The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-08-04

Alliance Exchange, has submitted the
following report:
I beg leave to --,bmit this nv an-
nual report as manager OF the Farm
ers' Alliance EXCHANGE fo> the year
ending July Path, 1897:
The past years business OF your eX
change will compare very favoraoly
with that Of preceding years.
The bureau work IS we nsy term 1t,
has increased until now it is one OF
the leading features Of the exchange
business.
To eive ycu soroe idea Of the way
in which the exchargeis used as
bureau Of information, we received
during the past year $3.50 letters, al
Of which were OF business matters.
The members Of the organization
use the information furnished them to
bring about competition il their lccai
markets, an6 are much benefited n
this wsy. We ,eceive& S95 orders 3oc
goods, which We ,Elrk we're tlled 70
8 satisfactory manner to the mem
bers.
We sent cut weekly price current,
through The Cotton Plant, which con
tains the wholesale prices Of all artl
cles commonly used en- cur farns
Just one yeac ago g we're confront
ed with tae iacs that the entire prccuc'
ton of cottcn ties had passed under
control of one combustion, and eN-
lortionate prices we're 6emanoed tor
them.
IN my report 10 tee State Alliance
LAST year I recon mende6 that We use
wire or some other substitute. Inc
State Alliance took such act1on, anc
your exchange was instructed to ses
what could be done in the way OF s
substitute.
After considerable correspondents
and personal visit 10 New York, we
arranged with Washburn & Moen
Manufacturing company OF Worces-
ter, Mass for 10, 600 bundles CT wire
It's. The Cincinnati Wire Feacs con
pany made quite q lot OF wlte tlsS,
which were used in this state and q
tie southwest, about Is, GOO bundles
were used during the last cotton sea-
son.
The combination on cotton ties was
so well managed that We were not
aware of it until it was so late in the
season that we were at great disaovant-
sge in the fight made against TIE IN
position.
From our correspondence with the
Alliance in North Carolina, Georgla
and Texas. much interest was mani
tested, and the reason more active
steps were not taken in those ststes
was for want of business organlza,
ton.
We were assured, however, that If
the tie trust kept up, they would most
assuredly join Us smother season.
In Novem ber, 1896, the Illinois Steel
company sent one Of their agents to
Columbia to see US and to know Il
they would make fat hoop ties (they
had never made any, vt the old
prices, if we would use them. They, at
the same time, stated that they were
not in the Cotton Tie trust, and had
refused to be party to it when invited
to do so.
In March we signed up contract
fer 5000 bundles Of ties, Columbls de-
livery, for 70 cents per bundle.
This was for the same tie the trust
demanded SL35 per bundle for just
one year ago.
An average crop Of cotton for South
Carolina is 750. 600 bales, bundle OF
ties will pack five bales. It, Therefore,
takes $50, coo bundles Of lies to psca
up an average crop. Thus we see with
a demand of IS cents per bundle, ibis
combination proposed to tax cotton
planters Of the State TO the amount OF
S97, 500, when they considered that
they had us at their mercy.
l do not want to make clalm for
more than is due the action Of the AL
lance organization in cur State, but
the facts are before you.
One OF the largest iron manufactur-
ers in the United States, without any
solicitations on our part, sends their
representative to see US to make ar
raneements for cotton ties for the pre-
sent gears crop 81 figures as low OF
lower than ties have ever been deilv-
cred in the interior.
firmly believe this was due to the
existence of the organization we have.
have reported the matter somewhat
in detail as an illustration Of the great
advantage there IS in having your
business organization n proper shape,
when any emergency arises.
I believe can say without Tear CT
contradiction, that after the action OF
your State Alliance al The second
hand and pieced ties, together with tae
wire ties, our farmers could get, were
used in our Isst crop, sud less bundles
of new ties we're used in proportion IT
South Carolina than ary other cotton:
State. Your Alliance organization die
it.
I desire TO call your attention to g
light weight tie that is offered On TIE
market tals season. Whiie / arl moi
prepared to ssy that it is fraud, be-
cause it IS offered on the market al
lust what it is, and no farmer need 81
low himself deceived by it. I: is lie
that weighs 80 pounds to the bundle
of thirty ties, as against the As pounds
to bundle.
Where the price Of the IS pound tie
is fixed at Is ceEts, the light weigh
tie is sod at 623 cents per bundle
We all know that we have TO account
for the per cent. tare, and it stands
to reason that # this IS not consume
in some full weight covering, that thf
farmer will lose i. IN actual cotton
To illustrate, bundle OF 45 poUnc
ties at Is cents, you sell your cotton
st Z cents, and ttere is IS pounds o.
ties at s. cost Of Is cents, you sell II iol
z times Is or S. Is less the Is cents
or net, $40.
The 80 pound ties at 62s cents solo
at Z cents, gives 50 10 less the 62s
cents, cost or net $l.57s cents, aDt
YOU have losG 923 cents on every bun
Ia ef IL. ~ tias 1n11 n.sa :Nh1s !: U n O