The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-23
DUNCAN on WIRE TIES.
HE MAKES AMENDS TO THs-
NEWS AND COURIER.
Regrets That That Journal Could
Not Help Further I'm tho Move
ncnts.

anco Exchange, in IAN interview with
the Charleston News and Courier's
Columbia correspondent last Tuesday,
concerning an editorial wh,ch appear
Cd In that journal in connection to
wire ties, has this to say:
II was very glad to see it, and felt
sure that all the cotton growers wonld
appreciate it. I only reget that the
occasion had not arisen by which it
might have been written month or
moro ago. 1t would have helped us
very much at that time in our fight,
and II was this / meant when / said to
Jou some time since that was sorry
The News and Courier did not see its
way cloar to help us further in this
fight. III an editorial on that line had
been written when the congresses be-
gan to complain about the use OF the
.wjro tiesit would have helped us in this
way. AS soon as that announcement
was made good many OF the small
weak kneed merchants gave up AS soon
a the frst cap snapped. 1 had fifteen
bales at Bamberg and fifty bales at
;Blackvllle thrown on my hands, and
have had to reship them to the up
country. shipped one lot of fifty
bales to Seneca today from Blackville.
81 sent Il sample yesterday Of the
kinds; or rather sizes, of the wire that
4 have been using to Mr.. *. Steedman;
of Charleston, who has written me
several times, and seems anxious to
help us out all he can. Tho only just
IcomplaiEt, [ think, tho compress men
can make against the wires am using
bis that they may be II little hard on the
shears that the congresses use. There
is shears made to cut this wire, and
II hsvo n pair now on tho way from
the factory, and as soon rs they come
II will take, or send, them to Charles
ton.
"Wben the action of tho Cotton
Tie Trust was made apparent, so
late ns it was, to our farmers they
were very justly incensed, and as you
might naturally expect, went to some
extremes.
1.-TWO farmers told me they had nn
old wire fence which they had torn
down and baled their cotton with it.
Some others bought tho regular GAL
vsnized wire, which was not annealed,
and, Of course, very stiff and hard.
Quite n lot of No. 8 rolled iron wire
has been used; that is very hard to cut
with the ordinary compress shears.
Now all these things are worrying and
provoking to the compress men. but
time will settle NIL these differences,
and by next season we will have this
question settled by a regulation tie that
will be acceptable to both the farmers
and the compress men. / received q
letter from Mr.. Hill saying he was com
ing here to see me on his return from
the North, and have been looking..for
him daily.
There is ono other question con-
nected with the baling of the cotton
crop that am going to tako up, and l
,wnnt the assistance of our newspapers
and of our cotton exchanges, and that
is this ture question. Did you ever
think about it or look into it? What
srn the facts? We have three kinds or
grades of bagging on tho mar
ket--a pound and three quarters, two
pounds and two and one quarter
pounds 20 the yard. Now the farmer
who uses six yards each of the above
weights puts on his cotton respectively
10l pounds, - pounds and 131 pounds
of bsgging per bale. The farmer who
uses nine yards to the bale, and many
do this. puts on Of these different kinds
and 20t pounds; add to each of the
above nine pounds for the six ties and
you heve the amount of pounds in bag
ging and ties that arc used, varying
from 10: pounds, tho lightcst weight
used, mp to 30. pounds, the heaviest.
''Therc is no business sense or rea
son in tho way our system of baling
cotton is carried on, and our farmers
ought to take hold of it and correct it.
As now conducted very large per
cent. Of the baling is done by the pub
lie ginuers, who furnish the baGging
and ties, aud there is n rivalry among
them IA to who will furnish the bag
ging aud ties for the least money, so
many of them bay tho cheapest bag
ging they can get. aud, Of course,
light weight. and they advertise that
they will furnish tho haling for such
and such price, and I see many of
them nsing about eighteen pounds of
bagging and ties when that snme bale
Of cotton will be docked thirty pounds
in Liverpool markets for tare; if they
do not use the cheap covering they
lose that much actual cotton.
1--WE all know that Liverpool fixes
price OF our cotton. They deduct 6
Dor cent for tare. This makes thirty
pounds on a 0.pound bale of cotton.
Again repeat, You must use up the
thirty pounds in your cheap covering
or lose the actual cotton. If cotton is