The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-15
NOTHING YET DONE
Topeka Will Lose Industry il
Action Isn't Taken.
Secretary Poole Says CONNER.
ciaI Club Can Do Nothing.
FROM Nj X. DICKIE.
Chairman of Commercial CLUB
Committee Talks.
Tells of the Conference With
Mr.. Ross.

Another 20 hours has passed and the
Commercial club has taken no further
action relative to retaining the Auto
Fedan Hay Press company as To-
peka manufacturing institution. The
tenth of the present month c. K. Holli-
day met E. P. Ross, the president OF
the Auto-Fedan company in Kansas
City where he had gone to arrange for
the removal of his plant. He immedi-
ately telegraphed this information to
President Jensen of the Commercial
club and a few days later the latter
replied that he had heard such a ru-
NOR several days before and would
take immediate action by appointing
a special committee to confer with
Mr.. Ross.
Mr.. Jensen further stated that he
understood that the matter of freight
rates entered largely into the consid
Grafton which had prompted Mr.. Ross
to contemplate the move. Thereupon
he appointed a committee consisting of
W. c. Dickie, chairman of the manu-
Iactur1ng committee, Secretary A. B.
Poole, c. w. Hull and J. r. Koontz
to confer with Mr.. Ross.
The committee met Mr.. Ross Sunday
afternoon, although Mr.. Koontz was
not present, and talked Of the contem
plated move and adjourned without
taking action of any kind. Mr.. Poole
said: Mr.. Ross has made up his mind
to leave Topeka the freight rate pro-
position being but one of his reasons
Tor moving his plant to Kansas City.
There is nothing more that 1 know
or that we can do said Mr.. Poole. 1T
Is evident that Mr.. Ross wants to get
into Kansas City which is headquar-
tiers for the manufacturers of hay bal
ing machinery and if he wishes to
leave Topeka l do not see how we can
help ourselves. OF course we hate to
lose an institution OF this kind, but
What are we to dor
Would it not be wise to call a spec
lal meeting of the members of the Com
mercial club?' suggested the State
journal representative.
Il can not see what good would
come out of meeting of that kind"
SAID Mr. Poole, for one committee has
already gone over the matter with
Mr.. Ross and he seems determined to
leave Topeka. Mr.. Jensen is in CAL
1fornia and as far as / know a special
meeting has not been arranged for"
The fact remains that although a
week or more has elapsed since it
has been known that the manage
ment of the Auto-Fedan Hay Press
company contemplates moving their
factory to Kansas City, that not a
thing has been done to prevent it,
with the exception of calling together
committee of four members. one
of whom was absent When Mr.
Ross commenced the manufacture of
his hay press in small way in EN-
poria he was handicapped by the lack
of finances and J. r. Mulvane of To-
peka came to his assistance and was
largely instrumental in securing the
factory for Topeka
Perhaps if a meeting of the mem
bers of the Commercial club should
be held there might be a suggestion
by some other members of the club
other than the committee of three to
which it was referred, who might
suggest plans whereby Mr. Ross
could be persuaded to remain in To-
peka." said a member of the Com
mercial club today. AT any rate it
looks to me as though some action
should be taken by the club 1t is
hard work to locate a factory of any
kind and 1 do not think that we
should sit quietly by and lose one
that we now have, when it is pos
sible that we could keep it if we
would exert ourselves a little One
industry retained is better than sew
eral ones asked for.
"If Mr.. Mulvane's attention were
called to the fact that Topeka is
about to lose one of the institutions
which he was instrumental in Iocat-
ing in the city, perhaps he could do
something to convince the proprietors
of the advantage of remaining in To-