000,000 a year, "And that is big business!" the speaker exclaim- ed. Mr. Affleck lashed out at firms which disguise gift -giving by informing a customer that •a gift to "a worthy cause" has been made in his name. Often the notification comes in a Christmas card "filled with good will and high sounding words" of the season, writes Richard Neff in the Christian Science Monitor. Whether the pauses are worthy or not, "I (oannot) see why these firms should use my name, your name, the name of my firm and the names of your firms to gain good will and !public acceptance by this devi- ous method of making a gift, . . The so-called 'givers' are not contacted in advance. They do not make the gift.. . . The ven- dor makes the contribution and decides • how much, He decides to whom it is to be given, when, and how," he stated, Mr. A6Eleck told of a well- established purchasing agent Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking upon,. o®4. unE �' II ©� ,1!0 ENEEZI �i J I UE1 [III ODECE70LMED0 L]k1L , 1201 ! ro© 1111 1 U ®®®®a°..on: [gib ®®0M 4IMIY�' L1 5I MEC manikin ,IMELISE1113 0IDEEV 'lIUMEIMjjj MO ©E7001+ 4E11E10E21E0E fi�EI L'A ,t LIM hstECIEffil who had been with his company over 25 yea's. An officer r in •ist- ed one day fh'tt he wk. for a. substantial favor from another firm as the pride of giving bus, inose to than firm, The purtdhas- inlg agent refused, left his job, and now has -a new position "where honesty - and integrity are appreciated and• at u much better salary," But the policy of "accept no gifts" and "just be honest" is too simple, said one member of the dining group. To -day's bus- iness world is so complex that it's often difficult to determine What is "honest" and what isn't. Is it proper, for instance, to ac- cept an invitation to Mulch to discuss - business? Mr. Affleck said he dee: n't accept such gestures. "I'll talk business in my office," he stated. Sotnebaow, said another exe- cutive, businessmen must evolve a code of ethics the way doctors and lawyers have. A code doesn't assure compliance, of course, but it does establish standards. (It's difficult to 'expand on the Golden Rule," said one of the businessmen, wryly, after the discussion ended.) A professor in the group noted that 90 per cent of business is in repeat transactions, In these cases, improprieties. are "not ex- podient." Only in one-time deals does it seem worthwhile to "pull a fast 000." Thus were ideas traded among friends who daily face difficult ethical decisions in what is 'a most competitive field of human activity. They agreed that quiet discussions of this type are help- fhl, and they seemed also bnpli- city to agree that much more • clear thinking and plain talk on the subject is still necessary. U.S. White House ]s Public Property Between the hours of 10 a.m, and twelve noon, five days a week, the President and First Lady are reminded that their home is public property: On Sundays the mansion is theirs; on Mondays it is taken over by the cleaners who prepare it for the next week's onslaught, Dur- ing the ten hours a week when it is open to the public, the White House is invaded by an endless procession of tourists for whom it is history, government, Wash- ington, and patriotism all rolled into one. At the height of the season they number more than 10,000 a day in a queue that winds outside the East Gate and halfway along the eight -foot steel fence that encircles the grounds. The number of Ameri- cans who tour the White House each year is now greater than the total population of the United States when the man- sion was first tenanted. These touring visitors repre- sent the widest possible extremes of Americana. They come in mink coats and sweat shirts, they come in Daks and blue jeans and cashmeres, and they come in sneakers. But however different their dress, they have a common denominator in their possessive pride and open awe. Whether they be one-time tour- ists or nonpartisan employees of various administrations, there is a lump in the throat of the most sophisticated with the realiza- tion that part of this is theirs. In five years I could never become blase enough to be un- moved when the big gates open- ed for me each morning. -From "Eighteen Acres Under Glass," by Robert Keith Gray. We are part of what has gone before. Parcels of the past