The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-12-03
GET WORK OR NOTHING.
Clever Contrasts Made with Agents II,

Clever Contrasts Made with A gents by
HOOK Publishers. 81
a correspondent Of the Journal
writes to expose the fraud contained
in many fattering offers made by book
publishers to prospective agents, and.
as great many people are constantly
being made the victims of these con
tracts, the exposition Of the fraud Isl!
certainly timely. Speaking Of the
/ methods employed by book manufac-.
3turers to. secure agents, and get agency
work done, he says: They send out
sa'droitly misleading and grossly deceit-,
1ul contracts to those who are induced
70 open correspond with them by
the Hattering advertisements publish
ed. These advertisements promise
large salaries, and in that way entice
many honest employment seekers. The
contracts sent out would appear, to
=; any one but a lawyer, to promise lu-
crat1ve positions. The conditions are
that the applicant work,a month sell
Ing what books he can, makes delivery,
retains commission, and pays for the
: books He is then to take the field at
stipulated salary as general agent,
ana the shortage in salary of the
month served is to be allowed The
salary promised is from SIS to S125.
per month" While he is doing his in
ltlatory work he may write himself
ollnd to get some information concern
ing MS general agency work. This is
Kept back until the months work is
nnlshed.1 Then he receives a letter
promising him from SIS to $50 per
month, and the last four months of
the nrst year $1o0 per month. salary
ana expenses to be paid out of the
money secured by selling outfits to
agents. The contract sent by pub
l1sh1ng firm requires the outfits to
be sold at 1915 each. Here the scheme
eliminates. Though an agent had the
tongue OF an angel he could never
make his expenses selling outfits at
tnat price. Many book firms sell these
same outfits at from Is to Is cents The
contract, it appears, is. a very careful
~ Worded one. Virtually it binds the
agent to work for the firm at certain
hgure, but does not bind the firm to
hire him at that figure. The correspon-
oent further says: 'The, result of this
scheme is that the book manufacturer
gets work out of many persons, some
OF Whom leave good positions to &C
cept the enticing offer. A lady gave
up her school last year to accept one
OF these offers, and when she found
she had been deceived came to Lincoln
to consult her attorney. The attorney
at once Informed her that, while nine
out OF ten persons outside the law
profession would think her contract
binding the firm to SIS per month, yet
Its construction was SO adroit as to
bind the firm to nothing. Another
lady thus deceived went from Lincoln
to Chicago, in the hope Of getting her
wrongs righted. There are many 9TH
7er persons in the city who have lost
valuable time in trying to get one Of
these positions. The secretary OF one
OF these book concerns in recent let
ter to me says: you had better place
the contract in the hands of some INTEL
hgent person who can explain it, Now
wish to pass this advice on to the
general public, and advise that when
contract is received from book firm
Offering an agency that it would be
Well to place it in the hands of an at
torney to see whether it is good or not.
Do this before you sign t.'-Nebraska
Journal.