The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-07-06

and competition with foreign cotton.
Mr.. Nettles sends photographs of
bales of cotton from different countries
received at Trieste, which. he says,
| "speak for theselves." He explains
that "the American bale was one In
medium condition, the others in the
| worst condition"
Other reports are in the same tenor.
Consul Chancellor, at Havre, says:
1.-THE Indian cotton is pressed into
small, compact bales, securely COW
cred with jute, and wrapped continu-
ously, as it were. with iron bands;
| whereas much of the American cotton
farrives here in very bad condition-the
| iron bands broken and the bagging
torn or otherwise mutilated and often
rotten from exposure to the elements
or from having lain in the water, which
causes the weight of the cotton to be
fctitiously increased. single bales
sometimes weighing 800 pounds. Cot
ton thus saturated with water and in
creased in weight is necessarily great
ly deprecated in value"
Consul Thomas, at Marseilles, re-
ports that inquiries of dealers as to
the most desirable of the methods en-
ployed are invariably answered in ia
vor of the Indian, though they usually
add that the Egyptian is practically
as good. In every instance they are
equally as positive that the American
lis the worst system in existence"
There seems to be an opinion almost
unanimous among the foreign buyers
of cotton that the American compress
ing is faulty. Consul Thomas, in
speaking of this defect, says: 1.-THE
high pressure to Egyptian and Indian
cottons are subjected, all dealers af-
firm, has no evil effect upon the staple.
On the contrary, it is advantageous in
many ways. 1t is never yellow from
exposure to daylight, and their excel
lent covering employed, which seldom
tears, protects even the outer surface
from contract with the dust and dirt
on shipboard and at the landing
places. An additional item, which
may be of less Importance, but to
which attention is called by dealers
here. is that these highly pressed
bales are much less liable to injury by
exposure to rain. and it is stated that
cargo of Egyptian cotton recently
sunk on sailing vessel in the Mediter.
ranean near Marseilles was raised,
after two weeks exposure to the sea,
practically uninjured."
The consul at Bremen, Hugo nj.
Starkloff, notes marked difference in
bales from various parts of the United
States. "The best packing of Amer
lean cotton" he says, lis done in the
gulf states-Alabana, Mississippi and
Louisiana. The cotton bales from
these states arrive at Bremen in a ia,
better condition than the upland cot
ton, as the material of covers and
wrappers is q superior one, and the
packing itself more accurately done
The bales are mostly packed in two
breadths of wrappers, SO that there is
one extra breadth on each side of the
bales, which, at the same time, covers
the heads of the bales. The bales are
equal in size, and this gives the whole
lot good appearance.
Cotton bales from Tnves are gener
ally furnished with seven iron band.
of good material. The Texas cottor
bales weigh more than all other bales
although they are not as strongly
pressed, owing to the dry character o.
the cotton, which does not permit as
close compression as damp or moist
cotton.
1.-THE packing of cotton in Tennes
see, Missouri and Arkansas is done il
, the same manner as in Texas. The
wrappers and bands are of equal quail
. ity, but their weight is less than thai
i of Texas bales. The bales arc also
furnished with seven iron bands, wher
| pressed.
1.-THE packing of cotton in Virginia
| North Carolina, South Carolina ane
Georgia is very inferior. The bales ar,
not of equal size and vary greatly il
weight. The packing and wrapping
are of inferior quality and there is NJ
uniformity in the packing of bales"
1T is high time" comments thi.
consul, ''that the shippers of cotton il
the United States should take motto,
of the many complaints made for quit,
a number of years, and that they tr,
their best to change condition which
is apt to ruin their trade, especially a.
they now have to deal with competi
, tors from India and EGYPT"
, Consul Monaghan, at Chemnitz, say
Austrian and German spinners ar,
making efforts to secure better pack
, ing of American cotton. The Austrian
: Spinners' union wrote to Directo
Stark, in Chemnitz, asking that Ger
many be urged to cooperate. TIL,
J Bremen cotton exchange, the spinner
, of Saxony, southern Germany, includ
ing Alsace-Lorraine. Baden and tn
, Palatinate, and the spinners of Ba
! varia, have held meetings and ar,
: unanimously of the opinion that Amer
lean cotton growers should be asket
, to pack as they were wont when jut
, was dear. have on my desk prac
tically all the important correspond
J cnce that passed between the union
: on the subject. It was hoped tina
planters might be induced to press NOR
closely; but when it was urged tina
, the cotton-planting industry is sprea,
, over eight or ten states, that the ma
chinery now used would have to be re
placed by better presses, etc. it wa
i concluded to ask only that the cottol
i be better packed. 1t was proposed t.
: order only from producers willing t.