The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-12
HELP THE HOME FACTORIES
An Address Very Much to the
Point
BY CHARLES WOLFF, THE PACKER.

How to Build Up Topeka
Merchants Should Act Together for
BETTER Texas Rates.
The Topeka Commercial club met at
the parlors of the National hotel last
night to discuss "Trade Extension.
Much time was consumed on the ques-
ton of quarters for the club, but nothing
was done.
Charles Wolff, the packer, made an
address on the special order. He said:
1.-The subject of trade extension, en-
bracing as it does, all the varied interests
that are necessary to build up city, is a
subject that should enlist the sympathy
and energies of every good citizen-the
merchant. the banker, the manufacturer,
the mechanic and laborer, are interested.
Il can not enumerate the many ways
IN which the objects we have to consider
at this meeting may be secured, but
Will suggest the very great importance
OF encouraging by all possible means the
manufacturing interests now in opera
ton. The shipment of products from
our home factories are in many ways of
more benefit to the community than any
other business enterprise.
"1n order to produce manufactured
articles for shipment, home labor must
be employed and in many cases the raw
material must be purchased in this
vicinity. The money paid for labor and
raw material goes into circulation here.
"Our manufacturers are compelled to
compete with eastern made goods in
their efforts to dispose of their products
and they can not successfully do this un-
less they can obtain fair rates on freight
For instance the market for packing
honse products is much greater in the
south than in other parts of the country
and we should have better rate to Tex
as points than eastern packers can OBJ
tain. Tho rates to Texas points from
Topeka are the same from Kansas
City, while on the other hand we are
compelled to pay on New Orleans
or other southeastern shipments an ad-
ditional charge of the local rate from
here to Kansas City"
G. P. Adams of Adams Bros. discussed
the same subject He said that there
are no houses in Topeka doing a whole
sale business throughout the state and
elsewhere. He said that the reason To-
peka wholesale houses were not better
known is because they have not been
advertised. ''Kansas City, St. Joe and
other cities send out trains carrying rep
resentative business men and they stop
at the small towns aud get acquainted
with the merchants. Topeka has never
done anything of the kind" said he,
"and l suppose there are some mer-
chants who do not know that we have
wholesale houses"
Mr. Adams suggested that the Topeka
Commercial club run special train and
he suggested going over the Manhattan.
Alma g Burlingame branch to start
with.
President Davis thought that the sug-
gestion was good one and it would be
we'll to try the experiment.
There was no discussion of the papers
John r Mulvane, Joab Mulvane and
Charles Wolff were admitted to member
ship. The next meeting of the club will
be held next Wednesday evening.
1t might be suggested here that some
pressure be brought to bear on the man.
agement of the Manhattan, Alma &
Burlingame road to run a train into To-
peka every morning, instead out of To-
peka, so as to bring customers from so to
100 miles away to town and take them
home again in the evening