The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-31
FIVE COMPANIES
WILL CONSOLIDATE
Harvester Agencies viii Be
Conducted by M. Weeks.
AS GENERAL MANAGER
Mccormick Building TO Be
Headquarters Here.

Official announcement has reached
wichita of the International Harvester
companv's Capitalization plans. Hereaf-
ter one general agent and organiza-
ton will handle all five lines of the con-
solidated companies and it is said there
Will be an annual reduction of nearly
$500, 900 in expenses and that there VIII
be a decrease OF 1900 in the number Of
mea employed.
The chief object of the consolidation Is
for the purpose of Erecting economics
In manufacture and distribution. enabling
the company to continue former prices,
which would not otherwise be possible.
The change effects every concern Of the
Deeriag, Mccormick, Plano, Champion
and Milwaukee harvester factories of the
United States In Wichita it means the
consolidation Of those offices now do
ang business in this city under the man
egament of NJ. W Weeks, who has been
manager for the Mccormick company,
Included in the International Harvester
company
The Offices Of the Mccormick building
at Douglas and Santa Fe avenues will be
arranged shortly to make room for the
large force of clerks which it will be
necessary to employ to perform the work
of handling the business Of the five
concerns. which is now transacted sepa-
rately.
A store room will. hewever, be main
tanned by each, as at present, but there
will be no offices maintained in connec-
ton with each
Since the merging of the five concerns
into the International Harvester COM.
pany, one year ago, there has been much
speculation as to the result or effect on
the local offices over tke country, and
the dealers handling the machines in
retail way. During the past season the
different offices were kept up as under
the old management, but the plans have
been maturing for further concentration.
with the result as stated. At all the
points where there have been general
agencies these viii be united under one
management. and the work done by one
force of bookkeepers and stenographers,
and the one general agency will make
contracts with the local dealers for the
handling Of the different machines. 10
compensate in part for the added work
at these general offices other general
offices will be opened in each state and
in Kansas new general offices will be
opened at Hutchinson, Sslina, Topeka,
Goncordia and Fort Scott. each with a
general agent and an assistant taken
from the general agents of the offices
discontinued. but the new agencies will
not be sufficient to give place 10 all the
old officers. 3
The details of the change at Wichita {
Snclude the consolidation OF the offices
IN the Mccormick building and the con
centration of the handling Of the ma
,chinery under one management as far
AS possible. The 81. Rebstein Transfer
company will handle the lines of :he
lDeering. Milwaukee and Plano and the
Milwaukee stock has been moved from the
Reynolds Brothers building TO the Reb-
stein building, in the last few days The
ultimate result will probably be the
erection OF a building IN which all the
stocks can be handled, and it is stated
on good authority that the management /
at one time tried 10 get an option on
the Burton Car Works, but were to I
late
The uniting Of the offices will displace 4
several of the subordinate employees Of /
the different offices. The head bookkeep- !
ers In most cases viii be retained in tna (
employ of the company and placed in .
charge of the accounting departments Of I
the new Offices opened At other points
The offices TO Toe discontinued now en-
ploy from three 70 five clerks and steno-
grapherS each and not all of these Will .
be needed probably one-third Of tn m
being discharged. The Wichita office
will continue TO be Of greater Importance
than many OF those in the other towns
OF the state. as a branch collection de-
partment win be opened here which VIII
have charge of that work for several of
the agencies and VIII require a consider
able clerical force.
The united companies do n very large
part OF the business OF the country in
harvesting machinery. and under the
eoRssndation and arrangement Of the
offices will have more complete control
OF the trade than formerly, as every
retail dealer handling any Of the five
lines viii be under the same general SUI
and opportunities for compeu-
ton Will be reduced. as it IS al the
same 20 the management which one Of
the various machines is sold to the
farmer
Wichita viii continue to he the principal
distributing point Of the southwest
Under the new rules Of the consolida-