Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-05
LET'S FORMING
GIGANTIC COMBINE
Former Marshalltown Man Pre-
pairing to Control Grocery
Business of Country
WILL MOVE TO NEW YORK SOON
Combination Will Include State Organ
izations from Atlantic to Pacific
coasts-Letts to Be President of All
Plans Same as Those of Western
Grocer Company, of This City.

In few years Frank C.. Let's, presi-
dent of the Western Grocer Company,
the mammoth grocery concern of Iowa.
Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri, with
likely control the grocery business of
the United States. Mr.. Let's has just
returned from the east, where 1t was
announced he would go soon after his
recent visit to this city. Mr.. Let's is
organizing new combines similar to the
Western Grocer Company, and in time
they will extend from coast to coast. He
will head them all. as president and
they will be managed along tho same
successful lines.as the Western Grocer
Company.
The organization of the state of Ohio,
which is the first territory Invaded, has
just been completed, as announced in
the T.-R. dispatches Thursday evening.
The concern will be known as the Ohio
Wholesale Grocers' Association. ana
Will be incorporated under the laws of
New Jersey, capitalized ut $10,000,000.
The headquarters are to be at Toledo.
The company will operate branches in
forty Eight Ohio cities. n. NJ. Let's, of
Chicago. brother of Mr. f. c. Let's has
ben interested with MI Let's in the
forming of the new company, and they
have been assisted by Mr.. f. E. Dow, of
Toledo. who is connected with the Dow
Shell Grocer Company.
Mr.. Let's is, as already known, presi-
dent OF the Western Grocer Company,
and is to be made president of the Can
adian Wholesale Grocery Company. op-
Grating branches in many points thru
out Canada. with headquarters at To-
ronto. The National Grocery Company,
of Chicago, which confines its business
to Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, is
now holding its annual meeting in Chi
cago, and 1t is understood Mr.. Let's is
to be made president of that concern
He has been the company's vice presi-
dent. The plan to organize the differ
ent states is one so gigantic as to hard
ly be conceivable except to those di-
rectly interested in the grocery BUSH
ness. Mr.. Let's is we'll financed in his
undertaking, which is one few men
would dare undertake.
"
shortly. to take up his residence in New
York. 1t will take few years to COM
plete the organization from coast to
coast but when 1t Is accomplished
Frank Let's will practically control the
grocery business of the United States
1t is said by friends close to the in
side of this deal that Let's has over
come most Of the obstacles confronting
his project and now has the backing of
all the capital that will ever be needed.
The purpose of the organization is to
control such vast distribution that
the sugar trust, biscuit trust, tobacco
trust. the canned goods trust, or any
other great trust,-and most produce
ton is now controlled by combine
will oe glad to give the combine of
wholesalers an advantageous commits
sion for handling its. products. AS it
has been In the past, when great COM
bine mas controlled the production of
some article, 1t has reduced the whole
saler to so small a margin, naming ar
bitrarily both the purchasing and the
selling price, that there has been little
profit in handling the business. With
a string of houses, extending from New
York to San Francisco. and covering
practically every distributing point, Mr..
Let's proposes to meet combine with
combi.e and dictate few terms HIM