The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-10-29

/" iute bagging is steadily crushing
out its rivals" our Boston contempo-
rary says that the price of jute bag
cling is declining" and that +" before
six months are out it will be offered
at eight cents a yard" We are also
told that while 6 the recent canard OF
a union of all the bagging mills is not
without foundation in fact" all the
mills have not entered the combina,
tion-at least four mills have refused
to iofn the trust-and that the com.
biration has seer its best days" Be-
sides this we are told that the next
year is likely to prove a bad enc for
the bagging men. Jute is secure and
high. s. =. Thus the jute com,
bination is brought face to face with
a sad condition of affairs. Its allies
are falling away. Its rivals are gain
ing in strength. It's product is de-
clining and it's raw material is advancs
ing,n all of which is very censoling'to
the farmers who have reduced a great
combination to such straits. - But the
Commercial Bulletin does not view the
subject in this light, for it continues:
aOne grim comfort is still left that IN
IT'S fail must perish also its parasite;
the cotton bsgging industry which
exists in defiance. nosSmerely of po-
iticareconomy butof common sense"
We do not know where the Com
mssrctaf -BuRetins stands nor what it
means; but it has said enough'm@a
roundabout way to show that there is
no combination. that can be formed
against. the farmers which by. COM,
bination the farmers themselves can
not overcome. We charge the farm.
ers not to be deceived by the state
ments Of the Bulletin that the Jute
Bagging Trust has "seen its best
days" 1t will continue to control the
manufacture of jute bsgging in this
country. 1t has been re- rganized
under the name of the American
Manufacturing Company for the ex-
press purpose of protecting its own
interests and not for the benefit of
the farmers. And if the Farmers
Alliance are wise they will not permit
"the cotton bagging craze to end with
the current year." We are told that
cute bagging is steadily crushing
down its rivals and in the next breath
"jute is scarce and high" With
dearer raw material it will. not be pos
for the jute bagging mills to
manufacture cheaper bagging. Jute
bagging is said to be worth 8 cents a
yard in New York and it is predicted
it will be offered at s cents a
yard within the next six months; but
there is no one who has said, or who
will say, that with a scarcity of raw
material the price of jute bagging
will not be higher than the price of
bagging when the next cotton
crop is ready for market.
1t is admitted that "some of the
cotton bagging forms an excellent
1t would be well for the
Alliances to take steps now
to procure a sufficient supply of this
bagging for next years crop. The
fight this year has been conducted
under the most di~scouraging and dis
advantageous circumstances. The
first bales of cotton had been picked
before the mills had woven a yard of
cotton bagging; and yet the farmers
have been able to hold their own and
down the price of jute. The
question of tare can be settled and
will be settled in the interest of cotton
producers before the present crop is
"The cotton bagging
craze" has come to stay.