The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-05-31
Special Statesmen Profitable.


many as two dozen members con-
tribute, is made the unit. This Sc
cures the lowest freight rate and
minimizes bookkeeping. Before the
days of the exchange, the outlet
for strawberries was restricted to
some two or three nearby cities.
which could be reached by express
before the berries spoiled. Now a
hundred or more members tributary
TO one station load their daily pick
ing into refrigerator cars and the
iced fruit is safely sent by fast freight
throughout the entire east, north 10
the Canadian cities, and as far west
as Milwaukee, a new and profitable
industry thus having been created.
More striking, however, as an il
lustration of the economies made DOS
sible by doing business on a big scale.
is the travelling sales force of the cx-
change. In many of the larger mar.
kets, the would-be seller of produce
is forced to have personal repre-
scntation in order to meet competi-
tors, whose sales are made through
resident agents, and alth ough the
exchange manages to sell about three
fifths Of it's output direct from the
home office, it has found the need i'm
perative for lieutenants on the spot
in many cities.
Generally, and necessarily for the
small, independent operator handling
only a limited volume Of business.
this representation is by brokers,
who charge a regular fee Of $40 a
car for their services. The exchange.
however, is rapidly building up n
trained travelling sales force Of its
own. and last year it sent representa-
tives from its home Office on the
markets Of Boston, Toronto, Buffalo.
Cincinnati and Chicago, each work
ing also the neighboring cities be-
sides one missionary salesman who
travelled through Missouri, Iowa, Ne
braska and Illinois, opening up new
markets and establishing new trade
connections.
Tho Ch'"aCO commemorative sold in
that city and Milwaukee, 800 cars Of
Irish and sweet potatoes at rotaI
cost tor the season. including salary.
travelling expenses and local phone
and telegraph tolls, of appr roximateiy
Sl,5O0, saving Of 50 a car or $1S,-
500, under the rates paid generally
by competitors of the exchange;
while the average cost of a car Of the
sales made by all three statesmen
working their respective territories
for a second or later season was only
S2.26 car, an amount which paid
also for the services Of two Of them
in other lines Of work throughout the
inactive periods between selling sea-
sons.
In another respect the advantage
Of this system is equally striking.
Long experience shows that in the
frequent complaints by customers
and demands for allowances which n
are an inevitable feature Of the pro-
duce business, the broker generally
sides with his neighbor, the buyer,
and between the two the seller is apt
To be helpless. The salesman from
home. on the other hand, has no
foreign interest TO serve and no favor
to court save that Of his own peo-
pie.
How Statesmen Protect Exchange.
4 single incident will illustrate:
on June 23 last year the exchange
sold a car of Irish potatoes through
a broker to firm in middle New
York state city. The customer de-
clared that the goods were badly de
cayed on receipt and refused to ac-
cept them save on an allowance of
20 cents q barrel. In the following
wire, the broker, who was being paid
to protect the interest Of the eX-
change, "backstood" the buyer: Car
arrived slightly decayed heated
buyer claims allowance OF % cents
wire instructions quick-what allied
shipments that day."
Thorough investigation at the load
ing point failed TO disclose any prob
able just cause for this complaint
and the secretary wired the home
salesman, run down, investigate and
adjust"
Some hours later the following
wire was received: Examined car
find few scald in one mark, but moth