The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-11
MILLS TO MERGE
Kansas Men Form FlGnr Trust
Representing Millions.
Declare Move Is Made to Pre-
tect Kansas Reputation.
TO DECREASE COST
MiIlers Promise to Let COnsum-
ers in on Benefits.
Move Made to Combat Northern
Mill Interests.

Kansas City, No, Nov 11.-Prellml-
nary plans for the formation of a So
1000, 600 corporation to merge 10 Of the
largest Touring mills in Kansas We're
laid here when six men representing
seven of the mills met and decided
thai if the milling men OF Kansas want
ito make money they had better merge.
Property representing investments OF
$3.5OO,OO0 was represented at the
meeting Final plans for the merger
will be completed before January
1912
The miIlers of Kansas have tough
row of stumps" to go over now, ac-
cording to George Z. Hunter. president
of the Hunter Milling company OF w ell
lington, who is the prime mover IN the
merger The combined Canadian mills
and merged mills in the Northwest are
making the Kansas miller speed for
the flour business in the territory
east of Kansas City. The larger plants
according to Mr.. Hunter, have great
advantage, because they can make ana
sell the same grade of flour to the
trade while the Kansas millers are
knitting each other. without desiring to
do So by selling different grades
Merger to save Reputation.
A Wellington mill, he says. may sell
high grade of patent flour to a Chi
cago baker. When the baker next or
ders he wants Kansas flour, but an
o.her Kansas mill sells to him and the
grade is different. As a result, the
baker is disappointed in Kansas flour
The only thing for the Kansas miller
to do. say the millers, is to merge. so
that all mills will make the same grade
of hour- In no other way can the
reputation Of Kansas flour be sus-
tanned.
The mills also have another desire
in the merger, according to Mr.. Hun
ter. It is to reduce the cost of -four
to the consumer. To run mill "a
hours to capacity, means that a bar
rel of -four can be ground, sifted and
hacked for Is cents. Running on an
11-hour-a-day basis, the same opera
ton costs IS cents a barrel. When
times are dull. mills run on a short
hour basis. This is what the merger
hopes to abolish. Rather than oper-
ate on any but full 24-hour basis. the
merged mills will close some of their
other plants to capacity. A large
slice of the saving of 90 cents a lar
rel Will go TO the customer through
reduced cost of flour.
It VIII Be Reasonable Trust.
Strict compliance to the antitrust
law as laid down in recent decisions
of the United States supreme court,
Will mark the merger. There is no
desire to control prices. say the organ
tzers. The millers who attended to-
DAYS conference were:
L. F. Moses, president Moses Broth
ers' Milling company of Great Bend
capacity 1000 barrels per "a hours;
E. V. Hoffman. the Hoffman Milling
company, Enterprise, capacity 200
barrels; a. J. Hunt. the New Era Mill
ing company. Arkansas City. cana city
i. 900 barrels: J. B. Hupp, the Pratt
Mill & Elevator company, Pratt. ca
pacity 500 barrels. J. NJ. Holdredge
the kingman Milling company King
pany. Anthony. joint capacity 1900
barrels: George H Hunter. the Hunter
Milling company Wellington, capacity
500 barrels
F. D. Stevens of Wichita. secretary
of the Southern Kansas NIillers' asso-
citation also attended the neatine