The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-29
C. b. Hoffman Talks of Vrooman
Cooperative Scheme.
Thinks Manager Didn't Have
Business Training.
PROMOTER LOSTIT ALL
Other People in the Enterprise
Didn't Lose.
Cooperative Grain Dealers Hold
a Session.

c. B. Hoffman, the wealthy miller Of
Enterprise, Kan, who is in the city at
tending the convention of the Kansas
Cooperative association at the coun-
ell chamber. said today in discussing
the gigantic failure of the Vrooman co
operative store scheme which was
much talked of recently:
The trouble was with Vrooman, and
not with the scheme. The scheme was
all right, but Vrooman was not good
enough business man to carry it
through. Vrooman tried to do in six
months what he should have been sat
listed to accomplish in five years. He
made mistake when he figured out
that he could get out with brass band
and a lot of talk and bring everybody
in line with his way of thinking. He
is a remarka bly, energetic man, but
he lacks good business Judgment He
failed to take into consideration the
numerous combinations and interests
which would oppose his cooperative
store plan So when the scheme was
launched these interests commenced to
throw the hot shot at it, and they just
naturally shot it all full of holes.
Il don't think that anybody lost
much, except Vrooman, and he could
afford to lose it Nrooman is good
spender, and he has plenty of money
Il understand that Vrooman and
John Doggett, the Kansas City dry
goods man who went in with him, had
a disagreement which contributed to
the downfall of the scheme. Doggett
undertook to give Vrooman little
coed advice. and Vrooman simply
turned him out and stopped his salary.
'.At the present time, the stores
which Vrooman bought have reverted
to the original owners, and are IN
4.
erative plan Each store is managed
as its owners see fit. but each one con
tributes a certain per cent of its earn
ings to a common fund. This pool OF
earnings is at stated intervals distrib-
uted to the various stores, and the
stores in turn distribute their proper
ton to their customers, who have been
given aluminium checks to represent
the amount which they have purchased
from the store The customers produce
their checks, and receive a portion Of
what they have spent for goods in cash
This is the scheme which is now being
carried OUT
The whole Vrooman enterprise seems
to have collapsed most dismally- Vroo-
man himself is now back in New York.
The people whom he selected to manage
the immense cooperative business in
stitutions which he proposed to esuab-
lish proved to be good grafters, and
they are said to have separated Mr..
NrOoman from a large proportion of the
S., 600. 600 which he had when he started
out on the cooperation business.
It was part of Mr.. VrOOman'S plan to
combine not only the mercantile stores,
but every sort of business and industry.
Mr.. Hoffman being prominent miller
of the state. was one of those whom
Mr.. Vrooman sought to interest in the
plan. but Hoffman says he never took
much stock in the scheme
Nrooman is well known in Topeka
having attended Washburn college a
good many years ago
GRAIN SHIPPING TODAY.
This afternoon. the session of the Co
operative convention, which commenced
this morning viii be devoted to a con-
sideration of the plan adopted by the
Farmers Shipping association. Speech
es will be made by c. B Hoffman. Jas
Butler and others.
The Farmer Advocate this morning
received the following telegram rela-
tive to the proposed shipping associa-
ton:
Davenport Neb., Jan. 2S.-The fol-
lowing was adopted today at a meeting
of 81 members after organizing an as
sociation with $4,000 capital Resolved,
by the Farmers Cooperative Grain &
Livestock association of Davenport,
Neb that it is the sense of this meet
ing that this association shall subscribe
for $4,000 stock or so much thereof as
the stock subscription may aggregate in
a corporation to be esta blished by SINH
lar subscriptions effective when a total
of $4,000 of stock shall be subscribed
in this state. or in Kansas and Nebras-
ka together
James Butler of Topeka is national
secretary of this shipping organization,
the purposes of which are stated in the
prospectus as follows:
1T viii build or buy elevators at suit
able points in Kansas and adjoining
states and territories; to buy grain di-
rectly from the farmers and sell it in
the best markets, dividing the profits
among the stockholders in the way Of
dividends upon the stock and premiums
upon the grain purchased from or sold
to the stockholders
THE MORNING SESSION
The morning session of the convention
was informal. and it was past II o'clock
when President Hoffman called the
delegates to order, and made his speech,
in which he reviewed briefly the history
of the organization. and the purposes Of
I the cooperative movement.
/ It was decided to appoint committees
4 on permanent organization, propaganda
and publication, and for the preparation
/ of a bill concerning cooperative bust
ness which viii be introduced at the
( present session of the Legislature
Mr.. Hoffman urged the members of
! the 1eglisatu re to attend the sessions Of
the convention, which will be in prog
ress all Day today and tomorrow, in the
council chamber of the city hall.
This evening Judge S. H. Allen will
address the convention on THE Legal
4 AsnectS of CO-ODeratiOn.'