Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-10-03

are claiming that the trusts are work
ing such hardship upon this worth!
class of our citizens. They claim tina
thousands of the boys have beer
thrown out of employment solely be
cause of them, and they say that while
tAe travelling men were nearly sole
for Mckinley four years ago, the ma
jority of them will vote for Bryan this
year. l went to the headquarters Of
the Iowa State Travelling Mems asso
citation in the big new Croker bloch
today and had long interview will
Mr.. +. Il. Haley, the secretary anG
general manager of that association
You understand, father, it is an acct
dent association, whose membership is
confined solely to travelling men. II
has today a membership of near 1900
scattered all over the United States
TO become member a person must
plication is accepted, but if he should
quit the road at any time after and
wish to continue his membership lie
can do so by notifying the secretary of
his desires. For this reason the secre-
tary must know whenever any Of the
members leave the road. 1 asked Mr..
Haley If it was true, as had been
claimed, that thousands of travelling
men had lost their positions on account
OF the trusts, or for any other cause.
He replied that any statement of that
sort was not true so far as the men,
bers of the Iowa State Travelling Mems
association were concerned. His
words, as l remember them, were: If
you were to give me check for $1O,-
600 l could not put my hand on sim
gle travelling man who has lost his
job solely on account of the trusts
Travelling Mems Association FIourishinx.
II asked him how the association
was 1ourishing, and he replied: All
travelling mems associations are doing
finely. Our association, I may say,
was never in better shape. Whenever
we have an assessment our members
pay more promptly than ever before,
and we are growing rapidly. We will
show net increase this year of over
1000 members. Last year our gain
was 954. and this years record will be
even better. Our gain last year was
800 more than the net gain for the five
years preceding, and l think this will
show you that the travelling men are
surely enjoying some share of the gen.
eral prosperity that has come to the
country
81 am certain Mr.. Haley was not
talking for effect, nor did he know for
what purpose l wanted the informa-
ton. He was simply answering my
questions. as he would have done had
any one else asked the same thing. As
l said before, Mr.. Haley would know
if any of the travelling men belonging
to the association were laid off, for in
case of their leaving the road they are
required to report to the association"
well, must confess that you have
made pretty strong case as regards
the members of the association you
have referred to-" said Farmer Brown.
Jul IL liOt Dt u uC tudl III OlutT
localities the conditions are not so
Nebraska Travelling Men.
GAS stated before, father, the men,
bers of the Iowa State Travelling Mems
association are not confined to Iowa.
1t is not required that they all travel
in this state, but there are members of
the association as far east as New
York and the other eastern states; but
have here some statistics that l have
gathered from newspaper accounts of
the condition of travelling men in Ne
braska, Mr.. Bryans state.
"a short time ago the managers of
forty-five of the leading jobbing houses
in that city were interviewed ON this
subject. and from their statements it
was learned that the number of trav-
cling men employed by them had been
increased fully 30 per cent over the
number they employed in 1896. The
increase in the number employed by
the jobbers of groceries ranged from
10 to IS per cent; lumber jobbers, from
20 to 100 per cent; iron works, number
If travelling men more than doubled;
wholesale dry goods, in some cases
number more than trebled; wholesale
lrugs, IS per cent increase"
"Well, John, do not doubt but that
you could quote figures to me all night.
)ut you have surely proved your work
.onight, and few more lessons and
will give up"
GAN right, father, then we will con-
'ider our school dismissed for tonight"
JULIAN w. RICHARDS.
CHAIRMAN WEAVER TALKS.