The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-14
Potato TRUST BON.
Kansas City Men Combining
to Control the Prices.
HOLD SECRET MEETING
Plan Is to Have One Man Do
All the Buying.

Kansas City. Nay 1s.-The dealers in
potatoes. who are trying TO form a com
bine-or. rather an association. for the
potato men shy dreadfully when the
word ''cimbines is used-held their secret
meeting at the room of the Fruit and
Produce Exchange yesterday afternoon.
Their first meeting. which occurred last
Wednesday afternoon, was held publicly
and behind open doors. Yesterday. on
! the contrary, was behind closed and
bolted doors. and when the men who
were present. came cut. after having
been IN session two hours, they declared
they had positively no information 10
give TO the press.
T. c. Bottom was chairman Of the
committee appointed at the first confer
enee TO draw up a plan Of organization
and report yesterday.
Joe Weston win tell you what we have
decided 10 give out. Mr.. Bottom.
What did you do?" Mr.. Weston was
asked
we did not accomplish anything" lie
replied.
Didn't you eject any of your oficers?'
r can't say as 10 that
Mr.. Weston was finally persuaded that
he would not be DOING great bodily harm
TO the combine il he answered the ques-
ton about the election Of officers. and
he admitted that he had not been chosen.
But this was as much as could be eX-
tracted from him.
Mr. Weston's assurance that nothing
was accomplished appears 10 have been
pretty near the truth. Despite the eX-
IRENE secretiveness, the combine organ
izers suddenly developed, some facts re-
garding what occurred leaked out. Mr..
| Bottom committee made its report 1t
provided for the formation OF an associa-
ton. TO which all local wholesale potato
dealers shall be admissible. 1t is pro-
posed that the association shall have
purchasing agent. who shall do the buy
ing from tho producers Of potatoes for
all the members, the association in every
case to fix the price paid. The price FOR
which the dealers shall sell. after his
potatoes have been delivered to him, is
left 10 him. Under the present system.
if a dealer does not like the potatoes
shipped TO him, he can refuse 10 accept
them. Under the proposed system he
chasing agent bought for him.
After the reading of the report Mr..
Bottom invited the dealers TO ask him
about any points they did not understand.
The questions and answers quickly
proved that there is perfect agreement
between the dealers regarding the end
to be acknowledgements of their profits
but there is a great variety of opinions
as to the means TO be employed Mr.
Bottom was kept on his feet almost ala
afternoon. answering questions and try
ing to refute arguments that were made
against his proposed form CT organi2a-
ton.
Before the meeting adjourned il was
decided that the report was not salts
factory, and the time of the committee
was extended It was instructed to call
another meeting when it was ready 10
report again. The third meeting viii
probably be held Saturday afternoon
Despite the differences that have
sprung up between them. there is little
doubt that the potato men viii organize
They claim that they have not been
making any money but say that their
purpose in organizing is not 10 regulate
the price for which they sell but to re-
duce expenses. BY regulating the price
for which they all buy. however. they
will Indirectly fix the price for which all
shall sell. if some are not 20 make
greater profit than others and thus drive
their competitors out Of the market
There is good ground for expecting that
the formation of the proposed association
viii be followed by raise in the already
I,fuH I1-al f,rices Of r,ofafoae