The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-27
COTTON BAGGING AND TIES.
Eject Of the Tariff on the Users of Thes>
Articles.

Articles
The proposed tariff will hardly af-
feet the business in these articles for
the coming season. 1t might be posi-
BILE, however, that those who have not
already bought a full supply of these
necessary coverings for raw cotton,
will have to pay an advance on pres
ent prices. 1t is a creditable fact, that
the most prominent factors in sea is
land cotton a the forethought to or
der their stock early in the season,
n have nearly all of it already on
hand.
The entire supply of sea island cotton
bagging is imported. There is not a
yard manufactured in the United
States. Several years ago northern
mills undertook to make bagging for
sea island cotton and at hat time it
sold for "a cents a square yard. When
the crop increased from year to year,
the demand became greater for bag
ging, and the price of sea island cot
ton declined, it became necessary for
planters to lOOk to a cheaper market
for their bagging. The northern mills
reduced their prices gradually, until it
was sold as low as 16 cents. Then the
AAAAA ~ "
turing it, claiming that they could not
, make a profit at the reduced price. The
price of the imported bagging is now
about 8 cents a yard.
Begging for upland cotton does not
enter into the matter Of tariff For
years all of the jute bagging used on
the upland crop has been manufacture
ed in the north, the jute butts being
imported from India free of duty. On
several nnnoCinnC Whom tho m on,,foo-
turers formed trusts and advanced
prices, there were attempts made to
substitute sugar bags and cotton cloth
for bagging, but they did not meet the
demand for jute, and, although their
Introduction had some effect upon the
operations of the trusts, the nuf
turers usually held their own and sue
ceeded in supplying the trade at re-
munerative prices.
Manufacturers of steel ties have be-
! gun to advance prices, based on the
tariff rates, n during the past month
the quotations have been increased
about 10 cents. The latest prices quoted
for narrow ties is IS to 80 cents. 1t will
be remembered hat at this time last
. year the manufacturers of ties advanc-
ed the price about so per cent, which
raised dissensiOn throughout the coun-
try. They had held the price down
before the beginning of the season, in
order to keep the English manufacture
ers out of the market. After it becam
too late to import ties and the imme-
date demand opened up, they took ad-
vantage of the situation and advanced
the prices.-Savannah News.
Dispute Over the Alaska Boundary Line,
Ottawa, Ont, July 22.-The attention
of the government has been called to
the claims advanced in the United
States press, that the Yukon gold
fields are in American territory. The
ministers are reticent. 1t is learned,
however, that the government regards
the convention under which the boun-
dairy commission was appointed as be-
ing of the nature of a treaty and HI
any act in cOntraventiOn of that con-
vention would be regarded as equiva-
lent to the denunciation of the treaty.
The government regards the delineation
of the boundary on the basis of the
Mount St. Elias line as a scientific pro-
position, but admits that the ownership
of some of the Islands on the coast may
be subject for argument. This owner
ship depends upon the question wheth-
er the coast line is to follow all indenta-
lions of the coast, or where the dis
tance from headland to headland is six
miles the coast line is to be taken as
the line drawn from headland to head
land. AS regards future proceedings.
the statement is made that for twenty-
two years anada has been anxious to
have the boundary line clearly and
finally settled and any feasible and am
icable proposition to effect THU will be
seriously considered.