The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-13
THE COTTON TIE QUESTION.
The Wire Ties are Working Salts
1ac,orily--A Novel View or the
Fight Against the Trust.

Tho Columbia Register says that
Col. ID. +. Duncan, manager Of the State
Alliance Exchange, has received some
samples Of the wire ties, whose use he
advocates in order to defeat the trust
which has advanced the pr.c. of the
old style ties about 100 per cent. since
the last cotton season.
Col. Duncan immediately purchased
bale OF new crop cotton from d. Claw-
ford u Sons, cotton factors. It's weight
WAS CAB pounds. The sample wir" ties
were substituted for the Hat iron ties
with which the bale was bound, six Of
them being put around it,. At first il
was intended to have two wire ties run
leng thwise around the bale, in addition
to the other six, as of late there has
been some complaint that the heads Of
bales frequently burst open, but cotton
factors advised ugainst any innovation
in the style OF binding the bales for
the present, claiming it would be bet
ter to make the test OF wire ties with
bales bound exactly as those on which
tlat iron ties arc used.
The wire ties wore easily handled.
1t is said they were put around the
bale as quickly or more So than the
Hat iron ties can be. This is an i'm
portant point Cotton factors here
wore very much pleased with the wire
ties and said they saw no reason why
bales bound with them should not be
considered us good Il delivery as bales
bound with the Hat iron ties.
The bale was shipped to +. B. +.
Sloan 4 Sons, cotton factors, Of Char
lesion, to be put on exhibition nt the
Cotton Exchange.
Colonel Duncan does not know exact
~ what the wire ties will cost. Iic
knows the price OF the wire in rolls,
but cut, loopcd and put in bundles it
will cost little more; Black wire in
rolls OF l30 pounds costs from 81 10 to
So per hundred pounds. No. 10 wire
will be used for cotton ties. Six ties of
this will weigh four pounds and will
cost over ) cents per pound, or - cents
tothe bale. Tho hoop ties weigh ~
pounds each and, at present prices
cost about 5 cents each, or 30 cents fol
the six used on q bale Of cotton.
| ~ gentleman who takes an intercs,
in the fight against the Tie Trust say:
1T is purely IL fight for sentiment
The wire ties for a bale Of cotton cost:
IL cents, while the Hat iron or hooJ
tics cost 30 cents. At first it appear:
that the advantage is wholly in favor
OF the wire tics. But" said he, ii,
should not be forgotten that the tics or
weight Of the bagging and tics on q
bale of cotton exceeds twenty-five
pounds, it is paid for just the same as
cotton. Now here is a plain mathc,
matical demonstration--the wire ties
on bale weigh four pounds, and at I
cents pound for cotton, the farmer
will get % cents for them: on the other
hand, the Hat iron ties On q bale weigh
nine pounds, and at cent, q pound
for cotton, the farmer will get G3 cents
| for them. Now, tho wire ties cost IL
cents a bale and sell for - cents, while
| the hoop ties cost 30 cents {; bale and
sell for 63 cents. On the wire tics the
farmer makes ~ profit Of ii cents n bale
profit OF 33 cents. IT looks TO Il man up
q tree as il, even at the advanced price
it twin pay the farmers to continue the
use Of the hoop ties. But they don't
look at it that way. | remember that
when the farmers made their fight
against the Jutc Trust. just such IN
argument as have made now was
ma de then in favor OF the use OF jdte
bagging, even at the advanced price.
But the farmers said that was not the
point, that the Jutc Trust had arhitrari-
ly advanced the price OF jutc bagging
and they were willing to lose money in
order to make the Jutc Trust reduce the
price OF bngging toa level common
surate with the cost OF producing it.
| Judge that the TURNER'S Will take the
same view OF the fight against the Cot
ton Tic Trust and will fight it until it
takes of its un Just and arbitrary advance
of 100 per cent IN the price OF hoop tics
If the farmers succeed, the ties on a
bale Of cotton will only cost about IS
cents and sell for G3 cents. The profit
| is worth Sighting for"
! Col. j. NJ. Wilson, commissioner OF
! nn hlic hnilaincs At WashinptOn, stAtGa