guide us, What we call the present is only a suburb of the past. Oliver St. John Gogarty. Why admire a rose as an aris- tocrat? Admire the democratic potato. For centuries it has nour- ished nations. Hentrich Heine. OLD BLADES - A yard -long pair of iron scissors, an antique of the old dayswhen symbols and pictures took the place of words on signs outside stores, is presented to William J. Wilcox, president of a historical society in Pennsylvania. WHO'S BEEFING? -'It's hard to tell if the cows are beefing about the people - or vice versa. One thing's sure - some- one is intruding on a picnic near Huntington, England. The following is a continua- tion of article "Death on the Farm - the Crop That Never Fails" by Thelma Dickman and taken from the Inhperiai 011 Re- view." So far, at least three provinces are providing a well-rounded program of accident prevention for farmers - Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The pro- grams differ, because local con- ditions differ, but the objective is the same, Saskatchewan's Christian Smith lists four needs in the fight for farm (and urban) acci- dent prevention. 1. Comprehensive and detailed national accident statistics, by age groups, sex, place and type of accident and occupational groups. "You can't fight a prob- lem without understanding it fully," Smith says. 2. A national voluntary safety organization with a comprehen- sive program for .all accident prevention, similar to the Na- tional Safety Council of the U.S. (Not all provinces agree on this, however. Spine feel that the pro- gram must be geared to local conditions and that, in the final analysis, safety must become a family project.) 3. Support and leadership by the Canadian government, through health and agriculture departments. 4, Provision of safety educa- tion materials, films, national TV and radio programs about accident prevention, not just traffic accidents. (Imperial Oil now distributes Farm Tractor Safety: a Family Affair. The film portrays' dramatically how one farm community got together to combat accidents,) * * * Smith, who gets hopping mad when he describes sloppy safety practices, was the moving power behind Child Safety Day, start- ed in Saskatchewan in 1954. It's held on the first Sunday in May. Last year it was adopted as a national day in Canada. Some U.S. organizations think it should be held internationally. A few years ago, Smith and his department saw from their hospital insurance statistics that 50 per cent of all farm accidents in their province happened in barnyards - and half of these accidents indicated poor house- keeping. For instance, a four- year-old, left to play alone in a toolhouse, knocked over a jar of weedkiller that was more than 60 per cent carton tetrachloride. Two weeks after inhaling the poisonous Rnes, she was dead. Smith's department prompt'v instituted an annual spring farmyard cleanup campaign. 8. 4. * Realizing that farm mothers, with more responsibilities than most city mothers, are often too busy to oversee young children, Smith's department also offered farmers free sketches of inex- pensive playground equipment they could make during the win- ter, They suggested a play area, fenced off from the rest of the yard, in sight of kitchen win - slows. So far, more than 2,000 plans have been mailed. Ii's too late to satethe sight of a little goy who last year in a barnyard had his eye pecked out by a roaster, but it might prevent this happening to some other 1111^_e boy, Clhid:,t:an Smith, echoing the opinion of agricultural engineers, would like to see legislation passed in Canada like that of a recent United Kingdom law, which forbids the operation of tractors by children under 13. He says, "Personally, I have known farm people to be prose- cuted and jailed for endangering the morals of a child but I've' never known charges laid against anyone whose child was injured or killed operating or riding a powerful machine made for the use of adults." * „ Smith deplores the kind of ac- cident which resulted in the death of a two-year-old Mani- toba boy. The child was put on the tractor, alone, to amuse him- self. His small, exploring fingers accidentally pressed the starter button and, as the machine had been wrongly left in gear, it lurched forward and hurled the boy from the seat. "Adult ex- ample