The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-10-24
The Conger Lard Bill.
The Immense Damage its Passage will do the
-.- South.


South.
The injury to Southern agric ulture by
the Conger Compound Lard bill amounts
to millions of dollars, True, the measure
did not become law at the session just
ended but tue fear that it would pass
caused u great fall in the price OF cotton
seed oil; and because Of the possibility OF
its getting through Congress at the short
| session next winter, there is little reason
to expect any advance in values. The
competition between the oil trust and the
| independent mill companies last season
advanced the price of cotton seed to
point in which there was little II any
profit to the oil producer, but that was
matter that would have regulated itself
without injury to cotton growers had not
this unnecessary and pernicious bill been
introduced and advocated with deter
| mination and persistence that led the
mill owners to seriously apprehend it's
passage, and the consequent loss OF the
| immense business derived from the use
of cotton seed oil in the lard business.
At present all the companies dare offer
for this seasons crop of cotton seed is 80
or SO ton, as against $14 to SIC last
wear. This reduction will tell most
severely upon the small farmers, who can
| lily afford to lose the money from this
adjunct of their cotton crop, which for
several years has been an important ad
dition to their incomes.
| In Louisiana the farmers organizations
of some parishes have determined to keep
their seed and use it for fertilizers rather
than to accept the low price now obtaina
BILE. Should this course be generally
adopted it would compel the mills to
stand idle and throw out OF employment
great numbers of men dependent on them
for wages during the fall and winter. 1t
was claimed by the advocates of the
Conger bill that it was a measure for the
benefit of the poor man and for the pro
lection Of the Western hog raisers. AS
the South has been for a long time the
best customer the West has had for its
cured meat, it would seem that self
interest alone would have prevented the
farmers of that section from indorsing a
measure that would iDjure so grievously
their Southern agricultural brethren.
That they have been misled by the selfish
representatives Of the lard renderers of
their section, and have unconsciously put
themselves on the wrong side of the con
troversy, is unquestionably true. If they
understood the case fully, it is altogether
probable that they would reverse their
action aud instruct their representatives
in Congress to vote against the bill at
the first opportunity.
Instead of combining against the mills
which have made cash market for a
product that until recently had no COM
mercial value, it would be wise for cotton
| 60; ;<1p ho
ers at once and then, by combined efforts
and influences, they could between now
and next January so completely convince
their Western friends of the mistake they
had made as to cause o reaction that
would destroy the hopes of the selfish
manufacturers, upon whom rests the
responsibility of conceiving this destruc
tive measure and of urging it's passage
with tireless persistency. IT,.
That something must be done imme
diately to save this already great South
ern industry, and to restore it to the
: prosperous condition it had attained
before the lard renderers began theil
warfare upon it, is painfully apparent
1t will not help matters in the least fol
the farmers and the oil mill owners tc
fight each other now. Their interests
are Identical The Conger bill is theil
common foe, and all their powers shoulo
be employed for its complete and 6na
defeat. The Manufacturers RECORD
heartily espoused the cause of the cottor
growers and oil mill owners when thi
, agitation began, and will most cheerfully
do its part in an earnest effort to preven
the passage of bill so inimical to tn,
South; but it realizes that the first essen
tial to success is the union of all inter
ests, while a division among its opponent
would certainly insure the passage of th'
!, bill, to be followed quickly by seriou
impairment of this great Southern indus
try and consequent losses to mill owner
: and cotton planters that it would requir
years to retrieve. There is but one wis
3 course to pursue in this emergency
Stop wrangling, close up the ranks an
make solid charge upon the common
foe. Thus and thus only will victory b
a achieved -ManutactHrers' Record ..