The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-21

men is" he said, that they are a lot
1 of rabbits and are afraid to come here
| and fight for their rights. They are
/ afraid that the trust will put them out
of business. A representative of the
| Beatrice creamery came to me and said
/ he would force me to close up my
| creamery unless did such and such
things. 1 told him to go to -, and that
when l had to wear a muzzle / would
go and shoot myself kept in the busi-
| ness because my friends stood by me.
We make in this state about $4,000, 900
pounds of butter a year. We ought to
| make a hundred million. and we would
| make that amount if we had small
creameries- When cream is shipped in
to the big creameries for a distance of
four or five hundred miles, it gets fer
| mented and 1 have seen it blow the tops
off the cans. Cream like that isn't fit
to make axle grease of. We have
state dairy inspector now, and 1 worked
as hard as anybody for the law under
which he is appointed, but one man
can't cover the whole state. By putting
In the advanced rates on cream, we will
enable the small creameries to start up
in business, and they will take advan-
tage of the opportunity
1t was decided that the hearing of
the application of the railroad COM
panies to raise their rates on cream
transportation shall be set for an early
date, as soon as the railroad commits
sioners have taken their vacations.
The proposed increase in rates does
not apply to express rates on cream
but it is likely that the express COM
panies will ask permission to raise their
rates in case the board allows the rail-
road commissioners to do so.
There may be some sort of an African
concealed in the fuel. 1t certainly seems
strange that the railroad companies
should suddenly decide to hs~nper and
possibly crush the business of such in
stitutions as the Continental Creamery
and the Beatrice Creamery, which have
been built up through the advantageous
rates given by railroads for the trans
portaticn of cream. If the railroads have
really determined on such a POLICY, it in
dicates that there is some sort of fall
ing out between the railroads and these
big butter making concerns.
Not Creamery Trust.
"This talk about the Continental
creamery being in a trust is all nom
sense. There never was an enterprise
in which the competition was more
open and free. The fact is that the
small creameries in the state were un-
able to succeed because they couldn't
get enough cream. The only way to
save money in the operation of the
business was to concentrate the cream.
We esta blish ed hundreds of skimming
stations throughout the state to which
the farmers might bring their cream to
be SKINNED and shipped to Topeka.
Then the hand separator was invented
and our skimming stations became
worthless. 1t cost us 100000. We
have many buildings which cost 81, 200
to $1,000, which we are selling at 500
to $3.50. We have loaned to the farm
ers of Kansas over 100000 to en-
able them to establish themS elves in
the dairy business. and it has all been
paid back but a few thousand dollars
We have developed the cream pro-
ducing industry throughout all parts
of the state. and have bought cream at
highest market prices. Now the rail-
roads come in and declare that their
object is to destroy this work which
we have done and destroy the value of
our plants, by taking away the rates
which have enabled US to do business.
We insist that these rates for cream
shipments are on a fair and just basis
at the present time. and that 1t is en-
tirely unnecessary to raise the rates
from SO to 100 per cent, as is done in
this new schedule.
That E. H. Hartman and other big
railroad magnates living in New York,
and entirely out of sympathy with To-
cal conditions are responsible for the
proposed increase in the rate for trans
porting cream is the idea of the big
creamery men of the state.
The present low rates for cream ship
ments to the big creameries were put
in through the influence OF such men
as H u Nudge M. A. Low, J. z. Hur-
ley, and the freight traffic managers
familiar with Kansas conditions The
claim is now made>that Hartman and
his associates, through their control of
many roads and tremendous influence
with express companies and other rail-
roads, are demanding that more reve-
nue. be secured from the cream busi-
ness, utterly regardless of the effect on
business conditions.
1--WE will fight this effort to increase
cream rates to the highest courts" said
T. F. Doran, attorney for the Cont |
mental creamery this morning. If the |
30 fr7f
operation on September l. as they an
nounce they will do, we will take the |
matter into the courts or before the |
commerce commission to pre- |
vent such action"
1t looks though there has been a |
serious falling out between the rail-
-oads and the big creameries, which
gave heretofore been the best of friends.
The battle between these great inter
ssts promise to be a most severe one.
Mr.. Doran said this morning:
Have a Falling Out.
"The application for permission to
aise rates for transportation of cream
S an effort on the part of the railroads
o hold up the big creamery COM
,aniee. They think the creamery
are making too much
money, and are trying to make them
ontribute more to the railroads
1.-The result will not be to stimulate
he construction of small creameries," >"
MT. DOldil- IL Will SIMPLY /
ripple the business of the big cream
.ries, and discourage the production
# cream in Kansas. 1t has been dem
,nstrated that small creamerieS can
lot succeed generally throughout the
tate, and while there may be 80 points
where the local production of cream
s sufficient to sustain a creamery,
here are six or seven hundred points
which would be ruined as cream pro-
lucing points if they are unable to
hin cream TO TOneka.'
w. F. Jensen, the general manager of
he Continental, said this morning:
This additional cost of transportation
will have to be paid by the farmers of
Kansas and have figured it out that it