The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-02
THE COTTON wRIGHER's FEES.

Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
l have been waiting for the past
twelve months expecting to hear some
one complain about the price Of weigh
irg cotton, but haven't heard it yet,
so I will give you a few Of my thoughts
in regard to that matter.
Mr.. Editor, if I am not very much
mistaken, the last session OF our legls
lature passed an act reducing the price
for weighing cotton from ten to seven
cents @ bale in Wake county but we
have been paying the same old ten
cents Just the same.
Nov, Mr.. Editor, I would like to
know Why the laws Of the last legis
lature, even if it was composed princi
pally of Republicans and Populists, is
not jl8t as binding OF a people as the
laws made by any other party. Now
what l want to say is this: Those Of
US vino have sold any cotton in Raj
eigh In the last twelve months have
noticed that on the little slip of paper
on which the buyer gives you a bill
for your cotton you will find these
words: Ten cents less for weighing"
Now, Mr.. Editor, there is DO way of
getting around paying the ten cents
until this inscription on these slips
is stopped, because when you hand
this slip Of paper to the man who is-
sues checks, you have agreed to pay
that ten cents, and there is no getting
out of it. 1t is Just as binding on you
as if you had endorsed it with your
own hand.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l don't know who
it is that has this printing done,
whether it is the buyer, the weigher,
the town authorities or who, but I am
very certain it is not the farmer. It
seems that they intend to get the last
cent from the farmer possible, regard
less of the law. Now this little three
cents on each bale Of cotton is a very
small item in the eyes of some people,
but it is wor5h just as much to the
farmer as it is to any body, for he GER
tainly earns every cent he can get for
cotton, though there are some people
in the world that don't care anything
about the farmer anymore than to get
all they can from him. If the farmers
will all stay at homo and work ali the
time aud never go to a primary meet
ing nor to a convention, and just run
to the election and vote as quick as
possible, like the boss" says, and get
back home, he is recognized by some
as q tolerably good fellow, bat is a lii
tie lazy, lies around she towns and
don't work as much as he ough to, but
! VT t'>c- say hat it is rel production
| tn.a "a causing SO much trouble in this
country.
We'll I have gotten a little eff from
where I first started. There is one
other thing about this buying cotton
that I do not approve of. If you will
notice en- these tickets I / have told you
about, you will also see something like
this: Subject to cancellation" That
is another thing that ought to be abol
ishcd.
Mr.. Editor, if q man goes into ! stcr5
a0d selects q piece Of goods and agrees
to pay the price charged for it, end haze
it wrapped up for him and then goes to
another store and Anda a piece a little
cheaper and comas ba@k and tells the
man that he don't want that goods; he
has found some cheaper, that man
ought to be forced to take the first
piece, because he should have examined
carefully before buyirg. The same
should be the case in regard to buying
cCttOn. If the buyer comes around
and gives $50 4 bid on your cotton and
cotton declines in price in a few minutes
he can come around and tell you that
cotton has dropped a little and be can't !
afford to pay what he promised. l
think he ought be compelled to pey
his first Offer, because it leaves the sci
Ter in such a condition that be doesn't
know what to depend upon. The
should be careful what he is
doing before he makes the OFF,.
Now, Mr.. Editor, if the laws made
by the Populist party are not to be
recognized as laws, it looks as if it is
useless for the State to go to
any expense to have such laws made.
But lam in favor of trying them again
any way.
There is another thiDg that 1 wish to
C Ill your attention to, and that is this: