The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-28
DRUMMERs AND TRUSTS.


cial travellers effected their first organi-
cation against trusts, Rockefeller sheer
ed at them and said i'm effect that the
trusts would eliminate them because
they were am unnecessary expense i'm
business If the elimination of the drum
mer meant reduction to the consumer.
the sirlrmmers themselves would not
complain, but experience has shown that
every time a conlpanys commercial
travellers has been removed, the price
Of the product sold has BEEN. increased
to the consumer.
The best and truest statement of the
value of the drummer and the clearest
arrangement of the selfish policy the
trusts are pursuing toward him that we
have seen is in recent letter from
Senator Chandler to Mr.. p. Il. Dove,
president of the Commercial Travellers
League. 1t is so good that we give it in
full:
AN attempt has been made to break
the force of the opposition by commercial
travellers to trusts by insisting that it is
wise to dispense if possible, with the ex-
pense of the travellers in order to lessen
the cost of producing and selling arti-
cles and thereupon to furnish them to
consumers at lower prices.
.'Of course, anything that fairly les
sens the cost of production of amy article
is a benefit TO society. and in the long
run the consumer will succeed, if COM
Fetition prevails, in getting his share OF
the saving.
but can the cost of the commercial
travellers be sawed under amy method
of trade reasonably attainable! / answer,
no. The retail dealer must do two
things before buying his stock: first, see
samples, and second, talk about prices
with tha wholesale yender. Under the
old system the retailers were continually
travelling to and from the cities and the
factories in order to examine goods and
discuss prices before giving their orders
The new system of having commercial
travellers go the rounds of the retailers
has grown up simply because it is cheap
er 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
Just now, i'm the rural regions? Merely
because it is cheaper ON the whole 10
have the letters taken to their recipients
than to have the latter go to the post
offices for them.
There is a certain necessary expense
in maintaining retail trade in getting the
product which is created in large quanti-
ties by few persons distributed i'm
small quantities to the consumers who
are vast number. A part of the un-
slyoidaIble expense is either, first, the
cost of the commercial travellers visits,
or, second, the cost of the travellers jour
ney to the wholesalers; and the first
method costs the consumers less than
the second.
sit is quite true that If trusts are
allowed to destroy competition, CONNER
cial travellers may be dispensed with.
But If competition is to continue to rme
as the life Of trade, the commercial
travellers will remain am indispensable
part of such competition. If competition
must go, the commercial traveller must
go-not travelling, but ont of existence.
Yet it is certain that even then, under
trust without competition or CONNER
cial travellers, the various savings will
not all go to the consumers. They will
& be used to increase 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 consum-
ers. As pure economic question: the
position of the commercial travellers is
impregnable."