Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-20
|O0NUCHCANN[DCORN
La Porte Canneries Finding
Trouble in Disposing of This
Years Product
CANNING BUSINESS OVERCOME
Thirteen New Canning Factories Were
Erected in Iowa Last Year and Be-
lief Is Expressed That the Industry
Will Become Improbable If Doomed
Other Iowa News.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Laporte City, Dec. 2O.-Laporte City
and other towns in Iowa that boast
a large canning factory are learning
at present that there are other circum-
stances than discriminating freight
rates that work hardship in the manu-
featuring field. The local company is
having great difficulty in disposing OF
it's supply of canned corn, and at the
rate the product is moving the big
warehouse erected last summer and
which, together with the old storage
room, was packed full Of the canned
corn, will not be emptied enough to
care for next years crop IL the usual
!, amount is canned. The congestion is
causing the local company all sorts OF
worry, and in order to create mar
ket for the goods now on hand 1t has
been decided that very few, II any,
contracts will be made with farmers
to raise corn for the factory next year.
In conversation with the several men
interested in the concern it is learned
that the factory may not be run at all
next year. unless the immense amount
Of canned goods now on hand is dis
posed Of in whole or great part.
The large number of canning fac
tories built in Iowa in the past two
or three years is said by men most
familiar with the situation to be the
cause Of the difficulty. Ten years ago
q great ambition to manufacture seiz-
ed Iowa capitalists, and corn was the
raw material found y largest quantity
that could be turned into the finished
product and for which there was q
market Economists pointed to the
great gain that could be made by
Iowa people IL the corn that was then
canned in eastern factories and ship
ped back to Iowa consumers plus the
freight, could be canned in Iowa by
Iowa labor. The theory was put into
practice and in a short time Iowa was
canning an immense amount OF corn,
a great deal of which was shipped.
But the pendulum swung too far-the
factory business was over done.
1t is learned from good authority
that thirteen new canning factories
were erected in Iowa last year. Many
are now being built. If the statements
of the men now in the business. that
the present congestion is caused by
over production are true, what will be
the result when all Of the factories
now built are in full operation. To
prevent loss to the manufacturer a
new market must be found, or the pro-
duct Of the factories must be put TO
different use.
1t has been limited by some that the
present condition is only temporary
the work of the trust to boost the
price. This, however, cannot be true,
as the action of the company not to
contract with farmers for corn next
year will plainly show. The corn used
by the canneries is Of a different grade
than the ordinary field corn, and the
supply for the following year is usual
ly contracted for at this season of the
year.
In spite Of the alarming situation to
the canning industry those at present
in the business are hopeful Of a prop
er solution of the difficulty. There
never was a time when so much
canned corn was used as now. The ex-
hHbitions and demonstrations at the
Paris exhibition on the use of corn
as a food product created a market for
the product In Europe that is growing