The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-30

DANGER IO DRJAAERS
Claude 0uvaI of Hutchinson
Puts His Finger on 1t.
CONCENTRATION OF TRADE
Into Combines Shuts Out the
Knight of the Grip.
CONCENTRATION OF TRADE

a
night Claude Duval of Hutchinson Kan,
petition: Its Effect on the Future Welfare
of the Commercial Traveller" made de-
c!ded hit. Mr.. Duval said:
Fellow Travellers: Within the past ten
years conditions have arisen upon the
commercial horizon which in my Judg-
| ment are of such vast Importance to our
present and future interests. and 1 might
add to the interests of all commercial and
physical labor, as well as TO the business
interests of our country, l cannot re-
frain from referring to them at this time.
First, let me ask you TO never lose sight
Of this fact, that our capital invested,
as you well know, from which we hope
TO derive a living for ourselves and our
families is our labor. In the past, and 10
limited extent now, our earning power
has been passed upon the volume Of our
sales at reasonable profit above the cost
of transacting business.
In open competition then. our CONNER
cial value to our firms and TO ourselves de-
ponds upon two important conditions.
First. upon the general prosperity of all
the people who buy and consume that
which we have to sell, and. second, the
extent to which we apply our own en-
ergy, genius and ability to our bust
ness.
1t has been in the field of unrestricted
competition where our manufacturing and
commercial enterprises conducting their
own business as independent institutions,
content with operating their plants for a
number Of years TO realize a modest for
tune through a fair and reasonable profit
on their investments, giving labor its
just reward and sending out their trav-
cling statesmen in friendly open competi-
ton for trade, that mas in commercial
prestige and power placed this magn.h-
cent young republic in the van of any and
ali civilized nations of the earth and
made the commercial travellers of
America and their families as they are
recognized and known today in society
literature, art. and in commerce. the peers
of the most progressive, most intelligent,
and most respected class of our citizen
ship.
But let us briefly look into the future
and consider our interests under the sys-
tenn of restricted competition as It eX-
lists today, and which, unless checked by
united action Of the people, will continue
to exist and grow to an extent. the time
dangerous to the welfare Of all wage
earners will practically control the bust
ness and markets of our whole coun-
try.
I make this assertion as a sound bust
ness principle, that just so sure as the
law of supply and demand governs the
value of money ana the value of all COM
modities produced by labor, just as sure
does the supply of and demand for labor
govern the salaries and wages of all class
es of labor itself. Now then, when we
know to be a fact that many of our large
manufacturers and commercial enter
prises in many of our most important
manufacturing and commercial industries
are no longer sending out their travelling
statesmen in open competition for trade,
but have concentrated their interests I'M
der one huge management to control pro-
duction and prices thereof by absorbing
smaller individual cO-partnership and cor
porate enterprises or forcing them out
of business altogether, throwing thou
sands Of travelling statesmen, bookkeepers.
billing clerks. shipping CLERKS. and other
classes of labor cut of employment to
enter into competition with the same
classes for positions in other lines that
as yet have not adopted the system of
restricted competition, must have and
eventually will have a most depressing
effect upon business and upon our ma
terial prosperity as wage earners IN all
commercial vocations.
Every commercial traveller on the road
today throughout this broad land OF ours.
and especially those representing jobbing
interests. are now selling manufactured
articles that no longer than from enc 10
ten years ago required five or more trav-
cling spec atty statesmen representing that
many different factories in each specific
industry covering the same territory, OK
ercising their ability and tal2nt. &C
lively advertising and pushing the sale
Of their respective brands of these manu-
featured articles. Today we find many
OF these same industries and factories
concentrated into powerful combination
of interests directed by one management.
and each industry with It's many factories
operating under the system OF restricted
competition is now represented in the
same territory throughout the United
States by only one travelling salesman.
which only A few years ago required i've
or more in the same field when each fac
tory was doing business In its own name
and under its own management
This change from unrestricted 70 re-
stTicted competition by these Industries !
has thrown from % to % OF their CONNER |
cial travellers our Of employment. VINO. |
to provide even the necessities OF life fcr !
themselves and their families are forced /
TO enter into competition with US for our I
positions Not only this the time is COM 1
ing after a few more Independent fac.o- /
ries have been absorbed that the sales /
men who We're fortunate enough &C retain I,
their places with these powerful! CON- 1
binations will be brought face 10 facs with /
the fact that man with 81 per month /
capacity VIII serve their purpose us. .
as well as the high-pricei statesmen. who /
viii be forced 20 work for lower wages !
or surrender their positions
When you take into consideration the 4
fact that no less number than = 70 10 i
OF the largest and most important manu- I
featuring and commercial industries q .
this country. embracing fully . per cen:
% orr leading factories and commercial {
institutions have already combined OF
concentrated their interests under one i
mana cement. as wen as others E5T form
ing 70 operate under the system OF re-
ztricted competition throwing wage earn
a-s OUT Of employment reducing saia-
res and restricting markets 50 tha- The 4
producers % the raw material thz- goes
INTO the manufactured article 10 longer 4
have open markets n competition for
.heir proucts. therefore. mus; accept
over prices foT what they may have
to sell. thereby decreasing the earning
power. which naturally decreases The Dur-
chasing power % the great agricultural
and labortuE classes upon whom The r.
-su merchants as well as Ire sabh>rs ard
eF-er~ = -