Hutchinson gazette., 1899-01-12

this system 80 dangerous 10 the weliars
Of all wage earners viii practically con
troll the business and markets Of our
whole country,
l makeths assertion as q sound busi-
moss principle, that Just 90 sure ~ the
law OF supply and demand governs the
value OF money and the value of all
commodities produced by labor, just as
sure dueS the supply OF and demand for
labor govern the salaries aud wages Of
all classes OF labor itself, Now then,
when we know II TO be fact that many
OF our large manufacturers and COM
merclal enterprises In many Of our most
important manufacturing and commerc-
ial industries are no longer sondhg out
their travelling statesmen In open compe
tllion for trade. but have concentrated
their Interests under one huge manage
ment TO control production and price
thereof by absorbing smaller individual
co partnership and corporate enter
prises or forcing them out OF business
altogether, throwing thousands Of travel.
ing salesmen, bookkeepers, billing
clerks, shipping clerks, aud other
classes Of labor out of employment to
enter Into competition with the same
GLASSES for positions In other lines that
as yet have not adopted the system OF
restricted competition, must hive aud
eventually will have most depressing
effect upon business and upon our ma
terlal prosperity as wage earners in all
commercial avocat'ons
Every commercial traveller on the
rad today throughout this broad land Of
ours and especially those representing
jobblLg interests, are now selling manu-,
featured articles that no longer than
from one to ten years ago required five
or more travelling specially statesmen rep
resentlng that many different factories
In each specific industry covering the
same territory, exercising their ability
aud talent actively advertising and
pushing the sale OF their respective
brands Of these manufactured articles
Today we find many OF these same In
dustries and facuories concentrated into
a powerful combination Of interests di-
rected by one management, and each in
dustry with ito many fOctoresoperating
under the system Of restricted cOmpetl-
tion Is now represented In the same ter
ritories throughout the United States by
only one travelling salesman, which only
few years ago required five or more in
the same field when each factory was
doing business In It's own name and un-
de- its own management
This change from Unrestricted to re-
stricted oCmNetition by these industries
has thrown from 80 per cent TO 80 per
cent Of their commercial travellers out of
employ yment, who, TO provide even the
necessities OF life for themselves ard
their families are forced to enter into
competition with us for our positions.
Not only this, the time Is coming after u
few more independent factories have
heen absorbed that the salesmen who
were fortunate enough to retain their
places with these powerful combinations
will be brought face TO face with the
fact that man with $500 per month
capacity will serve their purpose just us
well MS the high priced salesmen who
will be forced to work for lower wages
or surrender their positions.
When you takein consideration the
fact that no less number than seventy
five to one hundred of the largest and
most important manufacturing and COM
merclal industries Of this country, EN-
bracing fully rs per cent OF our leading
factories and commercial institutions,
have already combined or concentrated
their interests under one management, as
well as Others now forming to operate
under the system of restricted competi-
tion throwing wage earners out of EN-
ployment, reducing salaries and re
stricting markets so that the producers
Of the raw material that goes into the
manufactured article no longer have
open markets in competition for their
products, therefore, must accept lower
prices for what they may have to sell
and thereby decreasing the earning
power which naturally decreases the
purchasing power of the great agricul-
tural and laboring classes upon whom
the retail merchants as we'll as the
jobbers and their travelling statesmen are
directly dependent for the success OF
their business,
1t does seem to me fellow travellers,
that every thoughtful citizen, no matter
what his avocation in life may be, ought
to plainly see this concentrated power OF
commercial wealth now representing
more than two and one half billion of
dollars in the United States alone, de-
stroying as it does our commercial indie.
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