The Red Cloud chief., 1898-10-14
GET WORK FOR NOTHING.
Clever Contracts nado with Agents b.
Hook Publisher<-

Hook P~ublisher~
A correspondent of the Journal
writes TO expose the fraud contained
In many t'attcrlng Offers mado by book
publishers 60 prospective agents, and
rs a great many pcoplo. are constantly
being made the victims of these con-
tracts. the exposition OF the fraud Is
certainly timely. Speaking Of the
Methods employed BY book mnnutac-
turers to secure agents. and get agency
work done. he sage: They sond out
adroitly misleading and grossly deceit
ful contracts TO thosa who are induced
to open correspondence with them by
inc nattoring advertisements publish
ed. These advertisements promise
large salaries. and In that way ontlce
many honest employment seekers. Tho
contracts sent out would appear, to
any one but a lawyer, to promise lu-
cratlve positions. The conditions are
tnat the applicant work a month sell
Ing what books he can, makes delivery,
retains commission, and pays for tho
DOCKS. lie Is then to take the field at
a stipulated salary AZ general agent.
ana h shortage I'm salary of the
month served Ia to he allowed. The
salary promised Is from $40 to s125
per month";" While he IL doing his in
itiatory work he may write himself
blind to get some information concern
ing MS general agency work. This In
Kept back until the months work is
finished. Then he receives n letter
promising him from s75 to $50 per
month, and the last four months OF
the first year 800 per month. salary
and expenses to be paid out OF the
money secured by selling outfits to
agents. The contract sent by a pub
fishing firm requires the outfits to-
De sold ut $3.75 each. Here the scheme
eliminates. Though an agent had the
tongue or al angel he could never
make his expenses selling outfits at
mat price. Many book firms sell those
same outfits at from rs TO rs cents. The
contract, IL appears, IL n very careful
ly worded one. Virtually Il binds the
agent to work for the firm ut a certain
hgure. but docs nc bind the frm to
hire him ut that figure. The correspon-
dent further says: THE result OF this
scheme Is that the book manufacturer
gets work out OF many persons, some
or whom leave good positions to ac-
cept the enticing offer. A lady gave
up her school last year to accept one
or these offers, and when she found
she had been deceived came to Lincoln
TO consult her attorney. The attorney
mt once Informed her that, while nine
out or ten persons outside the law
profession would think her contract
binding the firm to SIS per month, yet
Its construction wal so adrolt as to
bind the firm to nothing. Another
lady thus deceived went from Lincoln
to Chicago, In the hope Of getting her
wrongs rishted. There are many 9TH
err persons In the city who have lost
vaiuab time In trying to get one OF
these positions. The secretary OF n
OF these book concerns In a recent let
ter to me says: You had better place
the contract in the hands Of como intel
ligent person who can explain It, Now
l wish to pass this advice on to the
general public and advise that when
a contract is received from a book firm
ohering an agency that II would be
well to place 1t in the hands of an at
torney to see whether II is good or not.
Do this before you sign it."-Nebraska
Journal,