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The Commoner
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 9
DUCATIONAL SERI
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
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cium.i's w. uhyan
WlLI.MM J. IIHVAM
Kelltornml Proprietor. . rtiMMicr.
IliciMiti) I MK.TCAt.rK Edltorlnl ItooniH nml HiibIiicri
ABrtclntc Keillor. Onico 124-210 Fouth 12th Street
Fntfird ct ttie Pcstcfl cr at Lincoln, Neb., ns fccond-clnw rnnttcr
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
Prosperity Items
Hero aro two prosperity items as printed
In tho Now York World:
"Announcement was made that the Lacka
wanna Steel company, one of tho largest inde
pendent concerns, had reduced wages at its
Buffalo works on an average of ten per cent.
Laborers were the most seriously affected, be
ing cut from 14 to 12 cents an hour. Consid
erable Interest was manifest as to whether the
officers had received a cut of ten per cent In
their salaries, but Information on this point was
refused at tho company's offices, No. 2 Rector
street.
..mfSS0!ate,d Press dIsPatch, Chicago, March 4:
k nnnnS !" g Coal. comPany ' Delaware, a
$5,000,000 corporation operating mines in In
diana and Illinois, was placed in the hands of
a receiver today by Judgo Kohlsaat in tho United
States circuit court. It is declared the coal
company is solvent, but that it is being pressed
amWwT to0 Jt owes a million dollars
and that it will bo unable to meet tho interest
on its bonded indebtedness. Rotations with tho
pig steel companies and inability to recover from
the panic of 1907 are given in tho bill of com
plaint as the causes of tho coal company's finan
cial condition. Preparations woro made for an
cillary receipts in tho various jurisdictions
whero the corporation has property judge
Kohlsaat appointed-William Black general re
ceiver. The assets of tho Deering company aro
given at $7 075,000. It is said that $000,000
!b duo creditors this month, and $150,000 on
tho March payroll,", ' uu ou
WELL PONE, CHAMP CLARK 1
Mr. Clark, minority leader in tho house of
representatives, failed to present tho regular
resolution of compliments to tho retiring speak
er. This has producod somo comment Onn
must bo polito and courteous, but it is w
as well that this resolution was not introduced
on this occasion. Mr. Cannon, who is ZsomIIv
a very likeable man, h, not entitled t the tH"a
of any one other than the representatives of tho
special mterests which he has f aitl f ully served
leaVen
How Guarantee of Deposits. Would Help the Traveling Man
By Charles N. Crewdson, Author of "Ta es of the Road"
In tho year of our Lord, 1908, tho traveling
men of tho United States did not make one-half
as much money as they did in tho year before,
or in many of the years preceding that one
containing that day of November on which the
New York bankers sent out the telegram saying
to tho little bankers throughout the land, "You
can not have your money we have corraled from
you."
The traveling man was hit first and hit hard.
Tho belt he got on his head nearly knocked him
out of the ring; it made a big gash in his scalp.
Even at this late date, a' year and a half after
he received tho blow, his head is still a bleeding.
In tho year of our Lord 1909, the traveling man
will earn scarcely more than sixjy per cent of
what he earned in 1907. His railway fare, cost
for team trips, hotel bills and so on his trav
eling expenses are now and were in 1908 as
much as they were in 1907. His sales havo
been one-fourth to one-half less than they were
in 1907. The traveling man's salary is based
upon the amount of his sales. When his sales
shrink and his expenses do not, his salary is
cut down.
The salaries, therefore, of traveling men have
been during tho year 1908 and will be during
the year 1909 very much less than they were
during the years preceding the day of that
banker's telegram. ,
The reasons why the traveling man's salary
is cut are, first, the merchants quit buying goods.
Most merchants in the United States are stretch
ing their capital to the limit. During a period
of prosperity, they will carry a stock of goods
much larger than their stock of money would
amount to, if they were to cash in. A man with
a $5,000 capital often carries a $10,000 stock.
Those merchants who have been thrrough the
mill know that Mr. Creditman in the wholesale
house cares very little about him when the
pinch comes, and that he can not expect any
too much mercy from the wholesaler or the
manufacturer. Therefore, tho merchant al
though he greets his old traveling man friend
with a smile sendB him away without an order;
the merchant at most skins through with buying
as little as he can.
Another reason why the traveling man suffers
is this, the wholesale houses or factories with
whom the merchants are dealing, being pressed
themselves are forced to call upon their mer
chant creditors for money.
The local banker being squeezed himself is
compelled to tighten up on the merchant and
not make him any loans to help him through
the very time when he needs money the most.
