The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-26
sPRUNT & SONS LETTER.
(ClintOn DemOcrat.(


Farmers have been interested for some
time IN the announcement that a gil
gantic trust was arranging to put in cy-
lndrical cotton presses throughout the
cotton producing belt with a view of get
ting little more of their life blood.
While very little has been heard of the
scheme in the very recent past. it ap-
pears that the trust is hard at work in
perfecting its plans, and, that unless a
formidable opposition is raised against it.
the South will soon be i'll its merciless
grasp.
d Below is'publishCd a letter written by
Alex. Sprunt d Sons, of Wilmington,
the largest cotton exporting firm in the
South, calling attention to the purpose
of the trust and suggesting a way in
which it can be defeated by the farm
ers. This letter was addressed to Mr..
French Mcqueen. who buys cotton for
Sprunt & Sons at Clinton. A copy of
it has been sent to every agent of the
firm throughout the territory in which
it has buyers. The remedy suggested is
in the nature of presses of uniform size
and it may be well for farmers and
ginneTs to give the same their attention
Wilmington. \. c., Jan. 4th. 1893.
Mr. French Mcqueen, Clinton. n c.:
Dear Sir: We wrote you recently
about the desirability of uniform or
standard plantation baling boxes of the
dimensions, tifty-eight inches long by
twenty-eight inches wide, and we are
most anxious that you use every means
OF getting your ginners to adopt these di-
mensors for the following reasons:
A Northern Trust Company clearly ini-
mical to the planters interest has. it is
said, a controlling interest in the new
tangled cylindrical cotton baling process.
which they are trying to force upon the
cotton spinners as q remedy for the
present irregular baling on the planta-
tions. Under the present irregular
method the long bales are broken by
the vessels stevedores to fit in the car
go spaces with shorter ones, and If
we had a uniform bale this difficulty
would be overcome. Moreover. the uni
form hale weighing 500 ITO 525 pounds
would be just as easily handled and at
the same expense as bale of 400
pounds, thereby saving charges to the
planter and to us.
Six yards to seven yards of new bag
ging and six iron ties is sufficient cover
ing. Anything more causes difficulty.
Sugar sacks, and side strips are espe-
cially objected to. In order to show our
willingness to help fAe platter to meet
the necessary cost of alterations we will
ally next season a sufficient royalty on
the first hundred bales for which the
baling box was changed, sufficient to
cover the cost not exceeding So, pro-
vided we are given the refusal of the
product of the gin at equal prices with
competitors. and provided also that the
bales shall be covered in accordance with
the requirements stated. We are in
formed by our agents abroad and by
mill owners at home, that If there is not
a radical change in the manner of baling
at the plantations next season, the re-
ceigers of cotton generally may be COM
PEELED to adopt the round bale and to
refuse the square bale altogether. The
loss to the planter in this case would be
very severely felt and all the benefits
go to the pockets OF a gigantic Trust
Company.
We suggest that you secure the CO.
operation of your newspapers for the
proposed standard box, and that you
send us the address of all your ginners
in order that we may communicate with
them also.
ALIEN. SPRUNT & SONS.