The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-18
no CONCLUSION REACHED.
Seed cottos Rate Iiesriso 1t Asstl.
Ended Yesterday.
CONCENTRATION STRONGLY OPPOSED
The Testimony Of Director p.ll ~.
an Important Feature Of tAe
Closing Session.

hansas and Texas and the American Cot
ton Bale company for the privilege Of con-.
centrating seed cotton at given points hav.
Ing been resumed by the railroad commits
SION this morning. Judge Sheriff. Of
ureenviIle, representing the opposition TO
the application, assisted by Judge Free
man OF the Texas and Pacifie and Judge
Stedman Of the International ana Great
Northern, placed a number Of gin oper-
ators on the stand for the purpose Of
showing that the privilege Of concentrating
seed cotton would revert to the benefit Of
operators Of round bale gins alone and
run the square bale people out Of business.
Mr. Dismukes. an Austin gin operator
and Captain Jim Clark Of Red River coun-
ty both testified that the general impress
sion was that the American Cotton Bale
company proposed to obtain a monopoly Of
the business Of preparing cotton for mar
ket. and that after having done SO 1t would
probably reach out for the control Of the
price or cotton. Captain Clark thought
That II the company would sell It's gins
instead Of leasing them, maybe suspicion
OF it's methods would be removed.
MT. Werkheiser, Temple ginner, de-
ciared that the round bale people paid
abnormal prices for cotton where they
met with competition, but did not pay any
more than anybody else where they had
no opposition. He also thought that given
concentration privileges the American Cot
ton Bale company, would be enabled to run
the square bale men out OF business and
create monopoly as under the terms on
which they put in their machines they re-
tanned control thereof. On cross -cxamina-
tion Mr.. Werkheiser admitted that the
American Cotton Bale company had OPP
position at Temple in the shape of round
bale machine manufactured and operated
by other parties and that no attempt had
been made by the former to run the lat
ter out. The presence Of round bale presses
In Temple had had the effect OF bringing
better prices for cotton.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Werkheiser's
testimony Judge Sheriff. filed protests from
farmers OF Hunt, Hill and Comal counties
against granting the application under con-
sideration.
F. III. Bailey. manager OF the Clarksvllle
Cotton Oil company, was next placed on
the stand and denied that the Cotton Seed
Crushers' association is q trust or that
1t attempts to control the price of seed
He was opposed to permitting the concern
tration OF seed cotton because he an
,icipated that 1t would take away seed
from oil mill points and give the American
Cotton Bale company control OF the seed
crushing business as we'll US OF the business
OF preparing cotton for market and enable
it to break UP existing oil mills as vol
as the square bale gins and destroy the
cattle feeding industry In many towns ia
the State On crosse examination he said
that he was not actuated by philanthrop;c
motives in appearing before the commits
sion, but simply wanted to protest against
what he thought portended destruction
CT his business.
Captain Gibson of Dallas, secretary Of
the Cotton Seed Crushers' association took
the stand and testified to the same effect
as Mr.. Bailey.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Gibsons testI-
mony the commission adjourned until Q
p. m.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Ball, a
director in, the American Cotton Bale CON-
pany, was called by the applicants and
testified that the round bale people wanted
no advantage over the gin men and that
they were perfectly willing that the latter
should share every benefit that may accrue
from permitting the concentration of seed
cotton. In SO far as the railroads might be
affected he said that all they expected was
that the rules governing the concentration
of cotton in bales should apply to seed cot
ton.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Balls testimony
Judge Eugene Williams of Waco presented
an argument for the applicants. His con-
tention was that the opposition to the
appllcatin came solely from persons whu
recognized that the round bale system was
a vast Improvement over the prevailing
method OF putting 1t up, and, who feared
that II 1t came into general use. they would
be driven out Of business and lose what
Investments they had in square bale gins.
They came before the commission COM
planning that the American Cotton Bale
company might develop into a monopoly,
yet asked the commission to deny the COM
pany legitimate privileges that would en-
able ii to destroy al possible monopoly.
Judge Sheriff.. representing the oppo-
sition to the application on the part OF
the gnners and oil mill men, contended
that while the round bale people might
now be enabling the farmers to get more
money for their cotton. they would surely
bear the price II they succeeded In driving
out the square bale men and the COM
presses.
Judge Stedman. for the international
and Great Northern, opposed the applica-
ton because in his opinion, II would set a
precedent that would iead 20 in,erminahle
applications of a similar nature. FOR in-
-; snce the oil mill men might want seed
hauled to their mills free; the lumber man
ufacturer might want the privilege OF con-
centrtiing lumber at their plants, In
other words. he feared that the railroads
would be called on to perform a grea'
deaI of FREQ service
Judge Freeman OF the Texas and Pacilis
opposed the application on the, ground
| that II might enable the round bale people
! 10 wreck 4 number Of established gins
, and congresses along his line and permit
| them to take cotton away from ana by
gins at points where It was received and
have it hauled to their plants free OF
charge. .,u,
IN closing for the applicants, Judge VIII
Jams denied thfs II was contemplated 70
haul cotton away from or BY gin and com
rress points and that the privilege OF con-
centrating cotton purchased at non-s,n
to- the cry OF The gin men that the Ameri-