The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-07-19
What Our Drummers Cost.


ured out that the salary and expense
bills of the travelling statesmen of the
United States for single year would
not only pay the National debt, but
leave a few dollars over. 1t is stated
that outside ofpeddlers, ETC., includ
ing only those who sell goods for
wholesale houses, there are 100000
travelling statesmen, whose daily per-
sonal expenses are $l,5OO,OOO, or
$547. 100000 per year. Our contem.
porary further figures as follows:
The item of salaries is nearly as
large. Few men are paid less than
5000 per year. The largest number
receive between $500 and $4,000,
either in salaries or commissions. A
lesser number are paid from $4,000
to S5,O00-those receiving the latter
amount being comparatively few.
But there are travelling statesmen who
are always in demand at $40 900 or
$4,000 year, but they are few and
far between. The lower salaried men
predominant, as might be supposed,
and an average of 81 800 per year is
not far out of the way. Figuring
100000 men at an average salary of
$1,000 per year gives a total of
$i5O,00O 600, according to my arith-
Tetic. To this add $547, 100000 for
expenses, and you have 1897 $780,.
900 for these two items.
But there are other items to be
charged against the salesmen's ac-
count 1t is impossible to give any
accurate estimate of the cost OF
trunks, samples, and other requisites
of the travelling men, but the items
as we figure them in our store will
give something to judge from. Our
fifty men require $50 trunks, costing
So each, or 81 200. These men re-
quire two sets of samples yearly
one in the spring and one in the fall.
The cost of these two sets of samples
is about $1,000 per man. OF this
$4,000 worth of good which are re-
quired for samples every year a con
siderable portion is lost, while most
of it is SO soiled and damaged by
constant handling that it has to be
sold at a heavy reduction from &C
tual cost, or else given away. To
cover this depreciation we make an
allowance of 33s per cent upon the
cost of the samples. or about $4,000
per year. Trunks do not need re-
newing every year, but repairs and
replacing lost ones form quite an
item of expense. From these figures
it is evident that similar expenses of
greater or lesser amount borne by
every wholesale house will swell the
salary and travelling expense item of
1897 100000 far beyond 81 900, 0OO,-
900 per year.
The point Of most interest to farm.
ers is that very large portion of
this expense over and above the
manufacturers cost, is paid by them
which has oil 10 be added to the cost
of the goods, and paid by the con-
sumner. A single item will serve to
illustrate this point The crackers
the commonest grade that is sold
cost him 10 cents a pound. The
material which the farmer sells in
form of wheat he disposes of COR l !
cents per pound. The water and
salt added in manufacturing the
cracker will cover rs per cent OF the
weight and will cover the greater
part, if not the whole cost of manu-
'acture. So it is evident that lie pays
% some middle parties between him
'elf and the manufacturer Tor 8
cents when he buys pound of com.
non grade crackers. A large part
IF this drummer cost is paid out of
his contingent fund. The farmers
;ould readily save very large por-
ion of this expense if they were
generally organized in associations
IS manufacturers, merchants, bank.
RS. tradesmen and even day laborers
ire. They have a national OroaniZa
ion, with all the necessary machin-
'ry for the purpose at their hand.
All that is required is for farmers to
'tep in the grange and do the work
which is placed before them as mem.
'ers of the organization.