The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-08
is IT A TRUST?
Implement Dealers Association
Faces a Counter Charge.
Railroads Claim Their Organiza-
ton Is Unlawful.
BLAINE ENTERS DENIAL
Says No EffOrt Is Made to Con-
troll Prices.
Rate Hearing Before Board Be-
gun This Afternoon.
ELAINE ENTERS DENIAL

Whether or not the Kansas Imple-
ment dealers have formed themselves
into a trust for the purpose of regulat-
ing prices of farm implements and We
hicles will be esae of the interesting is
sues n the implement freight rate case
which opened before the board Of rail-
road commissioners at O'Clock this af-
ternoon.
THE railroads have answered our de-
mand for fair rates. said D. w. Blaine,
president of the association, by the
charge that our association is a trust.
Since that charge has been checked up
to US, we propose to see that 1t is sifted
to the bottom. We want the railroads
to produce their proof. We shall de-
mand that they make their charge good
or withdraw 1t.
I know, as president of the associa-
ton, that there Is no trust. We do not
attempt to control prices. Two years
ago it was proposed at one of the meet
ings of the Western Implement men IN
Kansas City that we agree upon a
schedule of prices for implements.
made a speech in opposition to that
motion. I said, Tt is impossible for a
dealer to maintain one schedule for his
more to the farmer who requires long
time for payments; to the farmer Who
is unable to set up and manipulate the
machine without assistance, and under
various other conditions. The dealer
has right to put a premium on prompt
payment by Offering a lower price TO
some people than to others. If each
dealer can not maintain a single Schad-
ule, how can an association of dealers
maintain a schedule?' The proposition
was defeated. and it has never bean
brought forward since.
The association of implement men
which meets at Kansas City did not be-
heve in taking any part in political
matters but there were a good many
Implement dealers who thought that the
dealers should take part in politics whsn
the politics affected our business. So
we organized a new association, and
called 1t the Southwestern Kansas and
Oklahoma Implement and Hardware
Dealers association. This association
has taken a strong position in opposi-
ton to trusts Of all kinds, and has e
stated its position almost every year Ey
strong resolutions"
The resolutions which the association
adopted on the subject of trusts in 1900.
which are similar to those adopted IL
subsequent years. are as follows:
Whereas, The late advance in all
classes Of agricultural implements. farm
machinery. etc. is apparently charge
ials who have organized themselves in
to trusts. and have succeeded in thor
oughIy crushing out competition, and
by limiting production are now enabled
to force buyers to pay exorbitant
prices which is taking millions of dol-
lars annually, beyond a legitimate profit
from our customers, as evinced by one
of tie branches of the iron and steel
trust who were able to declare a divi-
dend of 200 per cent on their capital
stock for their last years business, and
Whereas, The manufacturers ow all
lines of goods we are Offering for sale,
express their inability to cope with
these great corporate trusts, to enable
them to buy the material used in their
factories at a reasonable price, and
they are compelled to advance the
prices of their manufactured articles
in proportion to the additional cost
they are compelled to pay for their
structural material. And that said adj
ditional costs must be added by US to
the goods we are offering to our Gus
toners, therefore we are placed in the
unenviable position of aiding and abet-
ing the trusts IN taking an unreasonable
price from our customers, sthe farmers
against which We must strenuously pro-
test, and
whereas, The only protection against
the great trust evil, apparently lies in
the enactment of such antitrust laws
as viii effectual1y curb the avaricious-
ness Of the trusts (the necessity Of
protective measures, IS aQnlJteQ Dy all
political parties by antitrust planks in
their national. state, congressional and
county convention platforms, therefore,
the subject has become nonpartisan)
and
Resolved That the members of the
present representative delegation from
Kansas to the national congress of the
United States, are hereby requested to
labor individually and collectively to
consummate national antitrust legis-
lation at the earliest possible date
Mr.. Blaine will be the principal wit
ness on behalf of the implement dealers
this afternoon. He Will tell what the
present rates are from Chicago to Kan
sas City. and from Kansas City to in
terror points. The dealers make the
claim that the rate out of Kansas City
to points in Kansas is entirely too high.
It costs more to ship a couple of hun
bred miles into Kansas than it does to
ship the 500 miles from Chicago to Kan
/ sas City.
1T will not take the compliments
4 long TO introduce their evidence" said
Mr.. Blaine. Mr.. Harry Taylor, secre-
tary of the association. who was to have
/ been one of our witnesses, is in Califor-
mia on his wedding trip. and our evil
/ denee VIII be largely in the form OF
tables made up from the rate sheets