Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-05-02
ABOUT "DRUMMERs."
o'ersSo,0o0,O00 Expended Annually -Rapid
Abandonment OF the System.

From the Pittsburgh Commercial.
The propriety of dispensing with
"drummers" or commercial agents,
has been the subject of serious con-
sideration in Pittsburgh, and we OBJ
serve Is being agitated elsewhere
1t is stated that many houses ia
Philadelphia, as well as in other
large cities commenced the year by
reducing expenses and dispensing
with travelling agents Do "drum-
mers" pay2 is the question to be
determined, aud il would seem, from
this action of merchants, that the
answer is in the negative. While it
must be admitted that large house,
having business relations in the diff
terent sections Of the country, re-
qnlres agents to attend to the settle
ment OF accounts and other matters,
involving large amounts of money,
the sending broadcast over the States
ola flood Of 'drummers," inundating,
as it were, the interior merchants
with multiplicity of Samples" is
regarded as an abuse that calls for
abatement. A great army of these
agents has been sentout, every whole
sale house in almost every city hav-
ing one or more representatives., who
visit every town, village, and hamlet
in the country. Upon the oxtent of
this drumming" business, the New
York Grocer has some facts and fig
ures which will be regarded az inter-
esting
There are said TO be % 900 drum
mers sent out Of this CITY alone.
These average at least $500 in sal
airy and commissions, or S37 800, 900
| paid TO the whole number in salaries
IL TO this we add their travelling ex
penses, 81 per day, and estimating
they are upon the road $50 DAYS
during the year, we have an item of
sl5, 900, 900 more, and an aggregate
OF S52 600, 900 which is added to tho
price of the goods sold As there are
about 5000, 900 retail stores in the
country which the goods eventually
reach, we find every dealer taxed
Sl75 per year to sustain this army Of
'drummers' from New York city
alone. We would not be understood
to say that in all instances and under
all circumstances the employment
OF travelling statesmen should be dis
| pensed with, for under certain cir
cumstancas it is an absolute necessi-
ty. 10 introducing a new article to
the attention of the trade, or new
or improved package or manner of
putting up goods, in specialities gen.
orally. or Whatever cannot be describ-
ed inteliigiblY or understood clearly
without seeing the articles, then
such course becomes Indispensable,
and an advantage to both buyer and
seller. But even then, after such an
article, or sample, or manufacture has
become universally known, the
drummer can be dispensed with to
the advantage of both parties"
Houses in New York which carried
out for any length of time the plan
OF dispensing with drummers, giving
their customers the benefit Of cores
ponding reduction on goods, report
"a healthy business, with few losses
and better satisfaction to all parties
The Grocer says further:
Leading firms in every line OF
business, who have hitherto refused
to make known their business in
any other way except through the
expense OF maintaining a dozen or
more 'drummers' securing the coun-
try, have dispensed with their SER
vices and returned to a system oil
lJudlcious advertising, which canno,
fail to be highly remunerative
Those who havo tried the two sys.
TENS are loud in their praises of the
latter method. A firm laboring un.
der the necessary heavy expenses
OF maintaining a dozen salesmen
at cost OF S35, 900 to $4,000 pei
annum, canuot afford to sell its
goods at as low q figure as firm
whose expenses are reduced by the
same amount. Indeed, experience
proves that competition by the lat
ter against the former is almost i'm.
possible While very small portion
Of the amount hitherto exp nded on
agents (who, at the best, could visit
but a small portion of the trade,
would enable the firm to place their
business and prices weekly before
every merchant ia the country, and
bring larger returns Orders would
be found 10 in no wise abate, and al
the end of the year fewer bad debts,
would be found on the books of oul
wholesale merchants. Country mer.
chants themselves can compel this
change for their own good y refus
ing to give their orders to these
peripatetic'salesmen, and by sending
their orders to headquarters and in.
sisting upon the prices which houses
not under this Unnecessary expense
are willing to give"