The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-01
BAGGING FOR THE BALES
KING CRATE SAYS PLANTERS USE
ONLY 100000 YARDS,

III ILICS.
WASHINGTON, Aug. Sl.-Anderson Gratz
of st. Louis was called as the first witness
before the House committee on manufact-
ures to-day in its inquiry into the alleged
cotton bagging trust He said that he was
engaged in the baling stuff business in st.
Louis, and a member of the firm of War
den, Jones & Gratz The business included
the making of cotton ties for binding cot
ton. The witness was also a member of two
corporations engaged in the same business,
one located in Muncie, Ind, and the other
at Champaign, ILL., Cotton bagging, he said,
was manufactured out of jute. The num-
ber of firms in the country engaged in the
business at present is eight, as against flf-
teen at the same time last year.
LAST YEARS PRODUCTION.
The production of cotton baggiug in 1887
was about 45, 100000 yards. Warren Gratz
q Co. of ST. Louis were the agents in that
city of the Southern Mills Bagging Com
pany and tae Standard Mills Company
Of the same city. 1t had no interest il
these firms beyond acting as agent The
variation in the price of two-pound hagging
from 1877 to 1887 has been from l0$4 cents
per yard in 1877 to 1116 cents in 1880 and
~ cents IN 1887. The price of jute butts
has been lower this August than any Au-
gust price for the last ten years The price
of bagging during August has varied from
IL to l216 cents per yard.
CONSUMPTION VS.. PRODUCTION.
The witness estimated that the cotton
crop of this year would require about
3,50O,0 00O yards of cotton hagglng, and it
was expected that the total output of all
the mills now running up to the time when
they stop, in November next, would be
over 50 900, 900 yards Mr. Gratz said that
the productive capacity of the cotton
bagging mills in the west was % per cent.
greater than the mills in the east The
employees in the west was most
ly of Bohemian parentage and were
paid slightly more than those in the ca t.
The witness said there were considerable
quantities of cotton bagging coming to this
country, but he did not think the foreign
mills would be able to bring sufficient cotton
bagging to this country this year to prevent
the sale of that held here.
OBJECT OF THE AGREEMENT.
The object of the agreement was to en-
able the parties to it to OBTAIN and main
tain control of tue cotton bagging pro-
duced in this country Tor the present sea-
son. The Trust has secured control of
about two-thirds of the cotton bagging in
lu6 NOuilul Ino lSlndlnlIlE bulIu, dDOuJ
100000 yards, being produced by per
sons who are not in any way connected
with the trust. The contract shows that
the agreement is between the firm of l..
Waterbury q Co. Of New York,
party of the first part, and the Char
lesion Bagging Manufacturing Company,
Nevins & Co of Boston, the New York
Bagging Company, the Eagle Mills and
Southern Mills Bagging Company, the
20
Muncie Begging Manufacturing Company,
and the Empire Bagging Company, parties
of the second part.
THE BARGAIN.
The parties of the second part agreed to
sell and deliver TO L. Waterbury a. Co. all
their bagging then on hand, as we'll as such
as might thereafter be acquired or manu-
factured by them respectively during the
remainder of the year 1888. The firm Of
l.. Waterbury q Co. act as the center of
the correspondence through which pro-
posed increase and reduction in price is
brought about. 1t is agreed that the PR fits
and losses of the parties of the several parts
shall be shared in proportion. The sale and
price of cotton bagging is determined by a
majority of the members Of the second
pare.
The agreement went into effect on April
l6 last. Since then two mills signing the
agreement have failed to start, and proba-
bly, a dozen or more outside of the trust
closed down previous to and since the agree
ment was cOnSummated.
LEAP OF THE PRICE.
The first set price of cotton bagging was
made in New York by the trust about the
middle of July at the proposition of the
witness. Nine and one-half cents was then
fixed as the price. On Jan. last the pro
ductive capacity of Warren, Jones 81 Gratz,
III conjunction with the several firms
which they represented, was two
thirds of all the productive capacity
of the south, but they actually
produced seven-eiL Lhths of all that
was pro oiuced in the south. Since the price
fixed in July, the members of JIe trust had
advanced tho price of cotton blgging B
cents per yard. The pres nj price IN this
country IS 3 cents higher than that at which
the foreign manufactured product can be
brought here, inclusive of freight charges
This ne said was due TO the fact Tat the
production Of the material ia this country
was confined to a few firms Probably 60
per cent. of this years cotton bacglng prod.
uct was in the hands Of retail dealers, and
the other ~ per cent. was in the hands of
the manufacturers.
CORNER EVERY OTHER YEAR.
If the duty on cotton bagging and iute
were not changed, the witness was satisfied
that the trust would 20 out Of exis ence.
and if those articles were admit; ed fre. the
firms would doubtless run corner every
other year. The needs Of the planter we're
absolute and imperative. and he must have
bagging no matter what the cost was TO
him During the last three or four years
there vas but little cotton bagging i'm
ported, the domestic supply being equal to
the demand.
Charles A. Pearca of st. Louis, secretary
of the board Of directors Of the STANDARD
Mills Bagging Company, one OF tie con-
Germs embraced ia the trust, sub or bel gen
orally 10 the testimony given by Mr. Gratz,
and the committee adjourned until to-mor-
row.
SUBSTITUTE FOR JUTE BAGGING.
WILMINGToN, N. e., Aug. 3l.---A bale of
cotton has been received here covered with
pnestraw bagsing manufactured by
manufacturing company Of this city. IL
attracted great attention and il passed all
the tests satisfactorily, including thaC of the
compress, and il is believed that IL will an
swer all the purposes OF jute bagging at a
much lower price.
MUST BE IN JUTE BAGGING.
CHARLESTON, s. g., Aug. 3l.-There is
some trouble here, arising out of the jute
bagging trust. An Associated Press dis
patch from Atlanta yesterday stated that
certain factors here had advised the cotton
farmers OF Georgia that they could pack
their cotton in any material they desired,
and several bales OF cotton have actually