The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-25
And Says They Are Fighting Not Only
for Themselves, but tor the Retail
er and Consumer as We'll.
IF TRUSTS HAVE THEIR WAY
COMPETITION WILL BE DESTROYED,
THE SENATOR ASSERTS.
Testimony Before the Industrial Com
tigating Mail transportation.

ALBANY, n. Y, Nov. A.-The CONNER
cial Travellers and Hotel Mems Antitrust
League to-day filed with the secretary OF
state a certificate of incorporation. The
league will maintain a meeting room in a
prominent hotel in every city On the United
States. The principal office of the league
will be in New York city.
NEW YORK, Nov. PAP. f. Dove, presi-
dent Of the Commercial Travellers National
League, has received the following letter
from Senator william Z. Chandler. Of New
Hampshire:
IAN attempt has been made to break the
force of the opposition by commercial trav-
eers to trusts by insisting that it Is wise
to dispense, if possible, with the expense
of the travellers in order to lessen the cost
Of producing and selling articles, and there
upon to furnish them to consumers at lower
prices. OF course, anything that fairly les
sens cost of production of any article Is
benefit to society; and in the long run the
consumer will succeed, IL competition pre-
walls. in getting his share Of the saving
But can the cost of the commercial trav-
elers be saved under any method Of trade
reasonably attainable? / answer no. The
retail dealer must do two things before buy
ing his stock: First, see sample, and, sec
ond, talk about prices with the wholesale
vender. Under the old system the retailers
were continually travelling to and from the
cities and the factories in order to exam
inc goods and discuss prices before giving
their orders. The new system Of having
commercial travellers go the rounds of the
retailers has given out simply because 1t S
cheaper than the old method. Nothing else
has brought about the change. 1t is the
progress of economy in trade. Why, in the
postal service, have letter carriers come
into use in cities and towns and, just now.
in the rural regions? Merely because ii is
cheaper on the whole to have the letters
taken to their recipients than to have the
latter go to the postoffices for them.
There is certain necessary expense in
maintaining retail trade, in getting the
product which Is created in large quantities
by few persons distributed in small guam
titles to the consumers who vast num-
ber. a part of that unavoidable expense
is either, first, the cost Of the commercial
travellers visits, or, second, the cost Of the
retailers journeys to the wholesalers; and
the first method costs the consumers less
than the second.
1T is quite true that If trusts are allowed
to destroy competition commercial travellers
will be dispensed with. But IL competition
is to continue to rule as the life of trade
the commercial travellers will remain an in
depensable part of such competition. If COM
petition must go, the commercial travellers
must go-not travelling, but out Of existence.
Yet it is certain that even then. under trusts
without competition or commercial travel
ers. the various savings will not all go to
the consumers. They will be used to in
crease the profits of the trusts. These will
get the lions share and retail prices are sure
to rise. So the commercial travellers are
fighting, not only for themselves. but for
the consumers. AS a pure economic ques-
tion the position Of the commercial travellers
is impregnab bic"