The Portland daily press., 1868-02-12
s.Drunamincv Arain.

Mr.. EDIroR,-'Merchant" in the Press of
the Sth has placed before us picture show
ing such inevitable ruin of all who employ
runners in selling goods that it seems as
though it Is the dark side of the picture, and
we think tn ere is another and brighter side
to It. In reviewing some of Merchants" ar
gunents we shall not promise as he does, that
all the statements are "facts" but merely our
opinion Of the subject.
The first statement is that"every merchant
knows that whoever follows drumming must
sooner or later come to grief" IL Thai IS the
casa large part Of our most successlul nier-
chants have been aad are still pursuing
course that win lead them to financial ruin,
and as he intimates, perhaps nothing but the
strong arm OF the Law will prevent their ccr-
rying out this ruinous purpose. He says that
not less than three per cent. Of profits on all
goods sold by runners is entirely lost. We
admit that it costs more to sell goods by run
ners than in store, but is it not plain that it
would cost some part Of that 3 per cent. to
sell those goods in store? Would it not take
moro clerks in store TO sell those customers
WHO would, were it not for runners, have to
go to market for goods much oftener than
they now do? Then agair in the matter OF
the increased number Of bad debts to which
he alludes, we must take exceptions. If
merchant employs unreliable runners, then Of
course there is danger of bad debts; but why
is there more danger Of our merchants en-
ployiGg unreliable runners tnan incompetent
ccrksP If the man sent out to sell goods by
sample understands his business as he should,
We contend that he has better chance TO
find out the standing of bis customers, and
their reliability than though he was in store,
where adroit rosues obtain goods of merchants
and clerks by false pretences. Again ecan-
not see why the system of employing runners
to sell goods should snake Jews" of our mer-
chants, "soing about seeking who they might
devour," as Merchant says it is doing. We
do not see that our merchants are getting
more "ioose" in their dealing than formerly.
We think the leading merchants of our city
are as honorable in their dealings as in any
city i'll New England or elsewhere, and do not
think they wonld risk their well earned repu-
tation by sending out runners to Je'g country
traders, allowing they could be gulIed. If
Merchant thinks his fellow merchants cf
Portland will sit down quietly and let what
trade would naturally come here, and let the
rest 60 to Boston and elsewhere, he much
mistakes the energy and so ahead spirit OF
our wholesale dealers.
8 word of consolation to the country ira
ders, who for the past few years have had
their stores taken possession of by these
swarms OF runners" "worse than locusts,"
and have been obliged to buy goods they could
not sell or pay for. Cheer up, gentlemen, for
if that "voice of thunder" is heard at Augusta
and needed you will again have tie privilege
of going TO Portland or Boston, or where you
please. to buy what goods you need.
il few reasons why the "runner" system
was adopted by the wholesale merchants of
Portland, and we are done. Many OF our en-
terprising merchants have felt that the retail
trade Of Maine could as yell be supplied by
the Wholesale traders here as for so large part
of 1t 80 to Boston and elsewhere as formerly.
Following up this idea commodious stores
have been built and filed with large and well
selected stocks of groceries, dry goods, boots
and shoes, fancy goods, &C., suitable for the
Maine trade, and all honorable means taken
to induce traders to buy in Maine, and SO let
The profits On goods remain in our State.
That their efforts have been we'll rewarded
the oery much increased wholesale trade OF
Portland shows plainly. If the runner sys-
TEN proves detrimental to the interests of our
merchants we think they hav, shrewdness
enough to do away with it, without any help
OF legislation. ~