The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-07-20
EQUAL TO the NATIONS DEBT.
Enormous Cost Of Travelling Statesmen


Enormous Cost Of Travelling Statesmen.
"The money used In single year to
foot the salary and expense billie OF the
travelling statesmen Of the United States
would pay of the entire national bebt
and lea We few dollars over.''
This rather startling statement was
made by junior member OF one Ut the
large dry goods houses Of this city,
who hss force Of about fifty travellers
under his immediate charge. A. proof
OF his assertion he presented these
wholesale, jobbing or commission
house in any line of business in the
United. States that does not have at
least single travelling representative,
and from one lone man the travelling
force ranges up as high ~ 125 or $50
men, and there may be one or two
houses with even more. The average
of the mos reliable estimates places the
total number Of commercial tourists In
this country at. .25O, 600; and, mind you.
this does not mean peddiers, but only
those who sell goods at wholesale.
HOW THE EXPENSES MOUNT UP,
"The railroad fares, charges for car
rying sample baggage by freight or
express, hotel bills and numerous incl
dental travelling expenses Of these men
will range between ~ aud sl2 per day,
but some men will spend &25 Ia
single day for these purposes without
resorting to any extrAvagance. Take
for Instance, some of the carpet, CLOTH
ing or fancy goods men who carry ten
to fifteen trunks full of samples, take .
packer with them and hire q hotel
parlor 10 display their goods when
ever they open their trunks. But the
number of these men Is com alively
small, aud $6 day will fairly repre-
sent the average expenses Of the 25O,-
600 men. There you have $l 500, 900
per day for expense alone. Multiply
this by 365, and you have $547, ,50O, 900
as the amount expended In one year.
MEN WHO EARN LARGE SALARIES.
"The item Of salaries IL nearly rs
large. Few men are paid less than
5000 per year. The largest number
receive between $500 and s25OO, either
in salaries or commissions. A lesser
number are paid from $4,000 to $1,000
those receiving the latter amount
being comparatively few. But there
are travelling sslesmen who are always
In demand ut $40, 900 to $15, 900 . year,
but they are few aud far between.
The lower salaried men predoniuste,
as might be supposed, and an average
of $4,000 per year Is not far out Of the
way. Figuring 250,0OO men at an
average salary of $500 per year gives
a total Of $3.50, ,OOO, 900 according to my
arithmetic. To this add $547 500 600
for expenses, snd you have $997, 800
600 for these two items.
A STORE FULL OF GOODS IN TRUNSs.
"But there are other items to be
charged against the salesmeu 3 account.
1t Is impossible to give any accurate
estimate of the cost of trunks, satchels
and other requisites of the travelling
men, but the items as we figure them
In our store will give something 10
Judge from. Our df.y men require $50
trunks costing 80 each, or $1,000. These
men require two sets OF samples yearly
-one in the spring aud one In the fall /.
The cost OF these TWO sets Of samples is
about $1,000 per man. OF this $50, 600
worth Of goods which are required for
samples every year considerable por.
ton is lost, while most of II is so soIled
aud damaged by constant handling
that it has 10 be sold at q heavy reduc-
ton from the actual cost, Or else given
away. To cover this depreciation we
make an allowance OF 334 per cent up
on the cost Of the samples, or about
$l7 900 per year. Trunks do not need
renewing every year, bat repairs and
replacing lost ones form quite an item
of expense. From these figures 1t 4
evident that the similar expenses o
greater or lesser amount borne b!
every wholesale house Will swell tn
salary and travelling expense item Q
$997 500, 900 far beyond 81 600, 600 90
per year. ."--Ehi,ddelpa Record.