St. Landry democrat., 1888-09-08

cured on the same wagon, he does no
seem to realize that every one who han
dies cotton on its way to the consumer
meets with similar Inconvenience. in
creased in proportion to the coDcentra
ton of the bales tnrned ont from vari
Gus sized press boxes.
To the farmer in the country, it may
seem immatelial that he has to devote
a little more time and labor to getting
his bales properly loaded in lis wagon
bnt to the stpamb boats, and especially
70 the railroads, that carry these bales
TO market, extra time and labor in load
ing, and space lost through tire unequal
| dimensions of the bales. mean extra ex.
peuse and increased charges for car,
lliage.
If the bales are warehonsed the same
| troubles occur, and when they &C
through the compress they are often
! found so wide that not one press in
ten can grasp them as consequence
they are bnlged ont at the side" and it
becomes difficult to handle and impos-
sibe to stow them to advantage on
! board ship or elsewhere.
] But it is when these bales are deliv-
cred alongside an going vessel
that the greatest drawback resulting
| from their varied dimensions is eXpe-
rienced; and it is precisely Of this last
stage, in this country, OF the progress
of the cotton towards the consumer
that our producers as y rule are most
/ ignorant.
1t is by no means generally known
that the slowing of cotton bales on
board ship has become veritable art,
in which only limited number of men
in each seaport are proficient.
The necessity for this art has arisen
chiefly from the unequal sizes of the
bales. and the consequent skill required
to stow them in a vessels hold in such
a manner as to leave unoccupied the
least possible space.
When il is stated that in New Or
leans these men-the cotton screWmen
work in gangs Of four men with Il
foreman for each gang that the work
of the foreman is chiefly to choose on
the wharf bales of such dimensions as
his gang can advantageously stow to-
gether in the hold of the vessel: that
no gang is aIiored, by the rnles Of their
Association, to stow more than . bales
in one day, and cannot be called on to
stow that number: that each man re-
ceives Sc and each foreman ~ per day.
and that it costs from so to SO cents to
stow each bale of cotton on board
shin, farmers will understand that it is
high time to in.rodncn some reform to
effect 4 reduction in these charges that
all ultimately coNe out of their pockets
When it is further stated tnaE these
bales Of various dimensions are jam
med into the smallest possible space in
vessels holds by the use of powerful
iackscrews, that the screWmen do not
scrnple to cnt or phil to pieces bale
when they have difficulty in finding
whole one to 1T into COME particular
hole or corner, and that the bales are
torn ont of the vessels holds at the
ports of discharge by main force of
steam power, without consideration for
bagging. ties or cotton, all who are in
terested in seeing the cotton trade Of
the country conducted in a manner
worthy Of the interests involved, and
comparable with the srlendidly organ
lied system of handling grain, Honr
and other Western products, will lend
their assistance to devise and enforce
measures by which the present barbar-
Gus and shamefullv wastefnl usages
may be abolished, in favor of some me-
tI,od more in keeping with the advanc-
ed civilization and witl the enforced
economy of the age.
One of the first steps in this direction
mnst he the adoption of a box of uni
form length and breadth to he nsed by
ginners in putting up cotton bales and |
rs the existing boxes can be altered to
any required dimensions at very slight !
expense, the question of the cost Of
such reform need not be considered. |
The thickness of the bale it Unnld |
probably be impracticable to regulate, |
nor is this point of material impor-
tance, as moments consideration will |
show; for with bales Of even running |
length and breadth. the manipulation |
at every stage of their progress towards |
the spinner would he much facilitated.
md the expenses consequently reduced.
It is safe to say that the enforcement of
snch a rule would save to the cotton
producers of the country at least $780,.
300 year in the cost Of having their
cotton stoged on board ocean going
vessels alone.
The National Cotton Exchange re-
that a standard of 81 inches
( % inches be adorted for all press
boxes, but whether this is the most adj.
size must be a matter for
he consideration of all concerned.
While it is evidently impossible to
tx the weight of cotton to be pnt into
Zach bale, it is certainly necessary that
present bale of cotton to be merchant
lille must have minimum weight Of
300 lbs, bnt there is no maximum lin
t. and bales are put on the market
Weighing 600, 700 and even as high as
900 and 900 lbs. each
To say nothing of the inconvenience
# this to the purchasers of cotton in all
arge markets, who in purchasing 100
BALES Of cotton may be called on to re-
GIVE all the way from 10000 to 10000
hs. or over, to say nothing of the diff
ieulty of handling and COMPRISING
hese enormous bales, and the impossi-
,ility Of ocean going vessels avoiding
Mistakes in ordering the requisite num-
Der of bales to complete their cargoes
mistakes that frequently cause serions
expense both to the exporter and to the
vessels), it is natural to suppose that
II, who handle, carry or store cotton at
20 =hnch per bale will take, as the basis
If their charges, the extra heavy rather
han the average bale. Indeed, they
ire obliged to do so, for the tendency