The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-12
THE TAX ON DRUMMERS.
VIEWS OF A COMMERCIAL TRAY
ELER ON THE
Workings Of the Mississippi Privilege
Tax Law-An Injustice to the
Business Public.
To the Editors Of Tho Appeal:

To the Editors Of The Appeal;
MARIANA, ARK, September 81
see circular from the Auditor of the
S ate OF Mississippi in regard to COM
merCial travellers, and calling the at
tent!on OF the tax collectors TO be Wig
liant in seeing that all travellers have
license. Tnst is the law of Mississip-
pi, and that it should be obeyed in an
acknowledged fact, and all law abiding
people who go there to sell mefchan-
disc should comply with these laws,
and especially one Ct that clsss-a
commercial traveller. The nctice at
lracted my attention, and afforded me
food for thought. Itappears a strange
thing to me tnat any State would en-
act such law, and especially in this
enlightened age; and we, as a class OF
men who depend upon the trade aud
patronage OF the merchants in the re-
spective STATES in which we trAvsl,
cannot but notice legislation in any
State that direc ly affects our own pro.
fession, as the State tax does
drummer. The idea of q great
many people is radically wrong.
They do not really want TO
legislste against the travelling men. l
cannot believe that, ard l speak the
sentiment Of many OF my fellow sales
men-5ut they imagine it comes
from the merchant princes that send
us out. But it is not 80. 1t effects us
direct y, for each expense that is in
Cured in travelling is charged up
against the salesman, and his trade in
the State must justify, beyond sure
profit, al his expenses, and our salS-
res are graded accordingly. Many
hotels charge extraordinary prices for
the accommodation they give travel
iug men, and that the salesman liz not
the loser by it is wrong impression.
The salary and the expenses Of the
traveller at the end of the month are
made up and charged to his expense
account; that is the expense the
houee hiss undergone in sending out
their agents, a1d the sales and prcfi's
ara figured up. Ii the sales do not
justify all expenditures, then the sales
man must be withdrawn and the
house, being able to lake care Of itself,
the salesman loses bis position. The
position OF the traveller is 80 little I'M
derstood, and seldom defended,
feel it my duty to no.
tee and to correct az far as l
l can what is considered a usury, that
we as class generally bear, because
helpless to remedy the evil. If all
were placed or situated as / and some
Others are, it would make no material
difference, as / have other States
where there are no licenseP, and can
spend my money there. / have made
two or three trips year in the Safe
of Missis ippi, ard have spent from
twelve to fifteen hundred dollars in
the State soliciting orders, whereas
since the tax on commercial travellers
do not spend q dollar, neither shall
l do so while ii is law. The Safe of
Mississippi loses a hundred dollars
that would be spent and left there,
where it makes one, and quite num-
Der have left it for good. The hotels,
the livery stables and the merchants
are the losers by it, the number OF
ga esmen is lessened, the competition
ia l. IS, and those who do go there get
DCIlOI DilNO 6WAJ okAObk
petition in any State, lessen the num-
Der Of travelling salesmen, and the mer-
chant pays more for his goods, has
more trouble and must 60 to Market,
where before he had market at his
door daily and could buy his goods
intelligently and at the lowest figures.
Net house in the land would sell
goods through travelling statesmen if
they were certain that the merchant
would come to marke', for there they
get better prices for goods cold, and
the merchant has less ground for COM
plant if his goods are in any way
wrong. Travelling men are great
benefit to any State; they are no deri-
ment in any way. If one takes any
advantage OF a merchant the next one
will give him away, and the traveller
dsres not to do mean act, If 80 at his
peri, and he stands good chance to
lose customer, which in these times
no one can afford 10 do. While sthe
Siats fills her cafe with what the
license will bring and fee to the Off
Ger, it depletes the pockets OF the hotel
man and the livery man and the mer-
chant, lessons thereby competition,
and the merchant pays more for his
goods, and the traveller cannot feel
toward the State and thoee he deals
with the same interest when he feels
he is taxed to place the goods he
sells, and this advantage is taken of
him. l hope, Mr.. Editor, you
will give this space in your
paper, and as it has a large circulation
in the State that imposes this burden
on the travelling man, that it may be
read with profit and have some effect
that will in the future prove beneficial
TO rs in the removal Of what must be
an unjust exaction on a class OF men
who can little afford TO pay the tax. /
have no i'll will toward the State or
her good people. believe in obeyiDg
the law and complying with its re-
quirements, and l would allow my
fellow travellers to do as the law d.
reefs, and not be liable thereby. But,
as for myself, shall remain away-so
will many others-until it shall be re-
pealed, which will, l hope, be at no
distant day. e. A. MARTIN.