WHAT CONSTITUTES A COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER?

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2565, 27 June 1878, Page 3

WHAT CONSTITUTES A COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER?

(To the Editor of the Star.) Sir —I this day applied at the office of the Union Steamship Company for passage for a commercial traveller, who was going to Taranaki for me, at the same time tendering my cheque for £2 145., which is 10 per cent, under the regular fare, being a reduction "■ranted to all commercial travellers. Judge of my surprise when I was told I must pay the full fare—£3—as they did not consider my representative a commercial traveller. On the other hand I contend that he is a commercial traveller, as he sells goods in just the same manner as any other commercial traveller. Or, can it be, Mr Editor, that there is any law in force against a retail man sending out a commercial traveller? 1 remember some of the houses here sending out commercial travellers long before they ceased to be retail men. Or are Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane the only competent judges of what makes up a commercial traveller? I should not have troubled yew, Mr Editor, but that I consider this a public question. I'or anythin? which has a tendency to cripple our commerce, in my opinion, should be remedied ; and, as most of the clothing I sell by my travellers is of my own manufacture, anything which prevents my selling it is an injury to the trade of Auckland, as the amount ot money I pay away in wages each is very considerable : hence anything- which cripples my facilities for quitting my manufactures means crippling a portion of Auckland and reducing the amount of money_ paid each week in Auckland; and I humbly submit that this crinoline should not come from our Auckland merchants. Apologising for taking up so much of your space, I am, Sic, Samuel Coombes.