The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-10-16
How TO HANDLE COTTON SEED.
Times s.Democrat.l

llnlcS'DtlnOCIdt.
A correspondent, who is very
much afraid that the American Oil
Trust is going to try the same
game in the South that the Stand.
ard Oil Company has played so
successfully in the North-to first
drive away or buy out all compe.
tition, aud then to force down tho
price of seed to q minimum, thus
crowding the planters out of all
profts-suggests mode of esca.
ping from the monopoly and dom
ination OF this company should it
prove injurious.
The object OF the Trust Compa-
ny is, he thinks, to first obtain ab.
solute control OF the mills at a
minimum cost, and then to reduce
the price of seed to the lowest
possible figure.
The latter is, of course, the
great object in view and is the
point whereon they are likely to
encounter the vigorous opposition
Of a quarter Of a million planters.
In vicksburg, Little Rock, aud at
other points where the planters
think the company is not treating
them well, and is offering too little
for seed, the proposition has been
made that they should unite in
opposition and refuse to sell
to the OH Trust Company for
year or more to come. The idea
seems a good one Oh first blush,
but the moment 1t is examined,
defects can be perceived that will
assure its failure in the end. 1t
will be well.nigh impossible to get
all the planters into any arrange
ment of this kind. 1t may be that
those of Mississippi and Louisiana
and Arkansas will agree to 1t, and
refuse to sell to the mills; but in
ten cotton States there will always
be q number of weak. .kneed breth-
rem who will give In. The Trust
Company can then close their
mills in those States where o COM
bination exists against them and
keep them open where they can
get the seed. They can keep the
mills closed at little if any expense
to themselves-indeed, 1t will often
prove profitable to them, as they
have more mills than they can run
proftably-untll the planters be-
come tired of the war and surren.
der. As for outside aid or com
petition, no prudent man would
put money into oil mills as long as
this syndicate has control Of tho
majority of them.
All these facts are beyond dis.
pute. Our correspondent sug.
gests as a remedy, the plan pro-
posed by Mr. Edward Atkinson
some time ago-the construction
OF central ginneries and presses
where cotton can be sent in seed,
the fibre separated and baled, the
seed converted into oil at the same
time. fit pays to carry seed to
the mills, it will pay, he thinks,
certainly on the river, TO carry
the seed cotton.
This would have the effect of
reducing the cost of transporting,
while the cotton could be much
better handled in a central ginnery
than it is to-day in the small coun-
try establishments; and the pro-
duct turned out would rank high.
er, because cleaner and whiter.
Mr.. Atkinson suggested this
plan some years ago, and declared
that, If tried, the South would
soon recognize its great advanta-
ges over the present system, as
the Gotten would rank of higher
grade and be generally superior,
while the cost of ginning would be
less. He never thought Of 1t as a
remedy for threatened monopo.
listic control of the cotton seed,
yet it would prove q good remedy
for any oppression on the part OF
the American Cotton Oil Trust
Company and If the planters be-
lieyo that they are being harshly
treated by that company and arc
not receiving their share Of the