The Opelousas courier., 1888-09-08

confer auth GU organizations antef-
eSted in improving the present sys-
tenn of boring and covering Cotton
Bales.
In view of the recent sudden and
alarming advance in the price of jute
bagging, al advance that will this year
entail on the cotton producers OF the
country an expenditure for covering
their cotton of@-1ae $2,5O0,000 in x
cess of last year, the Farmers State
Union Of Louisiana, at its annual meet
ing held in O~pelousas on the LIST to 4th
insts., judged the present time oppor-
tune to callt the attention of all inter
ested parties to the many defects th2at
exist in the present system OF preparing
cotton bales for market-defects that
in crease the cost of handling, the dan
gers from fire, and the liability to dam
age and loss of weight, from the times
bale leaves the gin until lt reaches the
hands of the spinner.
It is needless to point out at any
length that all expenses on cotton,
whether for covering, transportation,
storing, COMPRISING, slowing on board
Iship, &c, and all risks of damage, and
of loss in weight are charged up ulti-
mately to the producer, and to the pro
Queer alone.
It therefore behooves the producer To
see that the system of preparing the
cotton for market, and of placing it in
the hands of the consumer, be as nearly
perfect as possible, 80 that expenses
and risks may be reduced to a mini
mum, and the price he receives for his
product correspondingly increased.
It behooves all through whose hands
the cotton passes on its way to the con-
sumner to assist the producer inshis, so
as to secure for their respective mar
kets or shipping points a full share of
the increased volume of business that
will certainly result from an improved
and more economical method of han
ding the crop.
The producers of cotton are repre-
sented and can be reached by the va
rious Farmers Alliances, Unions and
Oranges that have been organized in
the majority of the Cotton States the
middle men through whose hands the
cotton passes on its way to the consum
er can be approached through the va
rious Chambers of Commerce, Cotton
Exchanges and Maritime Associations
of the country.
To these organizations, then, this cir
cular letter is addressed, and they are
earnestly requested to give to the sub
liect matter the full consideration that
the Importance of the question deserves
and to aid with their counsel and sup
port in formulating and putting into eff
feet measures to improve the existing
state of affairs.
The first point to which the attention
is directed is the want of a uniform size
of press box for gin presses.
The drawbacks arising from the con
sequent variety in the dimensions and
weights of bales of cotton must be ap-
parent to the most cursory observer ;
but, though these inconveniences are
felt in many instances by the producer
himself, when he finds that he can
snugly load on his wagon a bale boxed
at one gin, while a bale boxed at an
other gin clsse by requirIs considerable
handling before it can ~bAproperly Sc
cured on the same wagon, sae DOGS not
seem to realize that every M who han
dies cotton on IFS way to the consumer
meets with similar inconvenience, in
creased in proportion to the c%oncentra-
ton of the bales turned out from yari
GUS sized press boxes.
To the farmer in the country, it may
seem immaterial that he has to de<ote
a little more time and labor to getting
his bales properly loaded in his wagon,
but to the steamboats,, and especially
to the railroads, that carry these bales
to market, extra time and labor in load
ing, and space O tthrough the unequal
dimensions of the bales, mean extra OK,
pense and increased charges for car
rage.
lie the bales are Warehoused the same
troubles occur, and when Trey GO
through the compress they are often
found 80 wide. that not one press in
ten can grasp them ; as a consequence
they are bulged out at the side,n and il
becomes difficult to handle and impos-
sible to stow them to advantage on
board ship or elsewhere.
But it is when these bales are deliv-
cred alongside an oceans going vessel
that the greatest drawback resulting
from their varied dimensions is expe-
rienced and il is Precisely of this last
stage, id this country, of the progress
of the cotton towards the consumer
that our producers MS a rule are most
Ignorant.
It is by no means generally known
that the slowing of cotton bales Oh
board ship has become d veritable art,
in which only q 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 q vessels hold in such
a manner as to leave ~unoeeupied the
least possible space.
When it is stated that in New Or,
4 leans these men-the cotton screWmeI
work in gangs of four men with 1
foreman for each gang that the work
of the foreman is chiefly to choose on
the wharf bales of such dimensions az
his gang a advantageously stow to.
gether inth6 hold of the vessel thai
no gang is alloUed, by the rules of theil
Association, to stow more than 759yaies
In one day, and cannot be called on to
stow that number that each man re.
lceives $6 and each foreman 81 per day,
and that it costs from $3.50 60scents to
stow each bale of cotton on board a
ship, farmers will understand that it is
high time to introduce some reform to
effect a reduction in these charges that
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