The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-17


WASHINGTON, June 16-During It's
session this afternoon the industrial COM
mission heard a statement from +. T.
Dove, of New York, president or the
Commercial Travellers National league.
Mr. Dove said the opinion OF the COM
mercial men at large was that the trusts
were a menace to the community. he
estimated the travelling statesmen In the
United States at 350 900, saying that the
census figures of 10000 were grossly IN
correct. The formation of trusts and
combinations was throwing a large num-
her of these men out of employment.
In giving specific instances he said:
1.-The National Enameling and Stamping
company, which depends for its raw ma
terial upon the American Tin Plate com
pany, has thrown great many out OF
employment, and those retained have had
their salaries reduced. The great to-
bacco combines threw out about 3,VVO
statesmen; the Continental Tobacco com
pany telegraphed the discharge OF 55O In
one day; the Baking Powder trust has
dispensed with all excepting half dozen
men. I know of two statesmen discharged
by the trust who were formerly In the
employ of the Cleveland Baking Powder
company one receiving salary or $o,OOo
q wear, the other $500. Their routes,
with those of other discharged statesmen,
are covered by one agent, at SIS week.
The bicycle trust will throw out 500 sales
men gradually, and will cut down agen-
cies in every city; the chair trust will
IL, hoy
men, by cutting them out of the line.
lone man writes me the Union Bag and
Paper company has thrown out of en-
ployment hundreds of statesmen.
1.-The number of statesmen out Of work
because of the United States Rubber
company are 300; the statesmen retained
have been reduced to salary averag-
ing, so 1 am informed, $500 a year. The
American Tin Plate company cut off
about ninety out of every 100 statesmen.
American Steel and Rod, have been told,
discharged 300 commercial travellers in
one day.
I'm giving these estimates I am not
considering the office force thrown out
through trusts. Sugar and coffee mon
oplies have thrown out LOCO statesmen;
average reduction in salary Of those re-
the old force being retained in house
positions. The Standard Oil company en-
pIoys fewer statesmen than any other
concern in the mercantile world of one
half its capital"
CUTS BOTH WAYS.
Mr.. Dove said that the trust combina-
tions had raised the prices of the COM
modities they controlled from to 100 per
cent in almost every instance, except
coffee and sugar. In these they were
still fighting for control of the field. He
said his figures in this line were abso-
lutely correct, being from reliable COM
mercial acquaintance. The examples he
gave were: Iron pipe, over 100 per cent;
tinware and enamelined ware, about SO
per cent; brass goods, 60 per cent; chair
trust, just formed, will advance prices
80 per cent; rubber overshoes Omitted
States Rubber company advanced prices
IA per cent on May 1, American Tin Plate
company advanced prices something like
80 per cent, newspaper Il to y cent a
pound; a further advance in prospect;
book papers, and 10 per cent; an ad-
vance is expected in writing paper; In
common soap 25 to so cents a box; flint
glass bottles will be advanced 10 per cent
Or more; jobbers and manufacturers of
clocks have advanced the wholesale price
on account Of the advance of metals 60
per cent; all metal goods have been ad
vanced; brass pins 25 per cent; pipes and
brushes 1211 per cent; combs TX per cent;
ribbons 10 per cent; school furniture has
gone up. as well as paper bags and wrap
ping paper.
1.-The umbrella trust failed four years
ago, but 1t advanced prices while in ex-
lstence, and after it's break up the re-
turn to legitimate and healthy prices
caused loss to the retailer, through the
stock on hand"
The witness concluded by saying that
before levaing New York he had been
warned by an acquaintance, a lawyer,
indirectly connected with some of the
trusts, that he was doing dangerous
thing in speaking before the commission,
as he was liable to "be crushed like a
caterpiller."
The commission tomorrow will hear
l.. M Lockwood, of Pennsylvania, the
last of the trust witnesses, and next
week will take up the investigation Of
agricultural interests.