The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-10
Couldn't Deal With Commission
Men and Is Arrested.
GROCERS ARE EXCITED
Claim That There Is a Com
mission Trust.
Cite Case of Mr.. Murpheg as an
Example.

and the commission men eliminated
last night in the arrest of J. 4. Muir
phee, melon grower from Rush
| Springs. Oklahoma, on the technical
| charge of peddling without a license
Sunday night Murphee stopped off in
Topeka with a carload of melons. He
had originally billed the car cough
to Omaha, but was forced to stop off in
| Topeka and not make the trip to
| Omaha, on account of business matters
which demanded his attention at his
| home The carload was set out in the
Rock Island tracks. All day Monday,
| he says, he tried to dispose of the car
load lot at a reasonable figure to the
local commission men. He went to on
man. who offered him SIS for the car
load lot. This was just about enough
to pay the freight and his expenses,
and left nothing for profits. This Geal-
er didn't want to make the purchase
and suggested to Mr. Murphee that ne
try to dispose of his carload at some
of the other houses. Another produce
dealer was sought, and no offer could
be secured from him. Finally after
two or three unsuccessful attempts he
returned to the first dealer, who he
says then told him he wouldn't take
them. Finally he found one man. VINO
poses as the fairest commission man in
Topeka who offered him $85 gross Tor
the carload lot, which meant that Mr..
Murphee would be expected to pay the
freight himself
This was the best offer Mr.. Murpnee
could secure after spending half day
among the local commission men. The
carload of melons weighed 26,60O
pounds, which would have given this
commission man the entire lot at
price less than 80 cents per hundred
pounds. At the same time the local
grocers are paying the commission men
81 per hundred pounds for water
melons This would have given this
and more on every hundred pounds or
watermelons distributed among the 10
cal dealers. In hundred pound lots, this
certain commission man would nave re-
ceived profits which would aggregate |
266 times 20 cents or total of $lS620,
without doing anything other than
delivering to the local dealers.
But as to Mr.. MurDhee. He was
offered but $500 for the entire lot |
and was expected to pay the freight |
The freight amounted to sou; IL, |
which would leave Mr.. Murphee put
S24S1. with which to pay his ex-
penses along the way. He would be |
fuckv to have realized thirty cents out |
OF the deal had he accepted II Mr. |
Nfurpf.ee1 raised the melons himself on /
his own farm. He hauled them TO |
the car in which they were shipped |
ne loaded them himself. and yet ne |
claims the local commission man VINO |
had done nothing more than SIT IN !
his Office all day. tried 10 get q COZ Hei
on the entire profit.
Mr.. Murphee- however did not &C
cent the offer of the commission mer,
chant Instead he called upon several
of the local grocers ana dealers anu
disposed of goodly quantity OIL ms
n9eiCns at the rate of about 50 cents
-ner hundred pounds. At this rate ne
sold about half the car load 10 To-
peka Merchants
local commission men when they /
found it out. SO about o'clock
Monday afternoon, one OF the local
commission men. Wise firm had re
fused to make an offer. and who was
unknown to Mr.. Murphee. stopped
him while driving up Jackson with
load of melons. This commission 1
man. who is we'll known as one who I
claiming that the local commission
dealers do not work together. and do
not make great profits, went to Mr..
Murnree with the purpose of buying
price, and offered to give the com
mission merchant one. But Sthe
would be purchaser refused to take
one and insisted that he buy it. When
asked the price, Mr.. MurDhee replied
"Oh. twenty cents ought to be a fair
enough price"
The money was paid, but the com
mission merchant Immediately sum
moned a police officer and demanded
the arrest of Mr.. Murphee. No
charge was made and Mr.. Murphee
was taken to the police station. He
was arrested on the promise of the
commission dealer to follow the Of
6cer to the police station and swear
to a complaint. Mr.. Murphee was
held behind the iron bars for an hour
and half He was finally given the
privilege of using telephone and
one of the Topeka merchants secured
his release by going on his bond.
Later in the day William Anderson,
a local commission merchant. secured
ar attachment on the melons belong
ing to Mr.. Murphee claiming that Mr..
Murphee had violated his agreement
to deliver the melons to him. When
asked concerning the claims of Mr..
Anderson, Mr.. MurDhee said: THE
Anderson-Armstrong company re-
fused to make me any offer what
ever
At the same time while Mr..
Murphee was being accompanied to
the station by the police officer. the
same comm ission man he SAYS sue
ceeded in bluffing the driver of the
wagon which was hauling the mel
ons threatening to arrest him II he |
made the delivery. This made IL
difficult for the local dealer to receive
his whole consignment of melons.
Mr. Murphee said:
How different is this from the way
T was treated in Wichita. Last week
while passing through that city 1 had
, carload of melons. not nearly as
arge a car as in Topeka. 1 talked to
1re wholesale fruit dealer over lne tell
.phone and was offered Sl2O for thel
carload which left me nice prof. #
-er paying the freight, which wasn't
1eariy as much as the freight on the
Topeka carload. And yet some people
wonder why Wichita Is so far ahead
IF Topeka in a business way when her
II erchants treat producers with courte-
", offer them good prices, and do not
make arrests on fake charges, when the
.roducer tries to make the best profit
1ossible on the fruit of his labors."
One grocer said today: