Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-09-02
AS TO COTTON TIES.

another column, makes plain business
showing to the effect that Notwithstanding
the steep rise in the price of cotton ties,
farmers can still afford to use them, and
in doing 80 make clear profit Of 500 a
bundle. What he says is correct; but
there are two sides to the question.
Notwithstanding the assurances Of the
wholesale men to the contrary, there is
but little reason to doubt that the rise in
the price of cotton ties, is due not to any
legitimate rise in the price of steel; but
solely to the manipulations of trust.
The Atlanta Constitution of Saturday
contained a story that makes the trust
matter clear. In July last, D. H. Brow
der of Atlanta, procured from the Brilliant
Tube and Pipe works of Pittsburg, Pa,
an option on loo, 900 bundles of cotton ties,
of the usual specifications, at 72 cents a
bundle. The contract was made with j..
R. Jackson, the president of the compa-
ny. After Mr.. Browder had gone to work
and sold over $4,000 bundles of the ties at
good price, he was told that the Brilliant
Tube and Pipe works had failed and
could not fill his orders.
President Jackson, Of the company, is
out with the whyfore. He says that the
price at whi ch he sold the ties gave the
company a regular picnic, and he would
have been glad to run the mill on such a
job for the next 10 years. But just before
he commenced work on the order meet
ing of the stockholders was held, and al
though the assets of the mill were fully
$50 to.every 81 of liabilities, majority Of
the stockholders decided to turn 500 men
out of employment, shut down the works
and make an assignment. President
ia ckson afterward learned that the whole
trouble was due to the fact that the cotton
tie trust had bought up majority of
the stock and shut down for the purpose
of keeping any more ties from being put
on the market.
On top of what Mr.. Jackson says, Mr..
Browder gives some additional informa-
ton. He says that there are only five or
six mills engaged in the manufacture OF
ties. During the first half of July they
offered ties in car lots at $l.30 bum
die and in 1000 bundle lots at $l.25
a bundle. To induce people to buy
they notified dealers that on August 3
there would be an advance Of cents a
bundle and another advance of 5 cents a
bundle on August 20. Not only this they
offered to guarantee prices until Septem-
ber II. Both the advances have come; but
instead of cents they have been 10 cents
each, notwithstanding the fact that steel
has declined 81 ton in the meantime.
So with all this testimony in and the
statement of Mr.. Jackson that there Is q
handsome profit in the manufacture of
ties at 70 cents bundle, there can be no
doubt of the existence of the trust. But
after all what can the farmers do about it:
Within the past few weeks it has devel-
oped that the people who proposed to
furnish the wire ties are members of a
trust that is just as obnoxious as the cot
ton tie trust. 1t would be good thing If
it were possible to fight one with the
other but even this cannot be done e1-
cept at the expense of the farmer. The
flat ties are heavier and are, therefore,
cheapest. The use of wire ties hurts the
trust just that much but every time it
costs the trust dollar it costs the farmer
a dollar, and about the only wise solution
W. are able to see to the whole matter is
for the farmers to, as far as possible, con-
fine themselves strictly to the use of old
ties. The old ties are not quite so good
as the new ones; but they will do, and
their use will not benefit either of the
trusts.
If it comes to q choice between new
wire and new fiat ties, and it is fact
that both products are controlled by
trusts, if the farmer is compelled tol
choose either, common sense will dictate
the use of the flat tie, because 1t is the
heavier. If, however, the wire tie is not
by trust, notwithstanding
the fact that it's use involves a loss, it is
better to sustain that loss than to encour-
age the extortions of the trust.
Died In Georgia.
J. R. Bayles, formerly of Fairfield
county, who was lieutenant in the
18th regiment, S. G. ", died at Ever