The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-05


BE- no unfriendhness when a bill was pre-
scented to you by the manufacturer, ana
our relations would be such that an in
creased business and greater prosperity
would be the result.
J. W. WILSON'S ADDRESS.
Mr.. J. ". Wilson, manager of the Hoo
ven & Allison company of Kansas iCty,
opened the discussion on Irvine" In
part he spoke as follows:
The subject of binder Irvine is one
which has engrossed the minds of a
great many people. It extends from the
grower OF the raw material in Yucatan,
Mexico and the Philippine archipelago.
TO the exporter, importer, manufacturer,
jobber, retail dealer, and the farmer.
Each Of these different factors seem TO
think they have the worst end Of the bar
gain. Much, if not all of this, is caused
by the unwillingness Of one factor TO
recognize the individual right of any
other factor. From a producer OF the
raw material TO the consumer of the
finished product there exists a chain Of
common interest, each link of which IS
dependent on every other link TO sustain
the strength of the general law Of sup
ply and demand. The producer cannot
say TO the merchant or to the exporter,
I have no need of YOU neither can
the dealer say TO the manufacturer or
jobber I have no need Of YOU; nor the
farmer 10 the dealer, I have no need Of
YOU for all are absolutely essential, the
one to the other.
1T takes about eighty thousand
tons or one hundred and sixty million
pounds, Of binder Irvine annually to bind
the various crops of this country. At
ten cents per pound, this means six
teen million dollars. To ship it in what
IS called minimum carloads, ten tons or
twenty thousand pounds per car, would
require eight thousand cars to hold it,;
and to reduce this to train loads of TWEEN
TYNE cars each, you have three hum
dred and twenty trains. or one train for
each working day Of the year and seven
trains over. Should this twine be put
into one long string, counting each pound
to run five hundred feet, we would have
& line long enough to girdle the earth
81 xhundred and forty times. To col
lect this raw material. manufacture. sell
and distribute this requires vast amount
OF capital and labor and not a little
anxnety on account of the very great
risk incurred in handling a commodity
which is so treacherous in its fluctua-
ton. Certainly the capital invested in
such an enterprise is entitled to some adj
equate return An impression has gained
Judgment in the minds of many who
have not investigated the facts. as well
as those who have had the facility but
would no investigate. preferring to guess
at il, that this business is controlled by
a trust 1 wish TO say that there never
has been time in the history of the
binder Irvine business when it was con-
trolled by trust, or where there has
existed so much as a gentlemen's agree
INIT AS an active participant in the
sale of this commodity since 1881, and
having as good facilities as anyone for
knowing the inside workings of the bind
er twine trade, believe the assertion
there is not now, neither has there ever
been, a trust on binder Irvine" cannot
be successfully combatted.
About fourteen years ago an attempt
was made to consolidate the Irvine fac
tories of this country, but only portion
of them We're absorbed. The result was
that in 1893 this attempted combination,
having reeled off too much of it's own
rope, and not paying enough attention 20
the slack, is became entangled in its
own meshes disaster came 10 it SO for
chilly that no promoter dared to attempt
q like measure in that line since.
There are over twenty factories in
the United States, each absolutely indie
pendent of the other, legitimately en-
gagged in making binder twine. Aside from
this the states of Kansas. Minnesota,
and North Dakota. manufacture some
twine in their prisons, using the labor Of
criminals to produce it. About a year
since the wardens OF these prisons took
q trip to the sisal fields to buy from the
first hands II has been said their visit
was a failure from a financial stand
point, for, If reports are true, they paid
as much +. o. b.. Progresso Mexico.
which is the port Of export of that coun-
try. as they could have bought the same
fibre. on the same date. f O. b. New
York. However. that you may the more
intelligently look at this matter, I have
called 10 my aid prominent dealers in
Kansas. Minnesota and North Dakota.
and in doing so submitted TO them the
following questions. and from which we
have received the following supplies:
What percentage of Irvine used in
your territory is furnished by prison au-
thorities9
"Answer-'we find where the hardest
fight was made against prison Irvine by
cutting prices, was the territory in which
most of the prison Irvine Was sold. show
ing that BY advertising your seeming
competition YOU increased its sale
what. Il any restrictions surround the
sale Of this twine when handled by deal
ers2
'-Answer-There seems to be no r. guIar
surrounding its sale. Tn fact
one Of the dealers summed the matter
mp in this wise Don't know. didn't ask
What effect 90 the claims made by the
prison authorities. rs 10 the quality they
claim TO make and the price AT which
they. propose 10 place ii on The market.
have with the dealers as 90 Withholding
lae placing OF their orders with the reg
ular manufacturers and jobbeTs Of
twine2
"Answer-The replies We're very en-
pnatic in that the claims made by ths
prison authorities created q great deal
@ furrest and uncertainty in the minds
u tha dealers as 20 what they would be-
required 10 provide 70 supply q sufficient
quantity 10 bind the harvest ard at the
same time not be compelled 70 carry
aver another season large quantity u
Irvine.
What erect Il any does the price made
ey prison authorities have on the price
made by you 10 your customers
-.Answer-one dealer SAYS 'ccsts over
one-half his profit. Another. 'ao eject
= r-.anl- O.. m. b. Nm. ~. Isl