The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-05
MUST KEEP OUT.
Topeka Flour Trust Makes
Rules for GrOcers.
Forces Price Up and Must Not
Sell Outside Brands.
TAYLOR REBELLION
Supposed That Action Is Aimed
at Him.
GrOcers Are Undecided Concern
ing Future Action.

ing Future Action.
| Topeka grocers are excited. The -four
situation is responsible. Topeka millers
are drawing the lines tightly and they
are face to face with the question of
breaking away from their influence al
together or sIrrendering.
At next Wednesday nights meeting of
the Topeka Grecers' association the con-
dition of the local flour market will be
considered. The Topeka grocers are un-
decided as to what attitude they shall
assume in reference to the declaration
of a Topeka milling establishment that
only Topeka -four must be handled by
Topeka retailers. The Touring mill
making this declaration is believed to be
backed up by the other five Topeka
mills, this conclusion being deduced
from the fact that numerous announce
ments have appeared during the past
month from the different Topeka mills,
fixing not only uniform price at which
| flour should be bought by grocers but
going so far as to set the figure at which
it should be retailed.
1t looks very much as if Topeka were
in the hands of flour trust which is
not only trying to prohibit outside COM
i the cost of flour to an exorbitant fig1
ure and to keep it there by the intimi-
/ dation of retailers. The latest edict of
| the flour trust was sent out on March
and 1t is this which is bringing to-
gether the local grocers for the meeting
next Wednesday. The communication,
Which has been received by almost
every groceryman in town, is as fol-
| lows:
INTER-OCEAN MILLS
i Willis Norton & Co
Topeka, KAN, March 2, 1904.
Dear Sir: For the present, we have
decided to not sell our flour to anyone
in Topeka who handles outside-of-To-
peka flour, or flour under special brands,
except at an advance of 40 cents per
cWt. over the regular Topeka prices.
we nope II you are handling outside
flour, or flour under special brands. that
you can see your way clear to at once
discontinue their use. Yours truly.
WILLIS NORTON & co.
To Independent grocers who have
complained at the mill offices about the
unexpected increases in price of flour
there have been vague hints that the
Topeka Grocers' association has been
responsible for the esta ablishment of an
: iron clad schedule of rates to Topeka
consumers, but there seems to be no
basis for this assertion. A number of
the larger stores and many of the
smaller ones belonging to the associa-
llon nave been handling home milled
and imported flour at a different scale
of prices although most of them have
obeyed the mandate of the flour trust
about increasing the price as the
changes in tariff always allowed the
retailer a fair margin of profit. But in
a few instances retailers have refused TO
do so in order to secure the trade OF
! farmers from outlying districts who
were able to buy Topeka flour at cross
roads groceries cheaper than it could
be purchased in Topeka.
This has been point of intense ag-
gravation of Topeka grocers against
: the local millers. w. T. Weber, one
t of the grocers and a member of the
trade association said this morning:
= I'VE have for a long time felt that
the local market has been unfairly
dealt with by the home nillerS because
i they sold their flour on foreign markets
cheaper than they did at home. It has
been our desire to support home indus
2 tries but | can not help feeling that
< the home Industries ought to be able to
2 meet outside competition where thai
competition is carried on at a decided
l disadvantage. I have been handling
$ one or two outside brands of flour
e which give me a good margin while
5 selling chearer than home flour. dc
not know whether I shall continue te
: do so. It depends largely upon the de
cision of the directors of the grocers
o association
a MR.. PEYToN IN OPPOSITION.
I John @. A. Peyton, who keeps a gro
3 Gerry at the corner of SayweIl and Kan
0 sas avenue in North Topeka is the man
e who has taken the first steps toward
S bringing the opposition on the part OF
small grocers to a head. He says that
e he will never handle Topeka flour again
: not only because Topeka mills do not
s attempt to meet the prices of outside
e competitors, but because they have at
o tempted to make him handle their f1oul
/ exclusively at prices which they fix
: Topeka mills nave advanced theiI
n prices rapidly within the past month tC
e keep ahead of the wheat market which
: has been soaring. Flour advanced first
e from $500 per hundred to $2.10. Thai
was about four months ago. On Febru-
i ary 6 all the high patents of the local
e mills advanced from $2.10 to $500 Since
$ then the advances have been rapid, the
n wholesale price advancing to $3.50 and
II then to 81. so, where it is at the present
e time Notifications have been sent out
I simultaneously by the different Topeka
;, mills. The following are a few which
e have been obtained for reproduction
I; from Mr.. Peyton:
q Mid-Continent Mills, Thos. Page, Prop
II North Topeka, Kan, Feb. '04.
/ quote present price on my big 4
flour which will obtain until further no
Wholesale 1920 per cwt- in 4s-n
: sacks.
Q RetaiI-s1 80 per 4s-fb sack.
e Small sacks SC per cwt extra.
: The above quoted retail price must
u be maintained. Yours very truly,
THOMAS PAGE
Topeka. kan. Feb. 16, '04-
Gentlemen: Our price to you until
further notice will be as follows: Letter
Il Patent in 4S 10 sacks $3.50 per hundred
II Hackney Patent in 4S 10 sacks 81 20 pei
: hundred.