Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-11-02
The Cotton GFOwers' Interest.
Correspondenee Of the HeFald.l

itorial, upon the object Of the meeting
of the cotton growers, held 10 Vidalia !
on the Sd inst, and now ask that you
give place in the columns Of your In
dependent, public-spirited journal to
tho accompanying article which the
New Orleans Democrat has failed to
publish:
To the cotton growers Of the Mississippi
Valley:
The day has arrived for q united eff
fort on the part Of the cotton growers,
looking to the early organization OF
permanent cotton growers protective
association, as opposed to the steady
encroachments Of the many classes de.
pendent upon marketing and handling
of the cotton staple, and particularly
with view of gaining representation
in the local, National and International
Cotton Exchanges, that we may have a
voice In all legislation Of those bodies,
in so far as they affect the grow ers' in
terests.
First upon the list of evils under
which the grower labors, we would
cite the over-estimate of the probable
crop OF this District of the Mississippi
Valley by the New Orleans Exchange,
which from one cause or another Is be.
coming yearly occurrence. The evil
is doubtless due chiefly to two causes,
the too early attempts at estimating
the yield Of a crop subject to 90 many
vicissitudes as the cotton plant, and the
injudlcious selection ofcountry CORES.
pondentS, The parishes should make
selection Of and appoint their respec.
tive correspondents, as they are the
best judges of their most intelligent
and most largely interested citizens.
We do positively affirm that the yield
of our parish for 1878, instead of being
LOG, will not exceed two.thirds of an
average crop of one bale to every acre
In cotton, thus making the Exchange
estimate over 37H per cent. excessive.
All we now ask Of the Exchange is
that II acknowledge forthwith its error,
and give the grower the benefit which
will or may result from q proper and
just estimate Of the yield Of the crop.
Next we would call attention to the at.
tempted enactment of the rule at the
International Convention, held In Liv-
erpool, 10 force the deduction Of 25
pounds per bale for baggiDg and ties,
which, failing there, ii is but natural TO
suppose that the came spirit induced
the National Cotton Exchange, In ses-
sion at White Sulphur Springs last
Summer, 10 enact the illegal and unjust
rule requiring the abolishing Of side
pieces, or, in default thereof, deduc.
lion OF three pounds per bale in
favor OF buyer. Said rule has re.
Gently been revoked. The Exchanges
plainly demonstrated by this rule, first,
their ignorance Of the United States
statutes governing the carrying OF our
staple, and then in making the assertion
that there would be no damage to the
cotton nor loss TO the producer in its
transit 10 the markets, either an ignor.
ance Of what the cotton has 10 90
through In the handling upon river
banks and steamboats,, or direct en-
aclment in favor of buyers, press.o wn-
ers and pickerieS as against the fair re-
turn 10 the grower of the value Of his
crop.
And when the New Orlesns Ex-
change states, in its circular OF lst Sep
tember, that ''it is the purpose of this
Exchange, through the Louisiana del
egates in Congress, II possible, 10 ac-
complish the modification Of the law
requiring the complete covering Of the
cotton" II shows, first, an entire disre.
gard Of the purpose for which this law
was enacted, namely, the necessary
guard sgainst the destruction Of human
life and valuable property and second
ly, il is one OF many steps 10 remove oil
legal barriers which may protect the
grower from further spoliating rules
which may be in contemplation.
Notably among other manifestly un'
just charges imposed in the marketing
Of the cotton, which have been loo long
sanctioned by the Exchange, tacitly al
lowed by custom, and silently endured
by the wronged grower, are brokerage
excessive insurance aud press charges
and too heavy sampling. We regart
the charge OF q OF / per cent broker
age 10 the grower as grossl : unjust, II
that the grower should have 10 pay thu
party who Is working IN behalf of thu
buyer, and was instrumental in having
his cotton sold at the lowest marke
figures. In view OF the steady decline
in the price of cotton, aud the reduc
ton OF wages of all kinds, though no
yet in keeping with the general shrink
age OF values, we deem that all othe
/ charges should DO regulated according
, ly. These over.charges which hav,
been regarded as the iair perquisites o
! factors and press owners, amount in thr
! aggregate 10 over 70 cents per bale, o.
i. say $75 on every 100 bales. A clrcula
has been issued TO the cotton grower
= Of the Valley urging some concert o
L action either by correspondence or tn
0 assembling Of Convention, and it /
g TO be hoped that our people are sufli
8 ciently alive to their interests to induc
them 10 take early action in the matter
ONE OF THE sUFF! RERs.