The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-17
TARIFF ON SEED COTTON.
The katy's Application Heard ~ tie
Railroad Comnlssioa.
ROUND BALE BENEFITS THE FARMER
II Has the Eject Of Increasiug he
Prics Of cctton. where Il
IL IN Operation.


road commission today took up the matter
o. making rates for the transportation Of
seed cotton. the meeting having been called
upon the application OF the Missouri. KAN
fas and Texas for ratss for the handling Of
the product that will put them upon an
even footing with buyers and shippers Of
ginned cotton in bales. especially Ia 10 Cor
as concentration 10 concerned.
]. W. Allen. general freight agent Of the
Katy, supported tho application: likewise
Judge Eugene Williams OF Waco. repre-
senting the American Cotton company,
which puts up the Bissonette or round bale,
and is really the applicant for the contem-
plated rates.
ID. G. Ball Of st. Louis. cotton buyer
and compress man who has become inter-
ested In the round bale system. was placed
en- the stand and explained the methods Of
handling cotton by the American Cotton
company's process, producing figures to
demonstrate that the process causes great
saving In the cost OF preparing cotton for
market, with corresponding Increase in
returns to the producer He explained that
when the American CottUn company first
went into business considerable prejudice
existed against its scheme. but as the farm
ers begun to lind out that 1t resulted In
their obtaining more money for their cotton
the prejudice disappeared. In Justification
OF the petition for concentration privileges
Mr.. Ball said that IL they are accorded
operators Of the American Cotton c0nipany's
gins as now enjoyed by tho operators Of
congresses the former viii be enabled TO
80 out In adjacent territory and compete
with the buyers and ginners and pay farm
ers half cent or SO more per pound for
their cotton. He denied that the Ameri-
can Cotton company Is u monopoly. or liza
BILE to develop into one, aud sail that all
the talk about Its being such originated
with these who, without having anything to
do with the growing Of cotton, maragei 10
get from 81 TO SO per bale out OF the han
ding OF 1t, which unnecessary expense the
American Cotton company proposes TO
eliminate
MIR. Ball was cross examined .,y Judge
E. u. Perkins. representing the Cotton Felt.
the cotton seed oil mills aud the cotton
comprcssss. anu by Judge J. w. Terry. ltr-
| resenting the Gulf. Colorado and ,arta lie
railway, who opposed the granting OF TN
centrating privileges to handlers OF seed
cotton, and who endeayored to tring out
| that the American Cotton company IL q
| concern with monopolistic tendencies.
|
| the commission adjourned until 2 m.
| At the afternoon session Mr., Ball re-
sumed the stand and was ss-exanined
! by Judge Freeman Of the Texas and Pacific
| to whom he replied that all the ound-bale
people ask was that the commissions cpn-
centration rules as now In force with re-
gard to ginned cotton hs applied to seed
cotton, or, in other words. they did not de-
sire to take cotton away from or by a eoni-
press point
Judge Stedman Of the International ant
Great Northern, Judge Sheriff. OF Green.
| Vile and J. H. Berry VI BARTLETT also tool
hand In cross questioning Mr.. Ball, thoil
queries being directed towards developing
| that the American Cotton Balc company Y
trying to establish q monopoly.
Robert Ross, buyer for the America;
| Cotton Bale company. AMI colcscl u.
| Mcdonald OF Fort Scott, Kan. A directo
/. Of the Missouri, Kansas AMI TeAaf. we,'
next placed on the stand and gave eyidenc,
| as to the economy Of the round bale system
and it's effect in increasing the price pait
for cotton where 1t is operation.
Bart Moore OF Waco, a director IN I'M
American Cotton Bale company. testiflef
that the operation Of the rounl-bale system
had pro, ems OF benefit to the consumer AM
produced about go letters from farmer
4 who had dealt with the company and re
/ nlized better prices for their cotton in con
sequence. lie said that the story rad beef
told that the company proposed to ohtali
monopoly of the cotton seed crushing. a.
we'll as OF the cotton ginning and buyin'
lhusiness. and that the cotton seed crusher
and compress operators had become alarme'
lest a stronger monopoly than the one the
werc maintaining was about to be estab
,isbed. and they We're about to be drive
cut OF business; hence their opposition Z
the expansion OF the American Cotton Bal
company's systsm. Mr. Moore was cross
examined by representatives OF rsn,n'n
onnosing the application, also sevcrnl 81
men. ali OF whom endeavored to prove tn
American Cotton Bale company a monop
oily. .....n .,,,