The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-17
WORK OF TRUSTS
President of the Commercial
Travellers National League
Tells the Industrial Commits
sion of Their Effect.
FACTS AND FIGURES.
Thousands of Statesmen Dis
charged and Salaries Reduced.
Prices of Goods Are Advanced
as the Same Time.
FACTS AND FIGURES.

Washington, June 17.-Yesterday af-
ternoon the industrial commission heard
a statement from P. E. DOVE, of New
York, president of the Commercial
Travellers National league. Mr.. Dove
said the opinion of the commercial men
at large was that trusts were menace
to the community. He estimated the
travelling statesmen in the United States
at $50, O0O The formation of trusts and
combinations was throwing a large
number of these men out of employ
ment.
In giving specific instances, he said:
1.-The National Enameling and Stamp
ing company, which depends for its raw
material upon the American Tin Plate
company has thrown a great many out
of employment and those retained have
had their salaries reduced The great
tobacco combines threw out about 3.0oo
statesmen. The Continental Tobacco
company telegraphed the discharge of
$50 in one day; the baking powder trust
has dispensed with all excepting half
a dozen men. I know of two statesmen
discharged by the trust who were form
erly in the employ of the Cleveland
Baking Powder company, one receiving
a salary of $1,000 a year, the other $4,000
Their routes with those of other dis
charged statesmen are covered by one
agent at SIS a week. The bicycle trust
will throw out 900 statesmen gradually
and will cut down agencies in every
lately more than 500 statesmen by cut
ting them out of the line
''One man writes that the Union Bag
and Paper company has thrown out of
employment hundreds of statesmen.
1.-The number of statesmen out of work
because of the United States Rubber
company is 300; the statesmen retained
have been reduced to a salary averag-
ing, so I am informed, 81 300 a year.
The American Tin Plate company cut
off about ninety out of every 100 sales
men. The American Steel and Rod
company, I have been told, discharged
300 commercial travellers in one day. In
giving these estimates 1 am not cOnsid
ering the office force thrown out through
the trusts. Sugar and coffee mOnOp-
olies have thrown out 1000 statesmen;
average reduction in salary of those re-
tanned 81 600 a year, twenty-five per cent
only of the old force being retained in
pany employs fewer statesmen than any
other concern in the mercantile world
of one-half of its capital"
Mr. Dove said that the trust COM
binations had raised the prices of the
commodities 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 absolutely correct, being from re
liable commercial aequaintances. The
examples he gave were:
Iron pipe over 100 per cent; tinware
and enameled 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 advanced
prices something like 80 per cent; news
paper, quarter to half cent a pound;
book papers 5 and 10 per cent; in COM
mon soap 25 cents to so cents a box;
jobbers and manufacturers of clocks
have advanced the wholesale prices on
account of the advance of metals so
per cent; all metal goods have been adj
vanced; brass pins 25 per cent; pipes
and brushes 1919 per cent; combs ~
per cent; ribbons 10 per cent.
The umbrella trust failed four years
ago, but it advanced prices while in
existence; and after it's break up, the
return to legitimate and healthy prices
caused a loss to the retailer through the
stock on hand
This witness concluded by saying that
before leaving New York he had been
warned by an acquaintance, a lawyer,
indirectly connected with some of the
trusts, that he was doing a dangerous
thing in speaking before the commits
sion, as he was liable to "be crushed
like a caterpillar"