The Marshall republican., 1908-07-24
BY DUBIOUS MEANS
BUYERS OF GOODS FORCED TO
PAY ExoRslTANT PRICES.
SOME COMMON CRAFTS
Alleged Wholesale Houses Growing
Rich Through Trade Secured by
Agents Who Work In the
Rural Districts.

II Is the desire to get bargains, 10
buy something at prices SO low as will
save dealers profits" that costs many
residents OF rural communities vast
amounts Of money. II 10 the seduc-
tive argument held out by certain
classes OF houses that seek to do busi.
ness through the mails, that the local
dealers are charging too much for
their goods, and that II is fair for the
consumers TO save their dealers
profits themselves, that auses many
to gain experience that is costly.
For many years past travelling
agents have oeen mer In agri.
cultural sections soliciting orders for
goods among the farmers. This class
Of agents In known a box-car men.
They enter a nelghborhood, and aim
TO sell sufficient goods 80 that n car
load a be shipped to the nearest sta
ton and distributed. The ways OF
these agents are much like the heath
en- Chinee"-"ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain, But neverthe.
less. they reap rich rewards, or they
would quit the business.
Il should be known to every intelli.
gent person that all classes Of goods
have q real value. These values are
based upon conditions. The law OF
supply and demand has not all to do
with fixing prices. To %concisely sum
up the factors Of cost Of q manufac.
tured article there are three principal
elements. viz: The cost Of the raw
material. the expense Of manufacture
and the expense OF distribution. From
the producer Of the raw material to
the consumer. all interested In the
transactions are entitled to equitable
compensation, The farmer. the grow.
Or OF oats sells his oats to the mill op-
orator. The oats is manufactured
into oat meal. or breakfast food. The
Wholesale and retail dealers are en-
ployed to distribute II. The Wholesale
dealer Is nothing more than Q ware
houseman. and his compensation 10 for
storage, and for costs Of handling, and
the guaranteeing to the manufacturer
the cost Of the goods sold. He receives
only a small margin Of profit. II may
be said that the retailer nlls q place
as to the consumer as does the whole
saler to the retailer. Now II 10 i'm
practical for the manufacturer to
maintain stores of his own In hun
dreds and thousands OF towns. II he
could find a more economical way
OF distribution than the wholesaler
and the retailer he would do 20. But
n they are cut out q more costly
system Of distribution must b To-
sugurated.
Now as to the travelling sell-direct.
to-the-consumer agent. He does his
business chiefly with the people who
give little study to commercial mat
tors. He represents himself al agent
for a large wholesale house. He
talks continually Of how the consumer
by buying from him can saw the
profits that the retailer would make.
But the fact is that the expense Is
not eliminated, The average traveller
who sells goods to the farmers re-
ceives a commission Of from rs to 40
| per cent, or about Is to 20 per cent.
more than the retailers average on
such goods as he sells.
Pit this il not all. These men are
downright dishonest az a general rule.
They are a development Of the
proverbial lightning rod agent. They
! practice the same principles. only
shift the kind of goods sold. In fact
the majority OF them represent alleged
houses that exist only in name. In
one western city are located q number
a half dozen different names. They
ven haven't a warehouse. When or
ders are sent to them by their agents,
, they go to some Wholesale grocer and
| buy the goods. Not alone this. but
after they purchase what they need
! they adulterate the same. They buy
, dried fruits In bulk. the cheapest kind.
and repack them in boxes supposed 10
weigh % pounds each. but In reality
only Weighing from 20 to 20 pounds,
cases included. The spices that are
bought are ~adulterated with ground
nut shells. starch, and other material
that makes up weight. The coffees
are Of the very cheapest and the tess
the same. 1t is seldom that the articles
sent to the purchaser are the same ~
the samples shown. It must be 70
membered that the agent II under
heavy expense. four to six dollars Z
day for team and hotel bills. and then
he receives rs per cent. commission
on what he sells. To this must b
added the profits for the house. which
ID about another % per cent. All thii
must be made and the buyer Of the
goods Il the one who nust make GOOD
Lately In the wsstssn ttatss ~ ~
car msn have adopted dubious meth'
eds OF getting trads. Knowing hos
Anxious ~ s-rscsss ass y escprs ~