The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-11-01
A TwIne Dealer Explains the Twnie
Combinatlon-Why Prices
Are High. D..
Object OF the Combination Among
ManufactureEs-Wh They
Should Do-InterestinR
Statement.
a SubIeo That interests the Entire
Northwest Forctbly and
Plainly Considered.

sneAVeS were DOunu ny uAnu WiVh
straw, although there were some self
binders in use which utilized wire for
binding. AS soon, however, as twine
binders were invented wire binders
gradually went out OF use, az did also
reapers. ..a.~..a..-...-. ...,,,...-,...........
The first year less than 5000 tons
were used, but the demand rapidly in
creased, until in 1888 about $4,000
tons were required. Binder twine Is
made principally from Manila and
sisal hemp, although recently some
good twine has been made from Ameri-
can hemp. This, however, requires
entirely a different kind OF machinery.
Manila is named from the port from
whence 1T is shipped, the principal
port Of the Philippine Islands, and
in that small portion ofthe antipodes
it is alone produced. The plant is OF
the family of banana or plantains, and
often grows to n height of 20 feet, with
tuft OF leaves at the top only. 1t is
propagated from seeds and from
shoots and require about three years
to come to maturity, when it is cut
down, cleaned and cured, and the fiber
prepared for market. 1t is then put
up into packages OF $50 pounds each,
| called picols. 1t requires about four
or five months for a ship leaving New
York to obtain cargo and return.
Manila is the longest, strongest and
best fiber known for making rope and
binder twine.
Sisal hemp is a shorter, coarser, and
cheaper fiber, but it makesgood twine,
especially when mixed with manila.
Sisal hemp is obtained from species
of century plant grown in Yucutan,
| Central America. IL requires about
| eight years to come to maturity,
after which it is annually shorn OF It's
longest leaves, which are treated so
as to reduce them to Gan fiber.
From these two flbers come the
bulk OF the worlds production OF
rope and twiae. Previous to 1880
nearly all that could be obtained
was used in making rope alone, and
lust as much is needed for the same
purposes now as was then, ard IN ad-
dition 10000 or 50, 900 tons annually
for binder twine. Now, in consequences
of the great increase in the demand
without a corresponding increase in
supply, the price OF Manila advanced
from cents per pound in 1880 to 13
or Ia cents in 1889, and sisal from b
cents to about IL cents.
In addition to the rope factories,
most of which put in machinery for
making binder twiile, new factories
were built, each of which became n
competitor in bidding for Manila and
sisal hemp.
In 1886 four of the largest manufac-
turers combined together under the
name of "The National Cordage Com
pany" for the purpose of buying their
raw material, believing that by bav-
ing but one buyer for the four factor
les they could obtain it cheaper than
if each were bidding against the other.
They sent an agent to Yucatan, who
quietly bought up nearly all the sisai
hemp in the market, some of which
they afterward sold to other factor
lies. They then invited all the other
factories to join them, nine OF which
did 80, making a total of 13 factories,
or about half the total number IN the
United States.
Some of the outside factories, fear
ing that they would be unable TO OBJ
tain all the Manila and sisal hemp
they would need for 1889, began buy
buying as soon as the harvest 1883
was over, and the price rapidly adj
vanced, but the National Cordage
Company refused to buy, and even
sold some they had, in their efforts to
keep the price down, but the market
run away from them, and they were
compelled later on to pay about IA
cents per pound for MANILA hemp. OF
course this made twine high, and man
ufacturers were censured by farmers
and dealers, who did not know the
real cause, Notwithstanding much OF
the twine was sold for actual cost or
below. Some good, however, may
come i'm consequence OF the high price
of sisal and Manila, rs much larger
quantities of American hemp is being
raised, and American hemp binder
twine was never sold as cheap as in
1890.
In order to supply the demand
factories have to commences
making twine early in the winter, and
as many of them use from $4,000 to
S5, 900 worth of raw material per day
they cannot run long unless they have
contracts with jobbers TO take the
= twine and settle for it long before the
, farmer wants to use il. Jobbers will
. not give early orders tor twine II they
. think they can buy it just as cheap
, later in the season, and therefore
) manufacturers usually advance the
price as the season advances, bul
: when all the facts are known l think
/ | it will be found that manufacturers ol
? twlne have not formed a "trust" foi
+ the purpose of uniustly advancing the
. price in order that they may obtain
3 an exorbitant profit.
/ am strongly opposed to any
. "trust" or combination for the pur
{ pose of uniustly advancing prices, bu'
3 If the manufacturers will act IN con
] cert sufficiently to bring back th'
, price of manila and sisal TO where i
| formerly was, and where ii ought t,
: be, the farmers will get their twin
much cheaper than II manufacturer
continue to bid against each othe
for these fibers.
4 No Manila or sisal is produced i
1 the United States and cannot be, an,
!. Therefore the provision in the McKir
' ley bill for putting it on the free list !
ADVISE one. But would it be wise h
4 fake all the duty of OF binder twin
fand let foreign manufacturers make
n unless American workmen will lconsen
= to accept the price OF foreign laborer,
The present duty OF 2 1-2 cents ps
i pound is too much, but duty OF
cent per pound would still enable th
American manufacturer to max
a twine, but it would not be enough :
: permit him to obtain aia exorbitar
price for making 4.