St. Landry democrat., 1889-11-09
Popular Faisehoods Exposed
BY 4 COTTON MAN OF TWENTY YEARS EX
PERIENCE.

| EOEuiAS aLSEHO0QS EApOSGu
BY a COTTON MAN OF TWENTY YEARS Ex
PERIENCE.
1t is not surprising that some Of the eff
forts of the jute combine should be in thu
Z line of intimidating farmers, and in fac
buyers of any kind, from supplying them
selves with cotton bagging at this critica
time, and while it must grieve, still i
should not alarm US to find Southern mer
taking the field against us, and even q far
mer here or there. led on by selfish inter-
ests, or By his close connections with mer-
chants, factors, capitalists, exporters anG
mlddlemop; in q word, by those who have
so long quietly absorbed the profits OF
farming. | say some farmers will perhaps
either night weakly or fight ON the other
side. But the mass of the farmers, when
one of them pulls back and puts up
arguments to stop our efforts to help our
selves, will recognize that sthe hand is
Esau's but the voice is Jacobs" In spite
of the strenuous effort on the part of those
who buy cotton to continue he use of lutte
| by abusing and slandering cotton, the
| truth is that they have a hard case, be-
cause this jute is wretched covering for
cotton in every particular, and has been
4e5 upon farmers only too long. Jute is
Gsplendid exponent of the farmers fail
ure in past years to look closely after his
own interests. Now, let US look at the
| facts. Jute bagging stains cotton, as ev-
cry sampler knows. The outer layers are
always removed to get clear sample
1t also, to some extent, fills it with shives
1t rapidly absorbs water, and great deal
of it. 1t fernents when wet, and damages
and rots Immediately. 1t holds water and
| heat and has to be cut away to dry very
wet cotton. 1t is inflammable to the high
est degree, will explode, and when creased
generates spontaneous combustion. 1t is
poor to mark on, and from it's color, con-
cealing both mud and damage, tempts
| rough treatment in transportation. 1t is
loosely woven and does not cover cotton.
It's apparent strength tempts rough use of
hooks, but the greater part of it being
filed upon smaller and inelastic wool,
tears literally to ribbons. 1t is manufac-
tured of unequal weights, and the weight
of the heaviest is adopted as tare entailing
consequent loss This is enough to say
against any covering, but it is absolutely
true, and will not be denied by any one
who is honest and intelligent. Now cot
ton is better than jute in these particulars.
It is far less infammable. 1t is more diff
fcult to wet and easier to dry. Showing
at once all rough usage from mud, etc., it
will induce more care in handling. and the
damage being less hid will be easier to
place upon the guilty party. 1t is good to
mark on. 1t sheds no shives. 1t does not
stain. 1t is useful for any purpose as
sheets, towels, bed spreads, ETC., or for
spinning over after being used. 1t is dur
able in the highest degree, and on account
of its elasticity and its lying close to the
bale it is stronger and harder to tear with
hooks than iute. 1t is of uniform weight
and the tare fixed. Its small tare allows
better chance for the seller without hurt
ing the honest buyer. Now we know all
this, and all the fa1sehoods which can be
told on the other side will be speedily dis
proved. But it is objected the experiment
has not been tried; the matter has not been
thoroughly tested If that be so, now is
the best time to test it. If American spin
ners are greedy and old John Bull is slow,
now is the time for the farmer to let them
get right. They say the season IS upon us;
there is no time for this crop. Let us put
off the season, we are not in any hurry.
Let us give them sixty or ninety or more
days to find out what we already know,
and until they educate themselves let US
Keep our COGtO1. w Il KNOW tLlhb GuS NlSt-
BILE supply is admitted by consumers to be
short some 100000 bales, and the invisible
supply shorter even than that in 1887
Latham, Alexander & Co., the great cotton
statisticians, stated in their book of facts
which all cotton men have seen, that 00O,-
900 bales were an absolute necessity for
the uses of the trade and in that year there
was shortage. Now. for two consecu
tive seasons the crop has been 300, 0G0 bales
less than that, which makes 800, 900 bales
short. Last years crop contained about
400 600 bales low cotton unavailable for
the ordinary fabrics and this refuse now
constitutes the bulk of the stock. Here,
then, is shortage of 1900 900 bales, not
to speak of the increase of consumption in
two years, The fact that spots in New
York are worth nearly cent more than
contracts shows how the shoe is penchipg.
Now, was there ever better chance for
the farmer to teach the consumer that he
can not rob him, for robbery it is to allow
no more for bale containing 1856 pounds |
of net cotton than for one of 40? As a
matter of course, sill consumers will try
the gale, but when they find farmers uni
ted and determined simply to hold their
cotton, and see these farmers acting under
the advice of reliable and competent COM
mittees, then they will awake to better |
sense of honesty. Our cotton committee
can not be bought, and will not be intimi
dated.-A. BarnWel, Macon, Ga.