What I am going to say now, doesn't belong in
this paragraph, or really does not come under
the title about which I am asked to write, but
I can not see why in the name of common sense
every banker in the land instead of howling
about a small tax on deposits, which he will, of
course, make the man who borrows from him
pay, does not wish to pay this little tax and
give himself security and at the same time put
himself in a position to make many times more
the amount of ths tax from additional interests
ho would receive from his enlarged deposits and
ncreased loans. I used to think bankers were
bright business men.
The guarantee of bank deposits would help
the traveling man. It would insure a stability
of business because if the merchant felt that
things would not tighten up and that he could
borrow money from his banker in order to mcW
his bills in the event he needed to do so would
buy more liberally for his present needs; and
ho would also feel less leary about placing orders
for future shipments. This would enable the
traveling man to do less traveling to -get the
same amount of business, and doing less travel
ng, it would lessen his expenses and tLrefore
ZIT hiS, !alapy' Mr Creditman would be
more liberal in extending credits and shipping
tho goods tho traveling man sold. The .credit
? in wholesale house is squeezed Ltween
two mill stones. If he does not ship goods tho
traveling man raises cain with him, if he does
ch ip too many goods that are not paid for the
old man who wants his dividends, does not fS
very kindly toward him. The result i
credit man would rath be sworn "it by So
traveling salesman than fired by the boss, there
fore, when there is any doubt, the credit man
"turns down" the order.
When times are good and there is a chance
for getting the money, the credit man does not
force collections so hard; he does not offend
so many of.the traveling man's customers. This
tends to keep the volume of business bigger for
the man on the road.
It is volume of business that makes the trav
eling man's salary. Let us say that a man sells
ordinarily, $100,000 worth of goods a year, and
receives for his salary and expenses five per
cent of that amount, or $5,000. His traveling
expenses are usually one-half of his gross com
missions; this would mean that if he sold
$100,000 worth of goods and- received $5,000
gross, his net salary would be $2,500. . Now, if
his sales are cut down to $75,000,- his salary
would bo just one-half as much as if he sold
$100,000, although his sales would be cut down
only one-fourth; this because his gross com
missions would be only $3,750 five per cent
of $75,000 and his expenses would remain
$2,500. This would leave him a net salary of
only $1,250.
The man of all men who wishes stability in
business, is the traveling man.
Now while all of this hullabaloo was going
on over nearly the entire United States, I per
sonally, was down in little Oklahoma where
the guarantee law was at work. This was in
January, 1908, and I want to say to all of my
good friends throughout the entire United States,
that business was a humming down in Oklahoma
while, she was flat in other parts. This is not
guess work, but positive knowledge because my
firm has men covering all parts of the United
States.
Me for the guarantee!
(.Editor's Note: Mr. Crewdson travels all over
the United States representing .the Outcault Ad
vertising company of Chicago, .of which he is
tho vice president. He is in touch with what
other salesmen for his firm aro doing, and like
wise being in the advertising business, is in a
position to know what is going on in the busi
ness world.)
JOHN W. ROSSON
John W. Rosson died at his home In Butler,
Mo., Tuesday morning, February 2, at the ago
of ninety-two years. C. W. Ray of Butler, re
ferring to this fine character, says: "Mr. Ros
son was a native of Virginia, was born in
Culirepper county September 22, 1817, came to
Calloway county, Missouri, in 1866, located in
Bates county in 1889. He became a member of
the Methodist church in 1839. His Christian
character will long be felt by those who knew
him. To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk
humbly before God, was his motto. He was a
man of strong conviction, of splendid intelli
gence, and unswerving devotion to that which
he believed right. He was personally acquaint
ed with Mr. Bryan, and paid his last tribute of
respect, as a democrat, by voting for him in
the last election."
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, GOES DEMOCRATIC
Mr. Bryan has just received from Fairbanks,
Alaska, a beautiful souvenir in the shape of a
cut glass inkstand mounted in gold upon a
walrus tusk. The tusk is an anciQnt one and
beautifully colored by time, while the workman
ship would do credit to any jeweler in the coun-
r2 Thi people of the Fairbanks' mining dis
trict held an election at which the following
Too WaS, rded: Bryan 571 Taft 353 Debs
198, and Chafin 7.
The souvenir is appreciated for its beauty as
well as for the fact that it represents the po
litical convictions of the hardy pioneers who aro
bringing forth the hidden wealth of the distant
north.
Judge Wright discussed the objects and aims
of organized labor with all the acumen of a
nl 10 DssessGS a vast fund of ignorance
concerning the aubjwi under discussion.
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