The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-27
How the Yankees Grow Rich
Swindiing in Cotton.

We doubt if cotton planters generally
realiZe the nngs and .peculatious between
them and the CONSUMER First, tie band
iron bale tie rings, represented by stock
companies, with millions OF capital on
which they pay enormous dividends.
hey sell the planter heavy, expensive
patent hoop iron bands which quarter
OF the cost would securely bind the cot
ton with neat steel wire bands. Then
the cotton factor, or second ring, requires
that the planter put up his cotton Ia loose,
angalnly bales. III order, as they say, to
sample 1t, but really To permit them to
steal immense quantities OF cotton from
the bales, SO that some OF them sell from
50, 90 to SO, 900 worth Of samples annu-
ally
Then the bales 20 to the rewress OF
compress ring, which is usually bombl
nation of factors, or other middle men,
and here the cotton clop pays annually
about 50, 900 600 more. Then the cotton
passes on, may be, through the hands ol
The distributing merchant In Baltimore
New Y York, Boston, Liverpool, by which
time the bales are badly soiled by dirt,
mud, and rain, by reasons OF their un
calmly size, careless handling and storage,
and they are now not untrequently treat
Ell to bath by rolling them through the
penetrating slush and mud that usually
covers the Wharves of these large cities
From the wharf the bales are carteG t
some dirty back storage street, where
tney are again dumped into the stree
slush and rolled through it into the store
house, by which time they are ready TO
| the Inspector, W ho now takes each bal,
| IN hand, cuts the coverings so that h
can and does pick the soiied cotton from
the entire outside of the bale until it i
as white and clean as lint from the gin
and generally picks deep enough SO tha
The trimmings look nearly as white as th
paie These pickings are the inspector
spoils.
| The bale is now resampied, whicl
means another steal of cotton, then re
weighed, the weight of the covering ant
bands deducted, and the pet weight o
the cotton marked on It, and the con
sumner buys at this weight.
Now, all these middle men, KNOWN!
the shrinkages and stealings in whic
they share, pay enough less for cotton t
cover and leave them profit and ge
rich, and unqestionably the planter ha
to pay for the untold millions pockete'
hy the cotton band ring, the compres
ring. and all the factors and middle men
between the cotton planter and consume e
by selling ut sufficiently reduced pric
to cover all Political carpet bagger
NAV have robbed Southern States an
sadd led them with unjust debt, the in
terest on winch it is hard to pay; bu
| that is but n circumstance compared I
the loss these cotton teaches are lnfiict
! ing.
The Hou Edward Atkinson, Of Bos
| ton, Mass, who has carefully studied tn
subject. as it is well known in the cotto
! States, confidently declared :hat ther
is loss of 10 per cent IN waste OF cotton
DetWeen the planter and the consumer
in the manner of handling the cOtto
crop. Rating the entire cotton crop q
only 6 900, coo bales, there is a loss at |
PER cent of $50. 100000.
The loss Is not only the profits an
stealings of these rings, but the unnec
essarv cost of stock in bands, loss IN la
Dor in COMPRISING, and loss in solid Cot
ton, all of which, together with all pro
| fits and stealings, might be saved L
planters If they put the Gotten up dlree
from the gin into small, compact, econ
omical wire bound bales OF suIta Il
| 10 be handled and stored withou. eoli
ing, and to load car to its capacity am
shipped direct to the consumer, or to rt
! liable commission merchant at some dis
tributing point North, who would sell
direct to the consumer in the conditio
| in which it arrived