The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-20
IT IS NOT A TRUST.


Aopuf.cturers Record, a statement by
Senator James X. Jones, of Arkansas ue-
nvinp that it is the intention of the
American Cotton Company Ito purchase
the cotton of the South and bale 1t" ana
that .sthe object of the organization is 10
control the price of cotton"
Senator Jones is a man OF such hlsh
character that his assurances Will be ac-
canted If he can control the American
Cotton Company there is not the remotest
danger of it becoming a menace to the
farmers or having any resemblance to
trust
1t is gratifying to read his assurances,
for without knowing of Senator Jones
connection with the company, 1t looked
like it might threaten the interest of the
cotton planters.
We quote from the Manufacturers
Record as follows:
at being we'll known that Senator
Jones, of Arkansas, is connected with the
American Cotton Co., Mr.. Thomas +.
Grasty, of the Manufacturer Record,
called his attention to the statement Of
Senator McEnery, made in the Senate
on Saturday last, in which that Senator
stated, not as report or rumor, nor sim
ply as a belief, but apparently as mat
ter within his own knowledge, that the
American Cotton Co. is q trust" that
Its intention is to purchase the cotton
of the South and bale it," and that 1.-The
object of the organization lis to control
the price of cotton" and that they will
be backed in this ''by every cotton ex-
change in America and every cotton ex-
change in Liverpool" and askeu him for
q statement on the subject. Senator
Jones said in reply:
II ann stakeholder and director in
the American Cotton Co. This company
owns the patents for a new method of
packing cotton. l have been for more
than ten years personally engaged in de-
veloping and perfecting this press. While
the idea is simple, the mechanical diff
culties to be overcome in carrying 1T out
have been numerous and very formid-
able. Some of these have seemed at times
to be absolutely insurmountable, and /
and my associates have almost despaired
of success at different times. But after
years of close thought and numerous ex-
periments, we are now satisfied that we
have a perfect press. We do not propose
to operate the presses ourselves, but, on
the contrary, propose to lease them to
ginners, to be used by them for their own
benefit. Last fall, when the press was
unknown, we were compelled to buy the
cotton to be packed in it, because no one
else would have cotton packed in an en-
tirely new method We established and
ran several presses in different States to
show to the farmers and ginners what
these presses were. We baled cotton
and sent it to mills for trial all over the
country, so that they could test the new
method. All this was done for the pur-
pose of introducing the invention. We
are now running daily a gin and press at
the Nashville Exposition for the same
purpose. As a result, we are now leas-
ing presses wherever we can. We have
agents in almost all the Southern States,
and have already made leases in quite a
number.
eve are, and must necessarily remain,
in competition with the methods of pack
ing cotton which have been in use for a
century. We cannot induce farmers nor
ginners to take and use our press unless
it will do the work cheaper and better
than by the old way. We claim that our
method will result in a great saving to
farmers and ginners, transportation lines
and mills, and do no harm to any OF
them. To induce ginners who are timid
to take and use our presses, we guaran-
tee that cotton packed in this way shall
sell for as much as the same cotton
packed by any other method, and agree
to take the cotton ourselves at such
price if this cannot be done. This is all
that We have to do with the price of cot
ton, except that where we have plants,
those established last fall, if farmers are
unwilling to have their cotton packed in
this way, we will buy their cotton in the
seed and pack it ourselves il they desire
it. So you see the erroneous impression
which the Senator's statement, that we
intend to buy the cotton OF the South
might create, and also how utterly untrue
is his other statement, that our object is
to control the price Of cotton
1.-THE other suggestion, that we are act
ing with cotton exchanges in this coun-
try and in England, is equally without
any basis of truth. This press will, Of
course, supersede the old clumsy methods
now in use, if it proves to be what we be-
lieve it is. Some of those who are inter
ested in maintaining these old methods
may, perhaps, be willing to misrepresent
us for selfish purposes. No material i'm
proyement was ever made without such
attacks"
The New York World has a good car
toon representing the Sugar Trust sitting
on the capitol at Washington, with
Sandwich islands ON q fork ready to