The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-15

exists, and that is a letter which I
received from one Of the eastern con-
Germs stating that they would much
prefer to deal direct with the state than
to transact their business through local
jewelers.. OF course that would fndi-
cate that they might refuse to furnish
designs to Kansas competitors. ] issued
the announcement to the iewelry
dealers of the state so that they might
all have an equal chance in the mat
ter, but don't know what viii be the
effect"
I. NJ BHtz, the Topeka competitor,
thinks that it was a great mistake for
Governor Hoch to give Ed Vail a let
ter which to some extent made him a
representative of the state during his
recent trip east The letter merely
stated that Mr.. Vail was looking for
information about silver services for
the battleship Kansas, and stated that
any courtesies which might be ex-
tended would be appreciated by the
governor Mr.. Blitz charges that Vail
used this letter to make it appear to
the stlversmiths that he already had
the contract for furnishing the state
| with the service, and that it was
merely question of who would make
/ the service.
Vail has political pull" said
Blttz today. and some of my best
friends who are in a position to know
what is going on, tell me that I might
just as we'll quit in my fight right now,
ana not try to get this job They tell me
1 mat Governor HOCh and General
! Hughes both want to give the lob to
] Vail. OF course it's all right for Hoch
] to be for Vail if he wants to, but I
think that Hughes might stand UP for
/ his home town. I nut in five hours
/ telling Hughes what I thought OF him
/ for getting into this thing But I have
4 decided that 1 will stay right with this
thing and put up some money. If
4 necessary, to win You can saw fT7is-
/ that BfifZ is after "a
nishlng the state with this silver SER
vice. he isn't after advertising, as Vail
admits he IS, I am having my designs
prepared by the International silver
company, the biggest concern in the
country, which has made silver SER
vices for many Of the battleships.
am going right after this thing. and
while 1t may be that the cards are
hNed against me, I expect to do my
Ed Vail has given an interview to
the wichita Beacon in which he denies
lnat there is any trust to control the
price OF the silver service. but saws
that there are only three concerns. in
the contest, and that these three firms
are not going to furnish designs to
every dealer in the country" Mr..
Vail says:
There is absolutely no trust IN the
manufacture of silverware There are
only four or five firms in the United
states today that are competent to
make service suitable for a battIestir
and owing to the peculiar situation Of
two of these firms at present, there re
main only three who can make this
class Of goods. The ordinary ieweler
who is not conversant with the charac.
ter of q service to be presented to a
odttlesnlp. IS not competent to figure
on it. I did not feel competent nyseIf
TO figure on a service that would he
suitable and creditable to the state of
Kansas until first visited the factories
ana talked with the secretary of the
navy and a number of high naval offi-
GERS, to ascertain what was necessar nv
and suitable IN selecting such a service.
Every jezveler is at perfect liberty to
SUBMIT BIDS and get designs if they
know what they want. but the dasiene
made by these large firms on work Of
this kind cost hundreds of dollars to
make and they do not furnish them to
every dealer in the country"
What's Stevens doing now"