The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-02
CORN STARCH TALK
Eastern Buyer Says Wichita
Should Start Factory
TO MAKE CORN STARCH
Five Million Bushels Corn
Purchased Here Annually.

One Of the most interesting subjects be-
ing discussed among the local business
men OF push and energy who have the
interests Of Wichita and the surrounding
agricultural district at heart is the feast
bllity Of starting q movement in the line
of promoting the industry OF starch manu-
featuring Upon inquiry made among the
several wholesale houses Yesterday it was
learned that many carloads Of various
makes Of corn starch and starch for
laundry purposes were being shipped into
this state, a large quantity being received
at this point for distribution throughout
the southwestern portion of the state and
into Oklahoma. a prominent buyer has
been in the city from the east for several
days past buying corn to ship over 1880
miles to Glencove, Long Island, y. Y,
for manufacturing into starch who volun
teered the statement that he could safely
say that over 5000. 900 bushels Of corn was
purchased by his firm annually in Kansas
and the west and it always struck him
very forcibly that the people in Wichita
were behind the times TO allow such
profitable industry to lay idle in the very
best corn country in the world. He said:
while do not care to have my name
mentioned as an advocate of a starch
plant in Wichita as against the business
Of eastern manufacturers, it seems strange
10 me that the people here remain idle
in not getting something of the kind start
ed at once.
There is room for all and the people
must readily see the profit that would
be made in the saving of the enormous
freight rates that must be paid both ways
in the shipment of heavy product over
1,S0O miles and then paid for by the con-
sumers, with an additional freight back
again from New York yld other cities in
tho east"
Kos Harris, who happened TO be present
yesterday while an animated discussion
was going on concerning the starch in
dustry, spoke UP and said: Il have often
talked on the same subject. 1 happened
once myself to get acquainted with a corn
buyer who was travelling on a train
happened to be on and we talked the same
subject over. I believe today company
could take the old watch factory plant or
some other equally as good location and
would not be long before we could sup
ply the whole eastern country with as
good brand Of corn starch as is made in
the east, at a much lower price than it
costs to get it now, after deducting the
two big freights. I believe something
should be done. It would benefit the
farmers and enable them TO get a good
living price for their product and the fac
tory would employ a large number of
hands, bringing new skilled and desirable
families to Wichita, besides giving en-
ployment to many now living here II is
a business that no one can steal from
US for this state and the .ArkanS-1s y.I-ev
is the home centre of the very product
that IS needed the most in the manufac-
ture of the article and it would 20 further
TO help dispose of many thousands of
bushels Of undesirable potatoes that are
not good enough for sale as a vegetable
food, but plenty good enough for raw
starch purposes.