The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-28
REPLIES TO Mr.. COPE.
Secretary OF Grocers' Association Says
Dealers Don't Make so Per Cent.
Topeka, Kan, Feb. 2s

Topeka, Kan, Feb. %.
| Editor of the State Journal:
In justice to the retail grocery trade
of our city, will you permit me to
make reply through the columns of
your paper to Mr.. Frank Cope's letter
| of February rs, which is as follows:
I'VE have just clipped from the cur
| rent issue of your paper the attached
/ advertisement. To this we are giving
| you a copy of our offer to the grocery
| today-the same price which we made
| them last week on Northern Burbank
potatoes. We are offering to sell to
| them at so cents per busheI
| ''It seems to us that SO per cent on
as staple product as potatoes is I'M
reasonable and this kind of profits on
the part of the grocers are the occa-
sion of such high prices. Men in our
| business have been censured time and
| time again through the columns of
your paper for unreasonable profits.
Why do you permit this kind of adver-
Using in your daily?
I'VE think it is time to call halt
on SO per cent profit in retail way"
The above statement that the gro
cerymen are making SO per cent profit
on potatoes aud are responsible for the
high prices now prevailing is greatly
exaggerated and misleading in the ex-
IRENE. In no single instances have I
found where the grocers of Topeka
have made so per cent profit on pota-
toes nor one-half that amount. The
wholesale market price of potatoes for
the leading commission house is SO
and IS cents per bushel for the best
northern stock. Mr.. Cope's printed
quotations as sent out to the trade in
general for last week was so cents per
bushel, per cent discount for cash.
The so cent quotation that Mr.. Cope
makes mention of was for stock on
board of cars, the purchaser to pay
drayage and stand loss of shrinkage If
any. / find that these quotations were
specials and sent to a few merchants,
principally to those who were not
among his regular customers. I have
chants, and thus far have found but
one merchant who gave him a trial
order. Upon investigation by the pur-
chaser of this order the potatoes were
found to be so badly frosted that he
was obliged to discontinue the further
purchase of eame. Mr.. Harry Whit
lesey of the firm of Whittlesey Mer-
camille company will bear witness to
this fact. I find by consulting with the
different merchants throughout the
city that the price quoted by Mr..
Cope's salesman during the past week
for best stock from his wagon was 65
cents per bushel.
If the grocerymen sold them at rs
cents per bushel the margin of profit
would be less than / 5 per cent instead
of so per cent as is claimed by Mr..
Cope.
To my knowledge there is no bust
ness a person can engage in with so
little remuneration for his services as
that of a retail groceryman. At the
present day the grocerymen's expenses
are 5 per cent. and when it is a fact
that his gross profits will not exceed
on an average of more than II to 20
per cent, it is easily seen why so many
grocerymen fail or want to get out of
business.
am quite sure that if Mr.. Cope
really thought there were such large
profits in the retail grocery business
as he would nave the public believe
there would be a commission business
advertised for sale Immediately.
E. MONTGOMERY,
Secretary Retail Grocers' Association,
Topeka Kansas