The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-10
WOULD TAKE 100000
Pounds OF Butter of the Pro-
posed Creamery,
But Not at an Advance Of One
Cent
Over Market Price-The Creamery
Projectors and the Retail Grocers'
Association Fail to Come to
an Agreement.


was rejected by that association at the
meeting last night.
The retail grocers of this city and all
enterprising business men OF Topeka
generally realize that the establish
ment of a large creamery plant here
would prove of much benefit, not only
to the city, but to the country, but the
grocers DO not feel inclined TO pay cent
a pound over the Elgin market price for
Topeka creamery butter, as they were
asked to do in the proposition submitted
by the creamery company
They say that they are willing to give
their entire patronage to the Topeka in
dustry. and that 100000 pounds OF put
ter instead of 100 600 pounds can be cas-
lily taken in a year, but that the Topeka
creamery must compete with the mar
ket.
NIessrs. Forney and Nissley Of the
creamery company, in company with
Edward Wilder, w. Fl. Davis and +. O.
POpen0e Of the Commercial club, met
the grOcers last night and discussed the
proposition submitted week age py
Mr.. Nissley. The discussion lasted for
two hours, and was for the most part
interesting.
In appearing before the grocers' asso-
citation. Mr.. Nissley said;
I'VE are satisfied with the location of
Topeka and would like to establish the
central plant Of our company here. AS
an encouragement for esta blishing the
plant here we desire if possible to make
l a contract with the grOcers to take 1OO-
coo pounds Of butter in a year. There
/ seems 10 Ee a IllSuAQGLSLdnQlLB d. "
how this butter IS to be taken, ana we
are here tonight to talk the matter over.
As far as the butter is concerned, we
I guarantee 1t to be first class creamery
butter and the grocers may have no
fear on that score The exact wording
of the proposition submitted to this as
ISOLATION was that the butter should be
taken at the market retail price. By
/ this we meant the retail price to con-
sumers, but I think it has been con-
strued to mean the price to retailers.
We are here to talk the matter over and
! if possible arrive at some conclusion
Mr. F. NJ NeWland=Wha hat would be
/ the difference between the grOcers pay
ing more for the Topeka creamery but
ter and the Commercial club giving the
/ creamery company $1,000 or $4,000? 1t
seems to me that under such PROPOSE
ton the Commercial club or somebody
else is trying to make the grocers put
up for this
Mr. weber, think there is no doubt
/ that the grOcarS of this city viii handle
I the Topeka butter if the creamery IS
estab lished here, but i think II IS ask
Y ing too much to expect us to buy it a
I the retail price
Mr. r. M. Hanley-On such PROPOSE
4 yourself in peculiar position The
4 grocers could fix a retail price that you
I wouldn't want to accept
Mr. Nissley=I viii ask what the retail
/ price OF butter is here2
Mr.. Hanley-The average price, i
/ should judge, is about 20 cents. / don't
/ see how you could make the proposition
work, as there would be a continual jar
on what the retail price of the butter
! should be.
Mr. Nissley-I think this could be OBJ
| waited by basing the price on the New
/ York, Chicago or Elgin market.
Mr.. Hanley-I think you misunder-
stand me, Mr.. Nissley. 7 meant that one
/ grocer would sell the butter for 20 cents
and another for Is cents, and probably
another for less. and you can't fix
stated price because the state law for
/ bids it,
Mr. NissIey-As understand it. each
member of the association would take
Y the butter at a stated price. My sug-
I gestiOn is to take the Elgin market for
a basis, and divide the margin, what
/ ever it would be, between the grOcerS
I and ourselves. This seems to me to be
a fair proposition. Our butter is worth
I so much the minute it is manufactured
! whether sold here or in Galveston, Tex.
7 1t is no object to US to get contract
4 for certain amount of butter unless
/ we can make some profit. We have no
/ difficulty in finding a market for all we
can produce
Mr. Hanley-I think it is useless to
! talk along the line of fixing a price on
/ butter We want to see the creamery
established here, and am sure we will
I do all in our power in any other way to
bring it here I don't think we can ever
arrive at a conclusion along that line,
I however.
Mr. Forney-I wish it understood gem
/ tlemen, that all we ask is enough to in
sure US a good, suita BILE location.
Mr. Popenoe-On the part Of the Com
mercial club I wish to say that we have
had a number Of conferences with these
4 gentlemen, and we have arrived at the
Il conclusion that they are men who I'M
/ derstand their business. When these
gentlemen first talked with us they
/ asked that we procure site for the
plant. Taking into consideration the
number of failures which have occurred
along this line, We thought that this
/ would not be the best way to start the
/ industry, and looked about for another
plan. In this connection we thought
/ the grocers might help by contracting
| for certain amount of butter
Mr.. VIM. Green-I would like to see
/ the creamery established here. but
/ am not favorable to the proposition IS
/ submitted. 1T is simply a proposition
/ for a bonus. The easiest way to do this
1 would be to raise the money and give
I it to the creamery people Il also think
there is no use in trying to fix a price
upon the commodity. i am not much
I in favor of hiring people to esta blish in
Y dustries here by bonuses. but I am in
4 favor of giving them all the encourage
/ ment possible by patronage.
Mr. Weber-The grocers would I'M
I dOubtedly patrOnize the Topeka indus
I try. There would be 600 pounds of
! butter used instead of 100000 pounds. If
/ there was but a profit of cents a
/ pound to the creamery people, that
! would be s.. Goa. and I think that amount
] should satisfy them
Mr.. Nissley-That amount would sat
isfy US if we could arrive at a basis on
! which to procure it.
Mr.. Wilder understand that the
proposition was for the absorption Of
/ The butter. and the offer Of a ready and
/ prompt market for the product
Mr.. Davis-If the grocers contracted
to pay the retail price, they would eth
| er have to raise the price of butter. or
4 give the bonus out ot their own peck
/ cts.
Mr.. Robbins think the easiest wav
/ out of this would be for the creamery
people to tell as the amount they want.
They want something for coming here,
and /, for one, am not in favor Of Civ