The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-17

Ills COuukIyS appears u Clumsy VSIxOII
In his marvellous faculty Of putting tn,
Wilding, Brookes' partner in the doubl
but he lacks the latter's intuitive unde1
they we're quoted at ~ cents a pound.
They are now selling q trif1e under 6
cents, or an advance of almost rs per
cent.
A. F. Terrence, Topeka manager for
the Ridenour-Baker company whose
headquarters are in Kansas City. testi-
fed to the last mentioned increase. He
was called -lortly before noon and was
excused for the object of bringing in his
office records giving detailed prices
which might be compared with those
offered by Mr.. Witt
Threats Criminal Suit.
With the threat that criminal COM
plant before the United States COM
missioner would be employed il neces-
sary to obtain full information about
recent transactions In sugar and otner
commodities whose prices have greatly
advanced since August 1, Fred Robert
son, United States district attorney, to-
day admonished Monte kistler, a rep
resentative of the wholesale firm OF
McCord-Kistler, to either proouce
price lists and other business records
or to file his formal refusal to do SO.
Mr.. Kistler exrostulated that he could
do neither without authority from his
father v. b. kistler, who Is now In
New York. or from some other MEM
Der Of the firm. --.
Mr.. Kistler withdrew after a grill
ling session before the United States
attorney with the agreement to reap
PEAR with some more or less definite
information about the amount OF sugar
owned either in stock or for delivery
by his firm since August 1.
Advise With Attorney.
I>{~~ -
suit an attorney competent to dlrect
his conduct in the present hearing.
II have proceeded on the belief that
the business men Of Topeka were suf-
ficiently broadminded to assist the
government in arriving at an under
standing of the unusual business con-
ditions existing here now. The pubic
has a right to know. And if it be-
comes necessary, it is well enough to
be understood, this office has power
session of every record in your office
which has any bearing on the subject
in hand. If we can not obtain our in
formation by other means I shall file
a complaint before the United States
commissioner and proceed with this
investigation with all the authority
that can in that manner be invoked.
Not Southwestern League.
That it was not the Southwestern
Millers' league, but a group of cereal
manufacturers whose association mas
since dissolved, to which w. A. Forbes
referred when he stated at Saturdays
hearing that his firm had declined to
enter because his firm did not like
I, the looks of It," was brought out today
in the examination of Theodore M.
Forbes, the other member of the firm
of Forbes Brothers of Topeka.
Theodore M. Forbes took the stand
this morning and under oath set
straight the statement which his broth
! er had made Saturday and absOlved
the Southwestern Millers league from
any part in the organization proposed
for the control Of cereal product
prices in southern states. He said In
substance today:
| at was myself and not my brother
who attended the meeting referred to
in Kansas City. 1t took place three or
four years ago and included cereal
grinders in this part of the country
but was not called by the Southwes-
tern league. We are not members of
that organization and are not even
eligible, as we do not grind flour.
1.-The main purpose of the meeting
was to obtain a uniformity of pack
ages for cereals, a matter OF which
there has always been q great need.
At the same time the subject of es-
| tablishing basic points for regulating
the prices OF our products in the south
was taken up and it was because we
did not consider that a proper eu0tec3
for consideration we withdrew. We
received some communications from
the organization after that meeting
but they ceased coming before long
and understand the association never
became established. The conditions Il
was intended to correct are still un-
changed. do not know that the asso-
citation ever progressed to the point OF
having a name"
II Mistake i'm the Name.
That part of the Saturday testimon,
in which the confusion regarding the
Southwest Millers' league activity orig
mated was brought out when Mr.. Rob
ertson questioned w. A. Forbes abou
the business Of that organization.
follows:
III @. Do you know anything abou
the Southwest Millers' League?
III A. That Is a Wichita organization
don't know anything about it.
know Of them.
O. You don't belong to them?
A. No.
Q. Any association Of any kind tina
has to do with the prices Of production
A. No. We went to Kansas City t
join the organization, but we didn't
They wanted to arbitrarily settle thing
that we didn't want to enter into. Tha
was In regard to the southern tyad'