The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-12
BROOMS ARE SCARCE.
The Price in Topeka Has Been
Raised

4@9A880s
Today the price of brooms on the To-
peka market was raised from Is. 20. %
and 80 cents to %, 80 and 35 cents. be-
cause of the great shortage in the
proomcorn crop which threatens to
conpei the Topeka broom factories to
smut down through lack of material.
Already the factories are working
snort handed, because the limited sun
ply or broom corn on hand would soon
be exhausted if the old rate of produce
ton would continue. Candy brothers,
whose factory is at 1924 East sixth av
enue. are now working a force of six
men instead of a dozen, and at the
VIM. Supple factory at 1924 Kansas
avenue. only two or three men are at
work
Mr. Candy said today: 1--WE have
enough material on hand to keen our
reduced force busy for few months.
Unless we can get some more broom
corn, which seems doubtful, there will
pc nothing for us to do but shut down
Ine price of broom corn has advanced
from $50 to Sis a ton, delivered here.
and even at $115 it is impossible to buy
any. We are obliged to advance the
price OF brooms. The grade which we
used to make to retail at Is cents viii
not be manufactured any longer We
will make only three grades of brooms.
to sell at 25, 80 and 35 cents This is an
advance of about cents. The life of a
broom averages about three months
SO 1t makes difference of only 20 cents
a year to the ordinary consumer"
Mr.. Candy stated that he would have
to cease taking orders for brooms for
shipment. He will try to continue to
take care Of his local trade. Nearly all
the brooms used in Topeka are made
here. Some of the wholesale houses ship
in broorns, but 1T is very small per
cent of the total number used.
The shortage of broom corn is due
to two things, according to local broom
makers. One is the overDroduction last
year, which forced down the price of
the product to less than the cost of
production. Another is the partial fail
ure of the crop. Broom corn comes
principally from Indiana illinois, Okla
homa. and half a dozen counties in
western Kansas. 1t is estimated that
about 10000 tons are required TO supply
the broommakers of the country The
estimated production this year is only
$4,000 tons, leaving a shortage of 1900
tons.
1t costs about SIS to raise an acre Of
broom corn, and last year the price at
the place of production was about $6S.
Now it is from $50 TO SOS. To these
prices the freights must be added to
obtain the cost for local manufacturers.
About 800 broomS a day are made by
the local manufacturers under ordinary
conditions. The largest factory uses
about 40 tons of broom corn year.
Eastern broommakers. anticipating
the shortage of material sent buyers to
Kansas and Oklahoma, and cleaned UP
everything in sight. They found that
some broom corn had been held over
from peTvious years by people able to
do SO. One farmer in Indiana had his
crop for three years past in his barns,
and he sold the whole lot for 800 ton
Another farmer near by also had his
three years crop saved up, and he re-
fused to sell for 800 ton. He demand
ed $50, and said he would hold on until
he got his price. The chances are that
he will get it before long.