The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-03
ONLY TWO FIRMS
Not All Commission Men Con-
Cerned in Potato Corner.

The indignation of the people over the
acts Of commission men who cosnered
the potato supply knows no bounds.
So far as is known there are only two
firms who are concerned in the Disgrace
full proceeding and the others who have
had nothing to do with it are naturally
very much exercised.
s. E. Lux was one of these. Mr. Lux
said today:
I do not think that it is fair that all
the commission merchants in this city
should be elassed as scoundrels for
raising the prices of goods when it is only
in a few cases that they have done so
The majority of the commission mer-
chants have tried to do the right thing
considering the circumstances. The
high price of potatoes has been mem
toned in the papers more than that of
any other commodity. I wish to say
this about potatoes that we have been
selling. All the commission merchants
that know anything about with the ex-
ception Of one or two have not raised
the price. OF course the price of new
potatoes IS considerably higher than
the old and we are selling them at the
usual price of S1.50s but in regard to old
potatoes I wish to say that most of us
are selling them at reasonable prices
and I do not think that we deserve to be
censured.'
The two firms in particular who have
been reported as selling potatoes at an
advanced price are Armstrong & An
derson and Cope eco. One man stated
today that it was no more than natural
for a commission merchant to advance
the price Of commodity when he had a
corner on it and that the two firms
mentioned probably advanced the price
on potatoes according to the usual Gus
tom without thinking of the exception
ally serious situation to which the city
was subjected. It is known however
that at least one man bought all he
could after he knew how serious the sit
uation was
In regard to the commission ner-
chants William Green said today:
Last Saturday the salesman Of a
certain commission house in this city
called on US and offered US potatoes for
20 cents They said that the potatoes
were of the best and would be satisfac-
tory in every way. On Monday we
called uD the same house and they quo
ted potatoes for $3.50 We Informed them
of the offer that they made on Satur-
day and they said that the potatoes that
they offered for s.. 40 were Colorado po-
tatoes and were SUPERIOR in every way
to those that they offered on Saturday.
As they know that we always refer to
the very best potatoes when we ask for
prices this does not seem to be very
good excuse.
A reporter teIephoned- to the commits
sion firm of Cope & Co. today and ask
ed them their prices on potatoes. At
first they refused to talk unless they
were told who was at the other end Of
the phone, but after considerable ques-
tioning they finally said that they had
received = car of new potatoes this
morning and would let them go for
150 a bushel. They positively refused
to quote prices on old potatoes
Down at Kansas. City the CITY council
held a meeting as soon as the flood be-
came serious and threatened the food
supply ard passed an ordinance max
ing it a misdemeanor TO charge excess
sive or unreasonable prices fer food
supplies for man or beast, or fc~ water.
fine ranging from s. to $500 was
placed as a punishment for vioiatlns
the ordinance. Why would not SINH
lar ordinance be a good thing for To-
peka during the present emergency