The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-10-04
a Voice From the Country on
King Cotton.
DUv AL, Tex, October 2, 1888.

DUV AL, Tex. October 2, 1888.
To the Editor of the Statesman.
Your remarks in The STATESMAN of the
goth ult. on the transfer of cotton TO
Round Rock and other points, which
should find its way TO Austin, deserve the
attention of your board of trade and bust.
ness men generally.
That such transfer is now in progress is
beyond dispute, and [ am within the
marx when 1 say that five hundred bales
of cotton will be sod in Round Rock this
season from this immediate neighbor.
hood, and probably fit en- hundred from
more remote districts, which should, and
would, have been sold in Austin had mar
ket and other considerations heen equal.
The reasons for this change of market
are not hard to seek. The chief reason ia
| that Round Rock, Manor and other points
have all the season been paying from one.
eighth to three-eights per pound more than
Austin for the same grade of cotton.
Another potent reason is the bad roads.
1t often pays the farmer better to haul
his cotton ten miles away from Austin
than five miles to it.
The day following the last heavy rain in
this section cotton was hauled elevsn
miles north to Round Rock, when an
empty wagon could not make six miles to
Austin for four days.
AS one anxious TO see our capital city
build up and hold her own in the race
for commercial supremacy, would urge
the "prOper parties to take this mater
up and see if the causes for Austins de-
Ginning cotton trade cannot be removed
If the people of Austin Knew their own
interests they would give the county com
missioners no rest till every black dirt
road north OF the river was maca1amized,
so as to make travel possible in all weather
This would go long way towards reclaim.
ing the now vagrant trade. Let those
gentlemen who so untiringly and success
fully engineered the new bridge scheme
ponder this, and apply their energies in
matter equally vital to the commerce Of
the city.
Austin has long had the name of being
one of the worst cotton selling markets in
the state, for the following, among other
reasons:
The staple is bought exclusively by pro.
fessional buyers, whose sole business it is,
and whose profits depend on the keenneSs
of their buying. Their business being to
buy as low and sell as high as they can,
thing that is perfectly Legitimate,
even if not conducive to general pros
perity. Though there is an apparent
competition between these buyers, il is so
mild, and carried on with so much regard
for the feelings and interests of each
other, that it is rarely one buyer will offer
one-sixte enth of cent more than sup
posed rival, 20 matter how much the first
bidder may have undergraded. II
has been charged that this brothery
love and christian feeling are but
the outward and visible manifestations Of
"com bine" to regulate prices.
In Round Rock and other small towns
cotton is almost exclusively bought by
merchants, who are satisfied if they get
their own money back, and depend en-
tlre!y on increased trade for their remu'
nerstion, and always getting handsome
return for the small labor involved.
Ii the merchants of Austin cannot indl'
vidually become cotton buyers they, too,
can combine" and organize company
for the purchase of cotton at its full mar
ket value, under the manage ent OF
competent man, who would act honesty
and fairly between the seller and the COM
pany, giving just weight and paying for
the actual grade of cottCn. At present
only two grades are recognized in Austin
Ordinary and middling.
No matter how fine the sample, "mid-
ding" price is the best offer that can be
got. Occasionally buyer will admit that
a bale is good middlihg," but tell the
seller be eau only pay "middling" price
as ne has no market for "fancy" grades
Should the proposed organization not
realize fully on its purchases any dsfcien'
cy could be met by an assessment on the
Shareholders, which they would get backs
in the form of increased
trade.
1t may be too late this year to remedy
but if Austin values her trade
must be done before another
season opens or her merchants may COZ
tidently reckon Oh a further decline OF her
cotton 'rade. JOHN @. EDGAR.