The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-19
COTTON CLOTH WON'T DO.
FACTORS SAY IT IS NOT A PRAC.
TICAL COVER FOR COTTON.

cotton EXCnange DISCUSSES bne
Matter.
The Farmers Alliance is evidently bent
on carrying out It's purpose to get planters
to use cotton bagging in the place of Jute,
but cotton factors in this city do not think
the cotton bagging practical, and certainly
not a measure Of economy.
1t is true, the factors say, that the Georgia
State Alliance adopted a resolution recon-
mending ''rhe use Of cotton only as a covering
for cotton" and supplemented it with the
appointment Of committee of ten, in
structing the committee to ''use its
best endeavors to make arrange
ments with the cotton exchanges of
the world with reference to tare on
bales packed in ba2ging lighter than jute y
The committee was also instructed 'to take
in hand the matter OF supply of cotton
bagging and make the best possible arrange
ment for the coming season" This COM
mittee is composed OF the following gentle
men: DR.. J. r. De Jarnette Of Putnam,
Hons. r. w. Everett of Polk, w. j.
Northern chairman, of Hancock, w. A.
Wilson of Sumter, O. H. Porter of Newton
T. Z. VIM Of g winnett, W. r. German of
Talbot, w. E. H. Ssarcy of Spalding, J. F.
Jones Of Coweta and h. NJ. Brown of Clay.
STIRRING UP THE COUNTY ALLIANCES.
The committee does not appear, the
factors say. TO have enlisted any marked
degree of zeal among the county alliances,
and in consequence Chairman Northen has
reminded them that circular letters had
been sent them and that meetings must be
held Immediately that the season is already
far advanced 1--WE must have prompt
and immediate action" he writes, ''if the
purposes of the state alliance are satisfac-
torily carried out"
The opinion seems to be growing among
factors that the state alliance was so zeal
Gus in fighting the jute bagging trust that
1t lost its head, although 1t got no encour-
agement from the management of three
cotton manufacturers whom 1t invited be-
fore il in conference.
Interviews with prominent cotton factors
in Savannah show how the proposition to
adopt cotton bagging is received here. They
consider it impracticable.
Capt. John Flannery said that the cost of
cotton bagging is too great.and the bagging
Is more liable TO tear. He does not think
that jute bagging will be as high next sea-
son. He says the iute bagging trust over
did the thing aud put it too high. He says
that pine straw bagging can be manufac-
tured at prices which will compete with
jute, and that the pine straw article will
answer better than cotton bagging. He
says also that last year some cotton came
here baled in COTTON weighing as low as
one-third Of pound to the yard, which
was too light
Mr.. H. NJ. Conner said that until lutte
bagging gets to be 10 or II cents per pound
1t is nonsense to talk about using cotton
bagging when raw cotton is worth s or 9
cents per pound, to which must be added
the cost Of manufacture and waste. He
says the cotton bagging is not a practical
cover for the cotton and cannot stand
rough usage, such as cotton must be sub
Jected to in transit.
COTTON FACTORS VIEWS.
A prominent Savannah factor has fully
detailed the objections to the use of cotton
for covering cotton in bales, in reply to a
letter of inquiry by DR.. J. T. De Jarnette,
one of the committee Of ten appointed at
the recent meeting of the Georgia State
Alliance DR.. De Jarnette wrote for the
factors opinion, as to whether he thought
arrangements could be made with references
to tare on bales covered with bagging lighter
than lute, and also inqulring what the
factors views were as to The practicability
of substituting cotton for jute. The fac
tors reply, which expresses, in the main,
the views Of cotton men here, is as follows:
I doubt Of getting relief by an allowance for
reduced tare on bales clothed in lighter bag
cling. The English people are proverbialiy
slow about changing any established mercan-
tile custom. Even II Liverpool agreed to do so,
the European markets would also have to agree
Such change is possible, but il would probably
require years OF agitation before it could be
ACCOMPLISHED
A fatal objection To the use of light bagging.
whether made Of cotton or any other material
Is that it is too readily torn by the hooks of
the l6borer IN handling, the hooks of
the scales in weighing, and the hooks OF
the slings 10 hauling il into and out of the yes
sells This tearing increases the liability to fire
and would thus increase the insurance. and in
creases the liability to having cotton accident
ally or Intentionally pulled out of bale and
wasted. My firm has never bought or used any
bagging made Of cotton cloths, but if it could
be made the standard width "a inches) to weigh
two pounds TO the yard, see no reason why 1t
would not stand the hooks and answer all pur-
poses. The question arises Could such bagging
be manufactured 30 to be sold as cheap as
Jute bagging. even when the latter sells at l2 to
IL cents per yarly
The same difficulty exists about pine straw
bagglng. If that could be manufactured so as
2-pound bagging cluld be sold at about 10 cents
per yard think it would be equal to jute and
preferable to cotton bagging.
Foreign bagging cannot be imported profit
ably until prices in America are about 100
cents IN New York, Boston and other importing
markets for 2pound bagging because the inn
port duty is 3 cents per yard on tute goods
suitable for bagging valued below cents per
yard and cents per yard if valued above cents
PEI yard In other words the duty is placed so
high as to forbid the importation of foreign
easginS unless prices ruls for some length Of
time higher than lO11 cents for 2-pound bagging
az ILc port Nncfe ~ Is received from abroad
The remedy which alone can break up the
combination OF bagging manufacturers and de-
liver the cotton planters from the power OF said
manufacturers, is for congress TO repeal or
greatly reduce the import duty on lutte manu-
featured goods suitable for covering cotton
bales AS this remedy is not available in time
for the next crop, know Of no other remedy
than for the planters TO supply themselves as
far as possible, from manufactures not con
nected with the trust
The American factories make bagqing WEIGH.
ing 1f ~, and 214 pounds per yard Our
experience has been that 10 pounds Ia too
light for safety and Ia barely heavy enough
and that the planter makes more money by
covering bis bales with heavy bagying: but the
large majority Of planters use 134 and pound
bagglng.
THE COTTON EXCHANGE MEETING.
The Cotton Exchange yesterday had the
following communication before it,
Joint committee of the Farmers National
Alliance aud Cooperative Union Of America
and OF the National Agricultural Wheel of
America on reformSf the present method OF
baling, covering and handling the cotton cropl
NEW ORLEANS LA, April 12, 1899.
10 the President Of the Cotton EXCHANGE ,Sa-
UlHndh, Ga.
SiR-At the joint meeting Of the National
Farmers Alliance and Cooperative Union OF
America and OF the National Agricultural
Wheel OF America, held at Meridian Miss in De
cemoer last, delegates we're present from all the
cotton states, representing about 800 900 mem
bers, dependent almost entirely on their cotton
crop Tor living, aud, naturally among the
most interesting subjects discussed, was toe