The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-20
THE DRUMMER.

! WASHINGTON. Feb Ex-senator Quay
made speech in the senate yesterday on the
commercial traveller. The speech was in
spired by the bill he is championing TO
| amend the interstate commerce law sc
| that reduced rates may be given to com
mercial travellers. After stating that there
were 1S0 900 of these commercial travellers
| and that they spent S64, 100000 a year in
railroad fares, Senator Quay paid them
! this tribute.
I'm the first place the broad assertion
may be made, the truth of which will be
recognized by every one, that commercial
travellers market the entire product of the
manufacturing industries of the United
States. Between the loom, the spindle, the
machine shop, the vat, the foundry and
other primary sources of manufactured
goods they are the intermediates for the
retail merchant and his customers. Their
mission Is commercial, but it Is also in
structive. To the small towns of the in
terror these agents bring products entirely
new 10 the eyes Of their inhabitants.
whether merchants or consumers. More
than this, they brlng 10 the small manu-
facturer the visible results of the enter
prise. investigation and accumulated cap
ital Of the larger manufacturer. / wish
also 10 emphasize the fact that the travel
ing commercial agent does not bring TO
these interior towns the fruit Of American
sent also the finished products of all the
nations Of the earth. Every commercial
traveller has as his mission to bring before
the people the special products OF trade III
which lie is expressly interested
IL pOn that particular branch of product
the very requirements OF his duty compel
him to be thoroughly informed, so that as
these 1900 bright eyed, quick witted,
alert men move over the land they present
to its people a professional bazaar which
is almost equivalent TO an international
exposition OF the manufactures of the
world 1t is estimated that the amount of
freight shipped 70 I'LL the orders booked by
the commercial travellers reaches the enor-
nous total of 600, ,0J0, 900 tons annually, in
this country alone. But these bgures,
pregnant with IN. aning As they are, fail
TO carry with them the significance Of
the work that these men do. They
represent not alone the manufacturers
and the toiling thousands, whose
golden reward they quicken in its course
fIom consumer to employe. The COM
mercial traveller also markets the products
of agriculture 1t is he who places within
reach Of the manufacturer the raw mater
ial which feeds his mill. The commercial
traveller places within reach of the manu-
facturer the wool of the ranches and the
uplands, and the lumber of the forest, the
grain of the northwest and the corn Of the
prairies; the oil, the coal and the precious
ores of mother earth. 1t is in this phase
of his work that be does most effective
service in sustaining in favor our balance
of trade with foreign nations, through his
seeking maket abroad for all
of the resources of our country"
In conclusion Ser ator Quay said: Com
prising the most vigorous and enterpris-
ing class Of our trading population, the
pioneers of our artistic industry and of
comfort in our land as well as
the promoters of our commercial inter
course with foreign nations, the living
bonds between manufacture, agricultural
and mining, the largest individual patrons
Of transportation and the most active
of its freight traffic, these
men come to US with every argument in
their hands. asking, not for discrimination
in their favor, but for simple justice to
themselves and their employers, as well as
10 retail merchants and the common |
people, whose comfort and knowledge are |
simultaneously with decrease |
IF their household expenses because of the |
of prices in every hamlet in |
5he country"