The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-05
ROUND Or SQUARE BALES
Interesting Disagreement Among tn
Growers of Cotton.

Guthrie, o. T, Sept. 4.-"Way down
down south in the land Of cotton" there
is a small internecine war which takes
on more hostile appearance az the cot
ton ginning season opens. 1t is between
the old compress and the new combina-
ton cylindrical gin and compress-a war
between the rectangular and the round
cotton bale. The south produces annual
ly a cotton crop worth anywhere be-
tween $3.50, 0oO, 900 and s4O0, O00, 900, and
yet the farmer who produces ii is al
ways crying hard times because the
profits are diverted into other pockets
than his. 1.-The very crop which is our
mainstay is at the same time the thing
which keeps our noses TO the grindstone
Of debt and privation," he says truth
fully, and yet with a seeming contradic-
ton.
To raise an dhouse a crop Of cotton
takes from the first OF March to the
last of November. To dispose OF 1t af-
ter it is harvested requires very often
two or three additional months, during
which time there is a weary season of
waiting for the demand to increase and
prices TO rise. While this waiting is GO
ing on storage and insurance must be
paid on the staple in the warehouse OF
the merchant 10 whom the crop not in
frequently has been already mortgaged
in return for money loaned for the rails
ing. That is, in a majority Of cases,
this storage is due; some times there is
a planter who has kept out Of the hands
OF the commission merchant, and so can
afford to hold his own cotton, but he is
the exception. not the rule.
If the planter goes to the bank 70 Dor
row money he Unanswered with a shake
OF the head and the assurance that the
bank cannot go into the cotton business
it would SAVIOR TOO much Of speculation.
But with that same cotton as security
in his warehouse the factor gets the
money from the bank and lends il to the
planter at his own rate Of interest; and
as the factors firm Is not a humani-
tartan organization We may he sure that
rate exceeds by a goodly sum the ex-
pense and trouble to which he has nut
himself There the cotton lies in the
warehouse until opportunity or necessi-
~ forces the sale 10 eastern or foreign
buyers. What money is left after de-
duc-ing storage. insurance and commits
sionS is turned over to the planter, who
must be thankful that IL is no less, ard
grateful also IL his credit is sufficiently
sustained to allow him to borrow money
to raise the coming crop.
The question arises. why does he not
sell mis- cotton directly 70 the mill buy
ers. He is in no position to do this. for
even if his crop be no, already mortgag-
Ell. these buyers stop in the towns ard
cities. and the large majority OF these
towns have orinances forbiddng the
selling OF cotton from wagons on the
streets. Thus the farmer cannot drive
his products into the city and sell il
himself: IL must go through the han5s of
factors and warehouse owners And ssiIl
another reason ne cannot sell K thus il
that the mill buyers want big bales
compressed 10 reduca the freight 70 dis
tan1 manufacturing cities. and though
the farmer gins and bales his cotton he
cannot compress Il. For this process i.
must 60 20 the cities and towns: and
here. IL nac before, arises the slogan .or
storage and insurance.
Another and a serious leakage 70 Tire
planter i the "sampliag' system n7w N
vogue. The country merchant cuts open
the end OF the bale and takes thsre:roln
srsm two 70 three pounds o. the white
fleece in order 10 Judge lis quality. This
is repeated by The graders. and 4 is U.s.
less - state that these four O. FIVE
pounds are never returned - TIE bale.
bu: are clear loss 70 the farmer Five
pounds % cotton sounds Ike s. mere bag
atelle. bu: multiply :; ~ 500 bales ana
there X leakage % ]. 500 pounds. -
bon. three bales 70 The farmer. Ara .
sons body else this Is a c;ean pickup
Ii aas been estl-lz te1 that this pickup
from q crop .: s.Ooocro bales Is wort- a:
leas. s. CO., 90. The farmer gets not enc
dime % ;nis.
WA. Ue want IS something 70 sc