The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-11
Some Bankers Attribute COndi-
tiOns to the Election.
AGREE ON ONE POINT.
That Prospects We're Never
Better Nor Brighter.
Growth Of the City Has Been
Steady and Permanent.

| seven OlHerenp IOpeka bankers,
when asked today about local bust
ness and financial conditions replied
az follows:
]. r. Burrow. Central National
bank: Business has been unusually
good in Topeka all year and it is get
ting better every day."
| Frank Bonebrake, Merchants Ma
tional bank: 1.-The farmer is the main
the hard times like they have in the
! east. Business is good here and 1
look for the best of times this fall and
winter"
C: w. Snyder of the Topeka State
bank: Topeka business. is on a solid
basis and should continue good. The
election result is playing little part
here one way or the other"
P Metsker of the German
American: "Our deposits have in
creased at the rate of $4,000 per day
since election. 1 do not pretend to
give you a reason, but merely state
the fact
A w. Knowles of the Bank of To-
peka: "I am feeling cheerful over the
business outlook in Topeka. but do
not believe the election has affected
us much, one way or the other"
E. S. Gresser of the Citizens State:
and they have not been troubled with
hard times this year. Business in
North Topeka has been good ever
since the flood and will get better"
F. P. Elmore of the Shawnee State:
"Our business has increased to a ma
terial extent since the election. Our
employees have commented on the
fact"
Taft is elected and the country is
saved. This is what the Republicans
say. The Democrats declare it would
have made no difference one way or
the other. Perhaps not. This country
is pretty big and is rich in resources
Reports of resumption are coming in
from all quarters of the east. where
the recent panic bit deep. But Tope-
ka people are more interested in con-
ditions here. The bankers. as class,
are in closer touch with the size and
any one else, so it is to them one turns
for information. When they all talk
in one optimistic strain and with a
sincere earnestness that compelS be-
lief, declare that business here Is good
and getting better there is nothing
else to do but accept the good news
as fact and play your part, big or
little. in the building of a greater
city.
The building permits, the real es-
tate and business mems books and the
weekly bank clearings all show that
business has been good in Topeka all
year. Now that ante-election doubts
have been settled by reality and fall
is giving way to three months of stern
winter, any answers of questions that
affect the city's welfare are most ac-
ceptable.
Perhaps the most optimistic inter
view from the bankers was that given
by Mr.. Metsker of the German-Na-
tional. After speaking of the increase
he knew of several customers of the
bank who have only been waiting the
result of the election to make invest
ments in Topeka real estate. AS for
himself. he had only today backed his
belief in Topeka'S permanent pros
perity by investment in two local con-
Germs. Mr.. Metsker was not sentiment
tai about the election results playing
any important part in the salvation
of Kansas. The farmer takes the most
cards in that game. But he felt GER
tain that the coming winter will be
one of progress here and that the tone
of business was healthy and the
foundation under it was solid
In speaking of the effect of the cleo
tion on Topeka banks and Topeka busi-
ness Frank Bonebrake. of the Mer-
chants National, said that the re-
sumption of business is confined prin-
cipaily to the manufacturing cities Of
the east. Back there they depend al
most entirely on the pay rolls of the
factories for the measure of their pros
perity and a threatening change in the
tariff affected them closely. Here in
Kansas the farmer makes the wheels
go round and the farmer had been en-
loving prosperity all this year and was
still in the same frame of mind. Mr..
Bonebrake was cheerful himself as he
talked of conditionss here in Topeka
and felt that they were permanent
state of affairs.
Messrs Gresser and EImore, of the
North Topeka banks, dated their good
times talk from the resumption of busi-
ness there after the flood last spring.
The volume of business in that part of
Topeka lying north of the Kaw is as
good this fall as it ever was before the
river left it's banks. The corn crop is
a little short and the high price of this
staple has reduced the herds of feed
stock on hand but aside from this nat
ural condition business is healthy and
firm The building of the $50, 900 dykes
along the river and Soldier creek
this winter will help business condi-
tions on the North side enough to make
up for the shortage in the corn crop.
Mr. Burrow, of the Central National.
in basing his estimate of the mark of
our present prosperity, spoke of the
weekly bank clearing statements for
Topeka and made comparison with 9TH
er cities of the country. Last week To-
peka'S bank clearings reached the ST.
1853 600 mark, 35 per cent increase
over that for the same week last year.
A score of cities in every section of the
country show a decrease for the same
periods The Central National banker
was as optimistic over the present bus
mess outlook in Topeka as though he
had fallen heir to Kimberley diamond
mine The election results. he thought,
had made little difference in general
conditions, but had, of course, brought
about a more settled feeling
Vice President Knowles, of the Bank
of Topeka, talked in the most conserVa-
tive way about the election results and
business conditions in general but he
could not help showing that he is well
satisfied with the present state of af-