The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-14

A Prophecy as to what VIII Happen
When the square IIAlc In Hun Out
(From the Houston Texas Post.)
1.-THE round bale people do not come
into exTas with machinery TO sell. They
propose to operate all the plants put in
themselves, or t exact a perpetual roy
atty as rental. il any Of their plants are
used by others than the company. 1t
is charged that the process OF ginning
and baling are such that the company
owning the plants will be compelled
to buy the cotton in the seed and handle
it from the field to the factory-evi-
IDENTIFY the Interior purpose OF these
round bale people. This consummation
will, it can be seen, when effected,
place the handling of the cotton crop
of the United States in the hands of one
of two round bale companies, ana q
consequences to the south can De oct
ter imagined than described. With d
square bale run out, the competition
in handling the crop wiped out, and
the millions invested in the oid-time
gins and presses destroyed, the plant
ers would be at the mercy OF a monop-
oily strong enough to fix whatever price
! it pleased on cotton, and then to old
the crop long enough to exact from
the mills it's own figures. In a word,
the cylindrical bale company will, at
ter having it's gin accepted and its
package enforced, be absolutely mast
ers Of the situation. What will be-
come Of the planters Interests? AS
the New Orleans Times-DemOcrat asks,
Will the planter not be entirely help
less before this huge corporation, and
would he not be compelled to take
whatever the corporation was disposed
to offer? There would be 40 competi-
ton, and Senator McEnery, Of Louis
lana, declares that the fostering of the
cylindrical bale means the fostering of
one of the largest trustS ever con-
ceived by the mind of men, and the
driving out of the cotton factors, ex-
porters and pressmen! The question
at once addresses itself to an intelligent
public and lawmakers, whether a few
present advantages should permit the
destruction of millions of capital al
ready invested in the old process, and
destruction of competition in the pur-
chasing and handling of the IL, OOO, 900
bales of American cotton, and the
building up of a trust, by comparison
with which the Standard Oil and Su-
gar trusts would be but pygmies? The
trust once supreme, these present IN
cessions and advantages to the planter
would inevitably and at once be with
drawn, and the south, with all it's vast
business interests, which are absolutely
dependent on cotton, would be in the
cold, vice-like grip of a master with
an office in WALL street! No more Sc
rious situation has confronted this Sec
ton since the war of the rebellion. Not
to in some way scotch this young and
growing giant now is to be helpless
later on. II the benefits of this new
invention were given, as in the old
processes, to the public, by a sale of
the plants, we might see a step for
ward-existing ginning and compress
ing establishments would simply re-
place present with improved machin-
cry, though the cost would be great.
To refuse to do this, however, places
the new company in a position where
it can ask and expect few favors from
the public. Texas, the greatest cotton
producing state in the world, should
at least be saved from the clutches of
this most ambitious and dangerous of
all the huge monopolies."