The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-25
Several Concerns Unite To Run
Independent Agency.
Thru This They Cut Prices on
Chinese Laundryman.
HE DID WORK FOR LESS
Agency Admits There Is No
"Independent Laundry"
County Attorney Carver VIII
Start an Investigation.

Hong Lee, Chinese laundryman,
who opened up a place on West Fifth
street a short time ago. doesn't know
anything about trusts, nor combines
nor secret agreements. But he inno-
Gently furnishes the basis for an in
vestigation into the business of To-
peka's laundries by Robert Carver.
county attorney. under the antitrust
laws of the state.
Mr. Carver stated today that he
would call Topeka's laundry men IN
for an interrogatory provided for by
the antitrust statutes.
There's an interesting story behind
all this in which Hong Lee is the
moving spirit. He doesn't know it.
He doesn't dream that he is bucking
the combined laundries of Topeka. He
doesn't even have the satisfaction of
knowing that he is doing it and get
ting away with it. All he knows is
that he has all the work he can do.
White Iaundrics Raise Prices.
About year ago the associated
laundries of Topeka discovered that
every item that goes into the making
of a clean collar or shirt had scared
skyhigh in price. At that time all
the laundries were charging 1p cents
for a plain shirt. 10 cents for dress
shirt. Is cents for a shirt with cuffs
attached, and cents for collars All.
of them had a lot of laundry lists on
hand and in order to avoid throwing
them away simply agreed to add ten
per cent to each laundry bill. For
instance if a laundry bill amounted
to $1.00, ten cents was added 20 the
face of it without carrying it thru the
different items
Since then that has been the ar
rangement. Even at that price laun-
drymen maintained they were having
a hard road to hoe; that prices for
their labor and supplies had increased
all the way from 20 to 100 per cent.
Then Came Hong Leo
Then came Hong Lee. He didn't
announced his coming with brass
band He simply opened up a little
place at about III West Fifth street,
hung out his sign and waited for bust
ness. He told his first customer that
his price would be 10 cents for shirts
and ~ cents for collars. He made
all kinds of shirts the same price. The
first customer passed the word along
and before many days Hong Lee was
doing a big business with people who
objected to paying the prices charged
by the other laundries.
Then something else happened. A
new sign made its appearance on West
Fifth street, right close to Hong Lee S
place. 1t announced to everyone who
passed that the place inside, Mrs.
Seymour's restaurant, was agency for
the Independent Laundry then gave
scale of prices that made Hong Lees
look sick. Here they are:
Plain shirts ................. sc
Shirts with cuffs. .....9c
collars &c
Plain shirts were cents under
Hong Lees prices and cents under
regular laundry prices. Shirts with
cuffs attached were 2 cert under
Hong Lees and 4 cents under other
laundry prices. CoIars. were half a
cent under Hong Lees price and a
cent under regular Laundry prices.
There is no independent laundry
in Topeka and the work accepted by
the agency is done in Topeka. In
quiry was made at the agency today
and that was the Information given.
rs this the agency for the indie
pendent Laundry" was asked of the
woman who answered the telephone
at Mrs. Seymour's restaurant.
YES"
where is the Independent Laun-
dry?"
''Well, there is no Independent
laundry in Topeka" was the reply
yes, the work is done in Topeka
1t is done by the Topeka laundries by
agreement"
Then the work is not done by one
particular laundry" was asked
"Oh, no." was the reply, lit is dis
tributed around among the laundries -
Thru the Independent Agency" if
the information is correct. the laun-
dries of Topeka are underselling them
selves and the only Independent
Agency sign discovered in Topeka
rests on the sidewalk a few feet from
the doorway of Hong Lees place.