New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-05
KILLING THE GOOSE
Protest from Commercial Travel
lers Against Cummins Bag
gage Law.
y tho Editor Of Tho Tribune.

To tho Editor Of Tho Tribune.
Sir: We wish 10 voice protest against
tho ncrnicious legislation exemrlifed in the
amendment, o. the interstate commerce law
introduced by Senator Cummins. % Iowa,
which became operative this week.
This amendment will cost the commercial
interests of the United States unnecessary
millions without any apparent benefit except
that derived hy the railroad companies. The
nil was rushed through both the Senate and
The House without debate. and on its face
indicates the efforts ~ paid lobbyists rather
than intelligent consideration.
The passenger must give the right value
Of his property, and a failure to do 30 is
misdcmcanor. For instance, y passenger
gives tho value Of tho contents Of hts trunk
"a 500 and tho trunk goes astray and Is
later recovered and found 70 contain articles
worth 5000 the passenger has violated the
Law. and NAV be sent 70 Jail In case trunks
contents arc worth 5000 tho passenger will
e,v 50. and his check will he issued to him
when he has paid 10 cents for each add
tional 500. which N this case would be ~
cents.
4 roint 10 emphasize the burden that the
law imposes on houses that carry very valu-
able samples, such MS jewelry, furs etc. -
shown in the fact that such houses carry
floating insurance which covers all losses
while their travellers are on the road
whether such losses occur while the baggage
ie in the possession Of tho railroad companies
or tho hotels or at other points during the
10 al travellers are
engaged in selling merchandise. The insur-
anco which this new law requires VIII not
reduce the insurance already carried on sam
pies b. mercantile houses; consequently the
tax manfostly is unfair.
Jcwelrv samples will run into thousands
For instance. supposing $4,000 valuatlo"
wore placed on samples carried by a Je"e''!
salesman: the tax would be 50 n day ana Ut
a house had five commercial travellers I'M.
would amount 70 So day. In the event OF
n loss by tho railroads the question Will arse
rooording the exact value of tho goods lost
and the railroads will contest the claim OF
tho commercial travellers owing TO tho fuctu-
atirc values Of merchandise Of this sort a
commercial traveller may start out in the
beginning Of season with a line Of samples
having a sale value Of $4,000. but in a month
or even less the value Of these samples may
be reduced. owing 20 a change in styles and
decreased demand for certain lines. II
salesman placed value of $4,000 on his sam
piles in the beginning Of season, two weeks
later he might be justified in reducing the
value possibly 70 $4,000. Then in the event
If loss of these samples by railroad the
question will arise whether the first valua-
ton was justified or the second valuation
not sufficiently high. The penalty for any
misstatement Of value according 20 the in
,crpretation by the Interstate Commerce
Commission is severe.
II NAV be estimated that the commercial
travellers in the United States. OF whom there
arc more than 100000, contribute fully go
per cent Of the passenger and freight revenue
Of the railroads Of this country. Commercial
travellers are really the advance agents OF
the railroads and 90 out to secure orders
for freight which is shipped over the rail-
roads and for which the railroads exact the
highest possible rates. The railroads do not
Grant anv special concessions 70 commercial
travellers on account Of the role they play
IN securing business for them. On the CON
,rary, railroads are constantly increasing
passenger rates when possible. as well as ex-
cess baggage rates from time to time
Il may not be so visionary TO predict that
{ the heavy expenses of commercial travel
lcrs are added 10 in the future they have
been in the past the method Of selling will
resolve itself into a mail-order proposition,
with photographs and full descriptions Of the
articles to be sold sent out instead of per
sonal repres entatives Of houses whose ex-
.pcnscs are 50 heavy. Railroads in many in
stances have not exhibited wisdom in the
past. and it may bc that they will "kill the
goose that lays the golden egg
ASSOCIATED COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS
/ OF AMERICA, INC.
VI. f. HEISE President.
/ New York, June .. 1915.