The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-02
HELPING THE COTTON GROWERS.

HELPING THE COTTON GROWERS.
The Commissioner Of Agriculture, Mr..
/ Stevens, is taking deep interest in the
proposition Of Mr.. J. p. williams, namely.
that there shall be a standard classiica-
ton of cotton. With such a classification
and official inspection there would be an
end practically of the reclamation evil.
Cotton exporters now have TO submit to
the exactions of cotton buyers in some of
the European ports. II is in the power Of
these buyers to make demands which are
unjust. It would be more satisfactory TO
all exporters of cotton to have it under
stood that the inspection and classification
Of cotton made al ports in this country
were final, and that no reclamations
would be recognized. There is another
thing to which the commissioner might
lend a helping hand with profit to the cot
ton growers, and that is the standard bale
10 which ship brokers and cotton press
men are giving 50 much attention just
now. There is no prospect that the round
bale will run the square bale out of the
cotton trade in the immediate future, and
hence every effort should be made TO make
the square bale as satisfactory as posi-
BILE to the trade.
The dimensions of the standard bale are
"a by "a inches It costs only about 50
to change a cotton box which does not
already conform TO these dimensions, and
as far as we know there is no good reason
why the change shouldn't be made. There
are owners of cotton gins who are stub
born about the matter because they don't
understand fully why the change is de-
manded. but they would not remain long
in the dark if they were to inquire into
the matter with the view of getting at
the exact facts.
IL ought to be apparent TO them after
moments thought, that more cotton can
be stored in a ship when the bales are
uniform than when the bales are of ir-
regular length and width. The demand,
therefore. for the standard bale means a
lower ocean freight rate. SO important
is this matter regarded that it is the I'M
Outstanding that cotton packed in the
standard bale will command fifty cents a
bale more, in the near future, than cotton
packed 10 bales which do not conform to
the "A by 81 dimensions Fifty cents a
bale is quite an item in these days of low
priced cotton.
We have no doubt that if the matter
were brought home to cotton growers and
the owners of cotton gins cotton boxes
would be promptly changed-that is
those which have not been already chang
ed. A couple of weeks ago we published
the action of the Galveston Maritime Asso-
citation in favor of the standard bale, and
it is probable that about all of the cotton
in square bales which will go to market
from Texas during the approaching sea-
son, will be packed in "a by 54-inch bales.
1t seems to US that the ship brokers of
this port and other ports on the South
Atlantic coast should get together and
agree to use their influence to have the
standard bale adopted in all the territory
in which they are Interested. By sending
out circulars to cotton gin owners and cot
ton planters showing why the standard
bale should be adopted, they could do a
great deal towards bringing about the
adoption of that bale. They ought GER
tainly to be as wide awake to the inter-
ests of the trade as the shipping agents
of Galveston.