The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-03-18
The Lumber Issua

The Lumber Issue.
EDIToRs NEWS: Allow me To reply
brief TO Mr.. Guerrier's article of last
week on the lumber question.
Mr.. Guerrier thinks the word:
ABUSES" and charged" are rather ugly
words with which to characterize the
selling of lnnher from ID to 20 per cent.
too high He says he has a right 90 sell
his lumber for what he pIeases. and that
| if he sells loo high, he will be the only
sufferer. That is TO say, if call al your
yard and you sell ME bill of lumber
tor - or 20 per cent oyer and above a
fair profit, YOU arc the only sufferer
You should be able 10 bear this burden
with Il fair degree Of christian resigna-
ton
Certainly, Mr. Gurrier has right to
sell his lumber for any price he chooses
to put upon it, provided that he can get
buyer: But he has no right to adver-
tise that he sells lumber cheaper than it
is sold at other competing points. and
when purchaser comes along. to sell
him a bill of lumber for 10 or 20 per
cent more than the prices at these CON-
peting points. What kind of language
would You use to characterize this man
ner of using customers? Mr.. Guerrier
says that if / should catch him without
hay this muddy weather, would have
no compunctions about charging him
100 per cent. more than what the hay is
worth.
ask Mr.. Guerier wha; circumstances
would make it possible .or me to do
this! Circumstances which would nee
essarily involve additional expenses in
getting the hay to Emporia, TO be sure.
Mr.. Guerier must take into consideration
that he is not discussing this question
from the standpoint of farmer, but
from the standpoint of one who makes
his own market for his own goods,
thing which is never done by farmers.
Now we will suppose that the farmers
IN this vicinity meet to cultivate friend
ly relations and say they will sell their
corn for 30 cents per bushel and no
less. Suppose that corn can
be bought in this neighborhood
cheaper than at any other point
We will further suppose that some
man in need of corn sees this advertise
ment and is induced to come to this
place for Il load of corn. He arrives in
the neighborhood at John Richards and
inquiries for corn. He is told that he
has plenty of the article, but it cannot
be had for less than 80 cents. He is not
satisfied, but goes up the creek TO Mr..
Bests's. He is told the same thing by
Mr.. Best, and further that it cannot be
had for less in the neighborhood. This
being the case he buys the corn and
comes home. but afterwards finds that
the. corn could have been bought in
other neighborhoods for % cents, and
and that was all it was worth. This
would be specimen of granger mon
opoly.
The point is this that no monopoly is
just whether it be granger or lumber
monopoly.
When a person is engaged in any kind
of business where there is free and fair
competition, and cannot afford to sell as
low as his competitors in this particular
business, this is evidence of his incapac-
ity to do business in this line, and in
stead of trying to form monopolies and
rings to enable himself to thrive on a
fair share of patronage, he should quit
the business. Mr.. Guerrier seems to
think that these charges" referred
to in my former article cannot be
substantiated. l will give the fol-
lowing figures, and those who are
interested can judge for themselves.
On bill of lumber bought by
Mr.. Joseph Ogleby, the lowest figures
in Emporia yards were, S345; bought in
Burlington for S245; reduction of
800. Mr.. Ogleby went to every yard in
Emporia. On bin bought by Mr..
George Moore, the lowest figures in En-
poria yards were, $3.50; bought in Usage
City for $195; reduction of $50. Mr..
A. S. Putnam saved about $40 by buy
ing his lumber in Usage City; Mr. j.
H. Best saved from SIS to 800 on bill
by buying in Burlingame; Mr.. John
Richard bought in Emporia, but ascer-
tanned in a day OF so afterwards
| that he could have made about SIS
on the thousand by going to
Burlingame, and there are others in the
neighborhood who have say ed more or
less by going to Usage City and Burlin-
| game to buy lumber.
Mr.. Guerrier will perhaps say that
the difference Is made in grades. But is
not the case as Mr.. Eliza Moore, car
penter and builder, man of
excellent judgment, and who knows what
good lumber is, worked the most of the
lumber referred to above, and he says
he has not worked better grades of lum-
Der in the state.
1t is true Ivy is little nearer Bur
lingame than Emporia, but the roads
are so much better to Emporia that the
people would much rather go to EN-
poria, besidess all their bushes is done
in Emporia.
Now have endeavored to state the
facts in the case and if Mr.. Guerrier can
explain to the men why this is the case,
they will feel better satisfied; and if he
can do so and at the some time assure
them that Emporla will not discrimin-
ate against them in the future he may
get fair share of their trade.
Yours very Respectfully,