The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-18
TALKING TT OVER
MR. DAVIS IS AGITATIEG FOR A
CANNING FACTORY EERE


Lost i'm Kansas and sedgwick County by
Not Taking Care of What is Ralsed-He
Gives Practical Views of His own and
From others-Public Meeting to be
Cafied TO Set the Plan on Foot.
f. l. Davis Of 125 East First street,
late of Evanston, Ind, where he has
been engaged in the canning business,
has interested number Of Wichita men
an the project of establishing a canning
factory here upon a plan resembling the
cooperative system.
He was seen yesterday by reporter
for the Eagle and asked as 10 the rea-
son Of trying to establish a canning fac
tory at this time of the year and as 10
the probable cost of plant and other
questions pertaining to the establish
n1ent Of the cften-proposed institution
at Wichita. He said:
81 don't wonder that the people OF
Wichita, look upon the establishment of
a canning factory here as something of
q chestnut. But l think one Of the great
difficulties has been that the talk has
always been made al the wrong time Of
the year. The time to arrange for a
canning factory is before, and not after,
seeding time Let the gardeners know
that they viii be able to find a market
for their vegetables and they will in
crease their acreage, and thus enable a
plant to be operated at or near its full
capacity.
What better argument can be shown
as 20 the necessity Of establishing a can
ming factory than we have ut the pres
ent time when we realize that there are
scores Of families in Wichita without
the actual necessities of life, and then
to reflect that during last summer there
was sufficient vegetables and fruit which
went to waste in Sedgwick county
alone to feed every needy person in the
county for ten years.
Il have noticed Kansas for many
years as 10 its production of vegetables
and T. cit and realize that there is not a
state in the Union where more of the
products of the soil are wasted annual
ly than in Kansas. Kansas raises plen-
ty each year, but the trouble is that II
is not taken care Of. 1t is not the lack
of crops but the lack of utilizing the
same which causes the cry Poor Kan
Sas'
In reference to establishing canning
factory / shall mention a few of the
most important points which should be
considered:
''Eirst-The amount of monye reqUir-
ed for the purchase and location Of the
plant.
"fSecond-The presence of a sufficient
supply Of raw material at moderate
prices.
''rhird-The existing demand for the
particular kind Of goods produced.
{ "Fourth-The facility with which
they can De marketed.
J "Fifth-The probability of obtaining
prices that win give at least fair re-
furn on the capital invested.
"SiXth-The securing of necessary
5laibor and accuStOming it to new condi-
tons Of occupation.
'tSeventh-The outlook for an expan-
sion of the demand to keep pace with
the increase in the supply canned, by
the starting Of new factories and the
enlargement Of those already in opera
ton.
In reply to the first principle, the
amount of money required for the puT-
chase and location of the plant, he says,
''to begin with, Tie canning industry
requires but a small outlay of money
20 completely pay for the plant. The
amount Of money needed to purchase a
single machine in many of the manu-
featuring industries will, in this one,
buy the plant Throughout and place II
in position ready for operation. A
plant that viii permit daily output
worth, at factory rates, from Sl20 TO $500
can De bought for from $500 to $500.
Another, the value of whose output
would be from $3.50 TO $500 per day, can
be had for $500 to $1,000. Almost any
bUldng is suitable for the industry,
and can be erected at the cost of but a
few hundred dollars. This makes 1t
possible for a few in a community to
establish a canning factory without
any Of them riskirg a very large sum Of
money. one hundred shares of the
stock at SIS per share can be disposed
of in any small town for such a pur-
pose, and an industry started which will
pay out in wages in two seasons more
than the entire capital invested and be
OF bene1t To every individual in the
place. In addition, much money viii
be kept al home that would otherwise
go north and west for The same class
Of goods, and further, enliSting the in
tereSt of farmers to take advantage OF
such a market for crops that they hith-
erto may not have raised for lack of an
opportunity TO dispose of them, thus
securing ready cash at a season of the
year when ghey need il badly, and, with
a ldiversilcation Of crops, enable many
farmers TO live much better than be-
fore, and relieve many Of the stigma
THAT they have nothing TO eat but hog
abnd hCTniDy." Fresh vegetables daily
Will be a desirable and healthy addition
ITO many country tables, and win be
fespeci2Ily welcome when il is remem-
/bered tat the cost under such circum-
stances as these is absolutely nothing.
MI. Campbell, manager of the Hum
boldt CHanD canning factory, informed
me that the cost OF the machinery and
fixtures ct that place. but five years
ago, was 81 200. and that its capacity
was from 5000 10 10000 cans daily; that
the entire cost Of building. lands, etc,
was 8, 200; that the amount of capital
required during the season for the pur-
chase Of cans (Which can be purchased
much cheaper than manufacturing
them, produce and payment Of hands.
was about $4,000; that, owing TO the
fact the produce was soon disposed Of.
ready cash was needed for only a short
time, and was readily loaned by the
bank. The farmers gave sixty 10 ninety
days time on their produce.
'-Second-As TO the suffCienCy OF n
supply Of raw material, ] think il hard
" necessary to make mention. Let
such a factory be started. and no doubt
more VIII be offered 10 supply il than
the factory can use. If suoh prove 10 be
the fact. and 1t is found 70 be paying
industry. the capacity can be increased
al a small cost, which viii. in all prob
ability, prove 70 be the case. With US
we have many products suitable for
canning. consisting of corn, tomatoes,
apples. asparagus, beans, blackberrleS.
peaches, pears. plumS. pumpkins,
squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes,