The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-28

VENUE Ia OF prime Importance. Hence, u
| is apparent that these enactments shou't
have expression In plain and uneluivoca
language, such as is not capable OF douDt'
u ul Interpretation. but is in all rcspeots
prepared to stand the test of the most
searching judicial scrutiny. In speaking 81
these trusts and their pcrnrious control o.
| the commerce of the country, II may no.
be out of place to here refer to the Nationa
Congress of Farmers, which was held Al
indianapolis, Ind, during the early days
OF the month OF November of this current
year. That body fiercely denounced al
trusts as deadly irimical to tho best In
terest OF the people. The arguments OF
facts Is always simply ufanswarabie, anc
must always be convincing. one OF the
speakers who addressed the congress on this
subject said: Don't fight as one that beats
the air. l have no patience whatever with
those people who are always beating the
air. II you have something to autagonize
out with 1t; specify It; make your attacks
directly. II must be so II 1t is to be ef-
fective. II there are abuses of any Kind
in legislation. or In the business of the
country, let us fix the pdblic eye upon them
until we have exposed the evil and then We
can trust the country to make 1t right. II
is mlschievous to denounce classes. I there
are trusts, let us know 1t. and bring leglt-
lation to bear upon them, and then we have
accomplished mething." Now, that there
are trusts everybody knows. That they
are actually operating in the State is the
experience of both producers and consumers
in Texas. There are none to escape their
hurtful touch. 1t is impossible for anyone
TO be so impervious to the sting of the
tentacles as not to know there arc trusts,
trusts for the purchase at depressed prices
and for the sale at exorbitant valuations
of nearly every marketable commodity
The most valuable. indeed. the bulk, of
these commodities, are the products of farm
labor Az producers, farmers are forced to
sell at cheap figures the fruits Of their
own industry, while as consumers they are
compelled to buy them back at ruinously
high rates, according to the schedules of
prices arranged by trust mauipulators.
Let us bring legislation to bear uron
them, and then we have accomplished some
thing"
Texas is largely interested in cotton
growing. and, in fact, yields nearly one
third of the entire crop of that staple that
is produced in the United States. This be-
ing true, her people. of course, are directly
involved in everything that relates to plant
ing, growing. marketing and selling that
commodity. The rules of measurement ard
charges that are enforced in foreign mar
kets are important factors 10 determining
the amount of money returns coming to ne
cotton planter from sales of bis product.
nave immediate reference to charges made
IN Liverpool and other foreign markets on
account of what ia called tare on cotton.
This tare on cotton is the weight Of the
ties aud baggng that are used for protect
ing the cotton from damage to which. v it'll
out them, cotton would be likely subieo ted
of he trn ,.f, f,1,, a
ilnt markets. This charge is now, ana
believe has always been, estimated at 6
per cent on the gross weight. This rate
was not perhaps originally consids cred ex-
;essiye. because the tie and bagging ma
ierial then used was much heavier than
nat which Is now in general use 1T does
not, under these circumstances. seem right
hat the old charge of per cent should
stili be operative. If that rate was "A SUI
lclent Charge when the tare was hea yier. It
surely is more than sufficient now that 1t
s so much lighter, and the cotton grower
should not be called upon 20 pay charges
or tare that does not exist. There should
De diminution in these charges Tor tare
)roportlonate to the diminuton i'll the eX-
ent of the tare itself. If these charges
or tare levied fifty years ago were then
adequately compensatory and corr aot, they
IRE surely now, in view Of decrease IN the
mount OF actual tare. more than compen-
atory and are incorrect. The charge for
are on 500 pound bale of cotton is thirty
me pounds. This gives to the producer hut
b9 pounds for which he is paid on a 500
'ound bale. Now. the average weight of
les and baggng. which is the tarc, on a
'aie of cotton, after being cornpresscd is
bout twenty -one pounds. difference Of
ay ten l-unds per bale in favor Of the
ottoh grower as against the charges eNart-
Il OF him on tho same account in favor of
lie purchaser and to that extent is a loss
o the farmer, which he could not in any
quItabie sense be required to Sustain. 1t
= TO the extent of ten pounds per bale
making him pay for something that does
lot exist 1t may be thought by some that
am dealing with small things But come
ct us reason together taking the cotton
rop of last year in Texas as our basis
nj II was the shortest crop raised for
ears III the State. 1t amounted to ,SlD,-
10" bales, selling on an average At . cents
yer pound. Now. charging against each
'ale the fictitious tare of thirty-one rounds
instead OF twenty-one, it will be at once
apparent that the aggregate loss TO Texas
'0tton farmers on even the short CROP Of
ast year was very great, no less than
y ,ai0,OoO. The crop of 1884 would show
oss of over $1,000, 900 that the farmer was
entitled to. Anxious to get at the true in
Sardness of this condition in cotton mat
ers. l. in July, 1895. wrote to Hon. Stcr-
department. of agriculture, on ,he subject
md received reply e. follows:
United States Department Of Agriculture
Washington, d. c.. Hon. A. j. Rose
commissioner of agriculture, etc, Aus.
tin. Texas.
Washington. d. c., August l, 1885,
Dear Sir Replying to your letter of tre
,o'h ultlmo in reference to the tare de-
fuoted from the weight of cotton bales
regret TO say hat the department Of agri.
culture is unable 10 answer the injuries
YOU make. II il quite probable that either
me bureau of statistics o. the treasury de-
Dartment or the commissioner OF custsms
would be able to furnish you some infor
nation on this subject Mir. Alfred Il.
Shepperson, secretary of the New York
Gotten exchange. is also an authority on
such matters Respectfully yours. tslgnedl,
j. Sterling Morton, secretary.
! subsequently wrCte 10 Mir. Edward r.
Powers and to Mr. Alfred Il. Shepperson
both OF the New York Cotton exch ange.
} n t.ptf thu