The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-04

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following report:
I beg leave to submit this nv an
Eual report as manager Of the Farm
ers' Altar ce Exchange for the year
ending July oath. 1897:
TIE past years business OF your ex'
change will comnare very ~favcrab'y
with that of preceding years.
The bureau work IS we nay term 1t,
hes increased until now it is one OF
the lesdjng features of the exchange
business.
To give you some idea Of the way
in which the exchange is used AS q
bureau of information. ve received
during the past yesr $3.50 letters, all
Of which were On business matters
The members Of the organization
use the information furnished them TO
brir about competition in their local
markets, and are much benefited IN
this way. We received 995 orders for
goods, which we think were filled in
a satisfactory manner to the mem
beys.
We sent cut weekly price current,
through The Cotton Plant, which con
tajns the wholesale prices Of all artl'
Giles commonly used on u farms.
Just one year ago re we're confront
ed with the fact that the entire produc'
1ion of cotton ties bad passed under
ccnirol OF one combination, and eI-
iortio nate prices were demanded for
tfem.
In my report to tie State Allisnce
last year I recommended thst we use
wire or some other substitute. The
State Alliance took such action, and
your exchange vas Instructed to see
what could be dcre in the way OF 8
substitute.
After considerable correspondence
ard a personal visit TO New York, we
arranged with Wsshburn q Moen
Manufacturing company OF Worces-
ter, Mass for IL. 600 bundles OF wire
ties. The Cincinnati Wire Fence com
pany made quite a lot Of wire tics,
which we're used in this state and in
The southwest, about Il, eco bundles
were used during the last cotton sea-
son.
The combination on cotton ties was
20 we'll managed that we were not
aware of it until it was so late in the
season that We were at great disadvaut-
age in the fight made against the i'm
position.
From our correspondence with the
Alliance in North Carolina, Georgia
and Texas. much interest was mani
tested, and the reason more active
steps we're not taken in those states
was for want of business organiza'
ton. .
We were assured, however, that if
the tie trust kept up, they would most
assuredly join us another season.
In November, 1896, the Illinois Steel
company sent one of their agents to
Columbia to see US and to know it
they would make fiat hoop ties they
bad never made any, vt the old
prices, if we would use them. They, at
the same time, stated that they we're
not in tie Cotton Tie trust, and had
refused to be aparty 10 it when invited
to do so.
In March we signed up a contract
for 5,CCO bundles of ties, Columbia de-
livery, for 10 cents per bundle.
This was for the same tie the trust
demanded $t.35 per bundle for just
one year ago.
An average crop of cotton fer South
Carolina is $50, 600 bales, q bundle of
ties will pack five bales. 1t, therefore,
takes $50, COO bundles Of ties to pack
up an average crop. Thus We see with
q demand of IS cents per bundle, this
combination proposed to tax cotton
planters of the State TO the amount OF
&97, 500, when they considered that
they had is at their mercy.
do not want to make claim for
more than is due the action of the Al
lance organization in Jul State, but
the facts are before you.
One of the largest iron msnufac!ur.
ers in the United States, without any
solicitations on our pS !. sends their
representatives to SEE IS to make ar
r~angements for colon tie for the pre-
sent years crop at figures as low or
lower than ties have ever been deliv-
cred in the interior.
I firmly believe this was due TO the
existence of the organization we have.
/ have reported tie matter somewhat
in detail as an illustration of the great
advantage there is in having your
business organization IN proper shape,
when any emergency arises.
I believe I can say without fear CT
contradiction. that after the action CT
your State Alliance all the second
hand and pieced ties, together with the
wire lies, our farmers could get, were
used in our last crop, and less bundles
of new ties were used in proportion In
South Carolina than any other cotton,
State. Your Alliance organization did
it.
] desire 10 call your attention to a
light weight tie that is offered on the
market this season. While / am not
prepared TO say that it is a fraud, be-
cause it is offered on the market at
just what it is, and no farmer need al,
low himself deceived by it. 1t is a lie
that weighs 80 pounds to the bundle
of thirty ties, as against the As pounds
to bundle.
Where The price Of Tic As pound tie
is fixed at Is cents. the light weight
tie is sold at 62t cents per bundle,
We all know that We have TO account
for the 6 per cent. tare, snd it stands
to reason that if this is not consumed
in some full weight covering, that the
farmer will lose it in actual cotton.
TO illustrate, a bundle Of As pound
dies at rs cents, you sell your cotton
at 7 cents, and there is IS pounds of