The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-27
THE JoRRERs ON THE ALERT
Backed by the Retailers, Who Are Now Thor
Oughly Alive TO the Interests OF Kansas,
as Well as Their Own.

Until the iobbers of Wichita acquired a
certain amount of influence, which is the
result of increased annual business, they
were always Iaboring under certain disad-
vantages. As new iobbing houses have
been established here, both large and
small, this has added to the weight of in
fiuence already controlled by the pioneer
houses. A concert of action has been the
natural result and more favorable terms
can now be commanded from the large
wholesalers in the east. The recognition
of Wichita as distributing point by the
railroads has opened the eyes of the retail
merchant to the fact that Kansas should
| contain her own supply point and not con-
| tinue to pay tribute to neighboring states.
Following close on this idea comes the
| second one, and that is: that Wichita is
naturally that point and that working to
| that end is working for the best interests
! Of everybody in the state. The feeling on
the part of the retail trade has manifested
itself by their patroniZing their home job
bers exclusively and assisting them in put
| ting the goods on the market whose manu-
facturerS have found it to their interests to
favor this city instead of some interme-
date point between here and the
east. This backing has so ma
terially assisted the wholesale grocers
that they have been enabled to dictate
satisfactory terms to eastern manufacture
ers and as a natural consequence all the
standard goods are handled on as favora-
bic terms as could be desired. The re-
taller gets direct benefit and no one is
more anxious than he to supplement the
position taken by his home jObber The
Wichita Wholesale Grocer company took
the initial steps to accomplish these re-
suits and since this step has been success
full the wholesalers from the other cities of
Kansas have joined issue with them. This
association of the wholesale interests is
simply to demand from the manufacturers
the recognition that the immense trade of
Kansas commands, and which the rail
roads have already partially admitted by
the issuing eff a distributing tariff from
Wichita
The Missouri River Wholesale Grocers
association naturally have interests a little
at variance with the Wichita and Kansas
wholesalers and has used its influence to
hold the trade of Kansas in another state
Even the railroads would not be insensible
of this influence and the interior jobbers
thus far have been unable to meet this adj
verse power. Now, however the interior
Jobbers are congratulating themselves that
they have sufficient weight to demand their
rights and are by no means insensible of
the Importance Of the step that has
been taken. Just recently the interior
jObbers were handling a standard brand
of coffee and soda at loss TO compete with
Kansas City. With the backing of the re-
tail trade these goods dropped completely
out of the market. The result was to
bring the prices down to the reasonable
notch in spite of the opposition of the Mis-
souri, River GrOcers association. But very
little more will be demanded and the inter
Tor jobbers will be on as good a footing as
any, and that is all that could be desired.
AS a result of these steps that have been
taken the Wichita Wholesale Grocery COM
pany is in receipt of overtures from other
jobbers who desire to locate here. In less
than three months it is safe to predict
that Wichita will have another wholesale
grocery company with S150O00 capital. The
effect of this improved feeling amongst the
grocery people cannot be estimated. A
prominent wholesale man in speaking of
matter said that those actually in the
business were only beginning to realize
the vast amount of trade that naturally
belonged to Kansas and the possibilities of
the future were too dazzling to be calmly
discussed.