and adult behavior have a tremendous bearing on children's safety," he says bitterly, "Con- sider the little farm boy who tried to quicken a bonfire with gasoline, ,as he'd seen grownups do; he turned into a flaming torch, dying in his tracks as he ran around the yard." Smith is by no means the only safety - conscious official on the farm scene. In Alberta, a provincial safety council, with hefty sup- port from the provincial govern- ment, does a steady year-round job of accident prevention. * 4' * The 4-H clubs, with contests, poster s, demonstrations and talks, are trying to make Can- ada's young farmers safety -con- scious. Trophies and cash awards to some $500 have been given to teenage 4-11 members for the best safety programs of the year, for winning posters and scrap- books. In 1959 73,000 4-11 Club members took part in a national sample survey, instituted by the agricultural committee of the Canadian Chamber of Com- merce, and involving 49,000 farm people. The Ontario department of agriculture, during 1959 and 1960, conducted for the first time in North America, an accident survey in all parts of the prov- ince at the same time. An "acci- dent reporter" was chosen lo- cally, and any rural accident was reported in all its grim detail, including location of accident time, place, cause, age of persons involved. After the statistics were all in, each county was sent a program of stifety educa- tion. A5 a result of survey find- ings, the Ontario Farm Safety Council was formed in 1960. e * 4, Hal Wright, an agricultural en• gineer and secretary -treasurer of the council, believes that edura- iion is the most important step on the long road to safe farm operations. He backs up his be- lief with action. Ho built a three -fent long re- plica of a tractor, weighing 250 pounds, which he uses for trac- tor -tipping demonstrations at all the international plowing matches, on CBC -TV farm broad• casts, and TV shows in Quebec, and New Brunswick. The tractor model has received se much pub- licity that 27 Americas,, states have written the ()Merin d pert- ntent of a'trhmllrn•e for more in. form trou erect it. "neve n1 tv,'icc: wlh,n I tees uaing a roe,. ular trimer to demonstrate tlp- pin.:. I darned near killed iny- sell'. The romoto control model is safer to u0ee, and tt'acihes the seine ltscon$." Wright and a friend took over two .months of nights arid Weekends to build their large-sized Dinky toy, "and It was worth every minute "• * Wright, whose mind seems to bubble with fresh idt't s on farm safety procedures, also developed a demonstration on dust explo- sions. "Our survey showed that we lose 10 to 20 barns a year through dust explosions. Loss of a barn can mean lass of income for that year, and sometimes a farmer's life." Wright built a small wood- en box with a glass window in one side, sprinkled flour inside and attached a lighted candle to the floor, When the box was shaken, and the dust flew in the air, the resulting explosion blew the box to bits. "Dust explosions occur when threshing takes place in a barn, and there's faulty wiring some- where in the building, or per- haps a spark is thrown off by the threshing machine itself. In Ontario, we also lose 15 to 20 barns a year through spontaneous combustion (of hay, for instance) and careless safety practices," (To be concluded next week) SPITE FENCES In 1961, heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson and his family moved into a $90,000 house in Yonkers, N.Y., becoming pioneer Negro residents of a plush sec- tion known as Beech Hill, Next door lived a dentist who, as Pat- terson interpreted it, went out of his way to be unfriendly by erecting a 6 -foot fence between the two backyards. Learning that his neighbor planned to move, Patterson last week paid $300 to have the fence extended to the front, where its jarring presence might easily lower the market value of the adjoining house, The dentist fumed. "Touch on my property," he warned the fence -builders, "and you better have a court order for it" When he heard that, Patterson grimly told the workmen: "If he touches anything over here, he'd better have an ambulance" How long will the fence stay up? Patterson said frankly: "As soon as the new people move in, I'll take it down." B G JOB -Brad Alexander, 2, is sure that his dad has a big job now that he has seen it Bob, Brad's dad, drives a new 80 -ton ore carrying diesel. The tires are six -feet high, (7k JINMY SC11001 jj$SON 13yy Bev. B. Barclay Warren, B.A., 15.17. Jeremiah. Sees (lope Beyond Tragedy Jeremiah 31: 31-34; 33: 14-26. Memory Scripture: Tlils shall be the covenant that I will snake with the house of Israel; After diose days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parte and write it in their hearts; and I will be their Cod, mid they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah has been called the weeping prophet, But those who must bear heavy messages of God's impending judgment, also have hope. This is apparent in the record of the prophets. Jeremiah encourages the exiles to build houses, raise families and seek the peace of the cities in which they lived. Seventy years must elapse before they can return. That means that many to whom he writes, will not return. But the captivity will be turned and the temple will again stand in Jerusalem. Jeremiah foresees the new covenant. Whereas the law of the first covenant was written on tables of stone, God will naw write His law in their hearts. He also foresees'Christ, the right- eous Branch, a descendant of David according to the flesh. The prophet of doom has be- come the messenger of hope We are living in troublesome times around the world. Most people close their ears to the prophet of doom. We believe what we want to believe. But despite the turmoil there are some things over which we have a right to rejoice. A Bishop in a letter just received, about to discuss an alarming situatiun, lists the following: 1, Jesus Christ, the same yes- terday, and today, and for ever. Heb. 13:8 2. We receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. Heb, 12:28 3. He that believeth on Him shall not be confounded, 1 Pet 2:6 4. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18. God is still Sovereign. He an- swers prayer. Let us not fear but have faith in Him. He has given His Son for us. In Hint we may have eternal life, Not A Publicity Stunt, Jerry Says For comedian Jerry Lewis, it was no laughing matter - at first. Missing from his Manhattan hotel suite, Lewis told police, was $185,000 worth of jewelry which he and his wife had lugged from Hollywood. The stuff was insured, of course, "but you can't measure what it was worth in heart value." To a newsman who tried to cheer him up with a small joke, Lewis said somberly: "5 can't be whimsical or irrespon- sible about a tragedy like this." Then, too, his wife happened to be "a very emotional Italian woman who takes these things seriously." But network time is a great healer, and by the next night trouper Lewis was gallant- ly twitting his own loss on TV, as host of the "Tonight" show. One thing he wanted to make clear, though, was that the rob- bery was no publicity stunt, As Jerry put it: `There are people who think no real things happen to people in our business. They think everything is phony" ISSUE 29 - 1962 CROSSWORD PUZZLE 5011(100 1. Sacred Imnge 5. 011e1' S. Carvell 12. us1 !met 'nman's nn. d,rgarnvnt 14, Uncovered 15- Letters I 0, ,lari:et 17. II:ndon 1s mwgoddessn IS. Ill rind. 20. rns4 0 21. lieu,, ins 22 (Ina 4,r0e 25. Surround 20 (1':4,,g ground 28 Peed the ttlw 10. ld horse . 311 t use to rid :i Ilnhrr t,tt 13 Peruke 15 Pats 11 Lase. h,11 Ilr.htly 34 I to tiger 3, Press ss< I.,r payment 17 Alarm Whistle 18 IA( tie child 10 White vestment 42. 'legion '•12 `tt red cote• Position i4, Perused sill Pa Pauly 17 fn ll,','tively 49 11'n h it rutty 41 Ott 11 inj,try DOWN 1. N reeaeo 2. Sleeveless nnrment 2. Drop 23. Stimulated 4. lhrownle 24. Celestial 5, wise 21. ugly old. counselor woman 8, T.14n ors 27. Beast of 7.7 1* soburden R1,1tr pnpinr 2e Nothing 9. Drum call 10. Most111- tempered 11. Domestto fowls 13. Boils slowly 10. Jewel 20. Seaweed 21. Small barrel 29. Chinese SD. Play on words 82, Beat 38. City In Montana 35. Prepared 36. Timber stained by decay 37. Hindu woman's garment 28. Snare 89. It. river 49. Prevaricator 41. nun away 48. harvest goddess 44, Worthless 1,1 1 i 2 3 4 •• 1' 5 6 7 ,•,, s 9 10 11 0 14 5 ¢-I6 22 23 24 •.ky 25._1.7111 � 26 27 29 ® %,Y29 ,y. ao 31 I 1 32 v ' >'i 6 y•ti 35 37 • "d 0s 39 do 41S' 2 45 47 r '.46 0" 4: 49 4s4.9 q,4 be Answer elsew here un t cis page