The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-04 00:00:00

TO TUE EDITOR OF TUE SUN.

Sirt,—l hope you will allow me through your impar•
tial paper to make a few observations, arising out of
some remarks made by Mr. G. Moore, of London, at a
dinner given last week at the Corn Exchange, Man-
chester, in aid cf the above schools.
Mr. Moore remarked, after relating the success and
value of the institution, that he was sorry to observe they
had the most children belonging to ccmrnission travellers,
which he only accounted for from the miserable and
stingy manner they were paid, entreating houses to act
more liberal, and pay men at least enough to live upon
further observing, he knew several melancholy instances
of destitution, which was not the result of improvidence
or prodigality, but from
.most inadequate pay to meet
the necessary expenses of the road. Mr. Moore, I am
sure, will receive the best thanks of all travellers for his
kind consideration ; the more so, from the fact of his
being himself a principal, and for many years a traveller,
and, to his credit, the architect of his own fortune by
indomitable application and industry.
I have known him many years. ()Mimes do I recol.
iect him leaving his bed before sunrise in the spring of
the year, continuing hard at work until the cock an-
nounced early morn again; so that ho is good authority
for what a traveller requires and deserves. And now it
is needful seine one should give further information,
and explain how it is commission travellers are nob in a
prosperous
condition. The fact is they are robbed at
every point.

I will point out one or two methods houses adopt to
reduce their expenses. It is no uncommon thing t,) assert
that travellers are of no service to them, and still they are
glad to retain their assistance ; they are well aware who
" brings grist to the mill." They complain of their profits
icing small, an argument used to csmplete a grinding
engagement. 'When you come to a settlement at the
end of the journey they write down what they say is the
amount of sales. You are much surprised, you expected
a touch larger amount, and express a wish to go through
the books, which is indignantly refused, and the ill-used
traveller submits to be fleeced rather than litigate with
men who may, in an under-handed way, do Lim an in-
jury. He, consequently, suffers his already too small
earnings to be reduced by this unprincipled subterfuge.
Another false system, often adopted, is the following
—A traveller is paid a commission on his sales ; he is
given patterns; some are manufactured or engaged by the
house who employs him, and other patterns are made and
twilight from other makers. 'I he traveller works early and
late, using his best endezvours to influence sales, but on
his return home, after an absence of three or four months,
and paying his own expenses, he discovers that little more
than half the amount of orders sent home have been exe-
cuted, only such as they make themselves having been
sent, underwriting the invoics that the remainder will
follow in a few days, carriage paW, which, of course, is
never more thought of, and the unfortunate commi:slon
man is again victimised. These and other equally dis-
reputable tricks are beginning to be known and scouted.

I was once a commission man myself, and, from all I
know, would recommend every man to make a sturdy
resistance against any house who refuses to pay, orassist
in paying, part of the necessary expenses of the road, other-
wise he must lose his own money, or become a defaulter.
In either case these " vampires " will shore no sym-
pathy, but will exact their "pound of flesh." Pardon
me, sir, for occupying so much of your valuable paper.
I am emboldened to trespass, because I believe you feel
an interest in the welfare of the commercial body. I
shall now conclude by giving some wholesome advice,
gratis, to those houses in London, Manchester, Brad-
ford, and elsewhere, who have for some time past made
money, wrung from the bones of the badly-paid tra-
veller. I advise such to abandon altogether un-
principled practices, and begin the New Year afresh,
adopting the good old adage of " live and let live"—to
repent of their sins of omission as well as commission.
This done, not only Mr. Moore, but other respectable
men, will not fail, when Christmas comes again, to sound
their praise; and I think, to prove their sincerity, and
make their consciences easy, they ought
,to disgorge,
and lose no time in sending 100 guineas each to assist
in the schools, and 100 guineas in aid of the Poor Tra-
vellers' Benevolent Institution ; and, furthermore, be-
come annual subscribers of 10 guineas each to both in-
stitutions. I beg to assure commission travellers there
are only two proper ways to make an agreement : one
is to travel for no house whatever without the expenses
are paid, or work the journey for a fixed sum. This
persevered in will restore the prospects of the ill-paid
commission traveller.