The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-18
New Fruit and Produce Broker
age Company Has Queer Look.
Secretary Anderson Explains
That tits All Right.
OUTLINES ITSPURPOSE
To Prevent the Market Becom
ing Glutted.
One Man Employed to Do All
the Buying.

No more Saturday night bargains
in fruit for the housewife?
Is the newly organized Topeka Fruit
and Produce Brokerage company a
trust of the commission men to rule
the prices more firmly In Topeka?
Is it trust to hike the prices?
These are leading questions by those
who have noted the formation of the
new brokerage company whose mem
bers comprise the leading firms in the
commission business in Topeka
most emphatic mo" comes from
the members of the brokerage COM
pany and w. o. Anderson. its secre-
tary. Its simply to keep out more of
the shrinkage if possible and make
Topeka better market. There is
more or less friction among the com
mission men as it is now and this new
company will keep that out" said Mr..
Anderson. "It will keep prices more
steady and the Topeka market will
profit. With a brokerage firm in To-
peka and knowing that Topeka is a
good market when any shipper is
heavily stocked he will get in direct
communication with Topeka hereafter
and the people here will get the bene-
fit of the reduced prices. Anyway our
business in Topeka only amounts to
about one tenth of what we do, about
135 to 140 cars out of 1850 or 14OO.
You would rather see the merchants
Of Topeka making money than losing
it wouldn't you? There are a thousand
and one ways in which a brokerage
concern here can save money to the
commission firm, in telegraph, in the
stuff that rotS. Every morning there
is an old colored man by the name of
Tom who comes down these alleys and
QptC q UQOnn1nod of stuff
commission houses, the wagon load is
rotten stuff that has to be thrown out
the back way. The grocer won't take
it and we either have to sell it to the
huckster who sells it again on the
streets or shove it out the back way
way and we will be saved lot of
money for there won't be SO much OF
this rotten stuff" -
Organized on May 4.
On May 1 the Topeka Fruit and
Produce Brokerage company was or
ganized by local commission firms
with the following officers:
Samuel E. Lux, president; Frank M.
Cope, vice president; w. o. Ander-
son, secretary; G. P. Whiteker, treas
urer; B. Willcuts and Cord c. Smith
Of the directorate.
Burrel Collins buyer for larger
Kansas City brokerage firm in the
gagged to act as buyer for the Topeka
company. Mr.. Collins is an expert
and commands a good sized salary.
receiving about $4,000 year.
A man who is close in touch with
the commission business states that
the new organization simply dement's
more firmly the understanding which
exists among the local commission
men as to the local market.
Though there has been with but
few exceptions no cutting of prices
or a war among the commission men
| for local business. there have been
times when one commission man
would sell more cheaply than the
others if he happened to be more
heavily stocked. On Saturday too, ar
opportunity always existed of picking
| up bargains in fruits, for the markets
are often heavily stocked with fruit
which won't carry over until Monday
| This it is stated will be changed. The
| buyer will act as the purchasing agent
| for all of the commission men com
posing the company, buying only
enough to barely take care of the
market from day to day. This buyer.
| duties will be among others, to secure
] an estimate Of about the amount neces