The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-23
KANSAS COAAENT
POWER OF THE RETAILER.

POWER OF THE RETAILER.
| The state of Kansas has demonstra-
ted that it is not a success In the
retail business. It may be able to do
Wei IN the line of manufactures, but
When it comes to selling it's product,
| 1t is failure
After trying for eight years to sell
binding Irvine direct t. the farmers,
ana thus save the aforesaid farmer all
intermediate profits. the state has come
TO the conclusion that the farmers pre-
fer to pay more for their Irvine, and
buy it from the retail dealer. in the
future, It is likely that the state will
put out Its solicitors. take orders from
merchants, allow them a reasonable
Trof1t, and handle Irvine in the same
way that the harvester trust handles it.
The idea of selling Irvine at cost to the
farmers has resulted in the harvester
trust selling eight times as much Irvine
II Kansas as the state plant sells and
in leaving the state plant with a mil
Lon and half pounds of Irvine. on
hand at the end of one of the best
wheat years the state ever had.
The trouble is not with the Irvine,
or with the theory of a state Irvine
plant. Both of these are all right. But
tail dealers of Kansas. and couldn't
make much headway.
Tie state has never allowed the re-
tailers q profit on Irvine. and hence the
retailers have not gone out of their
way to encourage farmers to send to
Lansing and buy their Irvine. In fact
II is claimed that good deal of
rromiScuouS haInmering has been done
on the prison made Irvine. in spite of
the fact that this Irvine seems to meet
all the tests of good Irvine.
Next season it is promised that the
state will offer it's Irvine for sale through
the regular channels of trade. State
Irvine will be on hand in the retail
stores in every town in Kansas, and it
will be sold at cost as before, but
Plus a reasonable profit for the retail
er.
And the farmer will pay this rea-
sonable profit gladly. because 1t re-
lteves him of the responsibility of or
dering Irvine IN advance. of paying for
1t in cash, and of taking the risk of hav-
ing a surplus left over. or not having
enough to run him through harvest.
1t might be that If the state was a
mail order concern or a "cat" house,
it could sell It's Irvine direct to the
farmer from the factory at Lansing, but
the state doesn't seem to excel in that
sort Of business.
This fact. however, is to be remem-
bered. Kansas has been offering cheap
Irvine to the farmers and this enabled
the farmers of Kansas to buy Irvine
from the harvester trust several cents
a pound cheaper than Irvine is sold
in neighboring states where there is no
competition. The state of Kansas has
been saved many times the cost of the
Irvine plant IN this involuntary cut
made by the Irvine trust.-Salina Jour-
nal. tsss
THE WATER POWER SITES.
It is evident that something must
be done to prevent clique of certain
men in New York getting hold of the
water power rights in the west. Presi-
dent Roosevelt pointed out that this
clique was getting hold Of the water
power sites and he took the proper
steps to prevent it. Since his watch
full eye is no longer upon them 1t
seems the clique has gone on with |
their work of getting control of these |
sites. Governor Pardee of California |
awakened the National Irrigation
Congress by his speech in which he
called attention to this and to the |
lack of performance of duty by Mr.. |
who appears to be very friendly with |
this eastern clique. Governor Pardee |
pointed out that Secretary Garfield, |
under the instructions of Roosevelt, |
had withdrawn from public entry
many tracts of land under the belief |
that the land should be held for the |
people, and said that Secretary Bal |
inger had again put these tracts for |
entry, and that each tract had in its |
boundaries a water power site.
Governor Pardee is right and the |
cation is not proposition for a poor |
man is a mighty poor plea and shows
that he is hunting cover for his acts.
1t is evident that II the people of |
the northwestern states do not intend |
losing all that Roosevelt gained for |
them they will have to get busy
Wichita Eagle.