The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-05
NEW COVERING FOR COTTON.
The Substifuiion OF Sugar Sack for Ju,e
Bagging.

The Substifuiion OF Sugar Sack for Ju,,
| Bagging.
| New YORK, Aug. 31.-The Cotton
Exchange, as air ready reported, has Of
licialIy decided that the use of sugar bag
cloth in covering cotton is not countr
ary to its rules. 1t was rumored on the
Exchange yesterday, though nobody
cared to stand sponsor for the rumor
that the matter had come up before the
Board of Managers, through the action
| of the various jute manufacturing
| companies, which saw the threat of q
| damaging competition in any encroach
ment of other kinds of bagging, con
sequently they had induced the cotton
| manufacturers to unite In protest
against the use of sugar bag cloth, and
address it to the Board. Mr.. Richard
Siedenberg, of the Cotton Exchange
| acknowledged that letters Of protest
bad been received from a number OF
Eastern cotton spinners protesting
against the use of sugar bag cloth
But he knew nothing of the motives
| that prompted this move, and presumed
| they were entirely disinterested.
"On the other hand, he added, "the
Board received number Of communi.
cations from farmers and cotton grow,
ers asking whether it Disseminated
against the use Of sugar bagging and
| intimating preference for the latter
1t was in answer to these applications
pro and con that we passed our resolu
1f ho In, Va
of letter to all our patrons. We de-
sire to make no discrimination what
ever, but to leave them to their own
election in the matter. Oaly when
there is serious defeat in any partic.
ular sort of bagging would the Board
care to interfere. For example, last
May it was constrained to give notice
that pine straw bagging was blection-
able, inasmuch as it stained, and there
fore, deteriorated the cotton covered
byit in the event of its becoming damp
or wet. This was in answer to mum.
erous bitter protests that came to u.s.
especially from European customers
which made Immediate action impera-
tive"
"How does the Farmers Alliance
stand in this matter?' was asked.
eve have no official notice as to how
they stand as body. The only COM
munlcation of this sort Was received
from secretary of the Farmers Allt-
ance In Charleston, S. g., in which he
put the same question that had been
put by other correspondents from the
agricultural districts and intimated the
same preference for sugar bagging. lie
thought that it would be hardship to
be forced to use jute."
"To what do you attribute this pref
erence for sugar bagging?'
"Well, 1t Is cheaper, in the first place;
and in the second place, being more
tightly woven, 1t is said to protect the
cotton better tnan jute."
Mr.. Walter r. Miller, secretary of
the Exchange, was ip substantial &C
cord with the president. Sugar bag
giDg," he explained, "can be obtained
by the cotton dealers either at second
or first hands. In either event it is
cheaper than jute. Second hand, ii
may be as much as cents a yard
cheaper, which would be about Is
cents bale. You see that Is a con.
sideratton. Tagging that has been
through a steam process Of cleaning
and may readily be utilized for cover
ing bales Of cotton"
"Have any new crop bales been GOV.
cred with the sugar bagging?'
mo, it Is too early for that. But
now that the Board has declard itseli
there is no debut that the sugar bag
ging will come into extensive use
Naturally, all purchases of cotton made
through the New York Exchange are
subject to the rules of the Exchage and
no customer can object to the bagging
which the Exchange approves"
A pioneer trader in cotton who has
been in the business for twenty five
years assured the reporter that the
more tightly woven material was pre-
ferred By the planters of the South, not
only because 1t was cheaper, but because
1T protected the cotton from dust and
ashes and also, to moderate degree
from the cinders which occasionally
fall upon bales of cotton In cars or when
piled up at the station and set fire to
them. And in any case, he added, thsy
did not care to be dictated to by any
combination of Manufacturers, but
wanted full liberty to use any material
they preferred.