The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-11

AIiancemen-The Past Yesr's Business
in Full.
ManaeerD P. Duncan, of the State
Alliance Exchange, has submitted the
following report:
I beg leave to submit this nv an
rual rerort ss manager Of the Farm
ers' Altar ce Exchange for the year
ending July Oath. 1897:
The past years business Of your ex'
change will comrare very favorably
with that of preceding years.
The bureau work SIS we may term IT,
has increased until now il is enc OF
the lesding features of the exchange
business.
To sive you some :dea OF the way
in which the exchange is used as 2
bureau of information. re received
during The past yesr $3.50 letters, all
OF which were on business matters
The members of the organization
use the information furnisFe ed them to
bring about com petition in their LEGAL
markets, and are much benefited n
this way. We received 995 orders for
eco6s, which We think were filed in
a satisfactory manner to the mem
beers.
We sent out weekly price current,
through The Cotton Plant, which con.
tains the wholesale prices of all artl
cles commonly used on our farms.
Just one year ago re were confront
ed with the fact that the entire produc'
ton Of cotton ties bad passed urder
control CT one combustion, and ex-
i~o,ticnate prices we're demanded for
them.
In nv report to the State Allisnce
last year I recommended that We use
wire or some other substitute. The
Slate Alliance took such action, and
your exchange was instructed to see
what could be done in the way OF a
substitute.
After considerable correspondence
and a personal visit to New York, we
arranged with Washburn & Moen
Manufacturing company Of Worces-
ter, Mass for IL, 0G0 bundles of wire
ties. The Cincinnati Wire Fence com
papy made quite a lot of wire ties,
which We're used in this state and IN
tie southwest, about IS, Geo bundles
were used during the last cotton sea-
son.
The combination on cotton ties was
so we'll managed that we were not
aware of it until it was SO late In the
season That we werea at great disadvant-
age in the fight made against tie 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 were not taken III 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 if
they would make fiat hoop ties they
bad never made any, at the old
prices, if we would use them. They, at
the same time, stated that they were
not in tie Cotton Tie trust, and had
refused to be aparty 10 it when invited
to do so.
In March we signed I'D a contract
for 5000 bundles of ties, Columbia de-
livery, for 70 cents per bundle.
This was for the same tie the trust
demarded $l.35 per bundle for just
one year ago.
An average crop of cotton for South
Carolina is ESQ. 900 bales, a bundle of
ties will pack five bales. 1t, therefore,
takes $50, coo bundles of ties 10 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
s97, 500, when they considered that
they had us at their mercy.
do not want to make claim for
more than is due the action of the Al
lance organization in our 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
ISpISSCAldl1N % w III " llohO al
engagements for cotton ties 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.
l have reported the 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.
l believe I Can say without fear CT
contradiction, that after the action Of
your State Alliance all the second
hand and pieced ties, together with the
wire ties, our farmers c2uld 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.
7 desire 10 call your attention to a
light weight tie that is offered on the
market this season. While I am not
prepared to say that it is a fraud, be-
cause it is offered on the market st
just what it is, and no farmer need al
low himself deceived by It. 1t is a tie
that weighs 80 pounds to the bundle
of thirty ties, as against the As pounds
to bundle.
Where the price of the As pound tie
is fixed at Is cents, the light weight
tie is sold st 62I cents per bundle.
We all know that we have to account
Tor the E per cent. taTe. and it stands
TO reason that if this is Tot consumed
in some full Ueinnt COVERING that the