The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-04
THE ROUND COTTON BALE.

advantages of the round cotton bale, bu:
as far as we can Judge those claims
have not materialized. The contracts
which the company have offered t.
ginners and others in this State d,
not guarantee any of the great advan
tages which the promoters claim.
One of the most successful ginncrs.
farmers and business men in North
Carolina, who has been giving the claims
of the round bale careful investigation
has decided that it is best for the gin
ners and planters of the South to sticl
to the old method. at least until the
inventors of the new system guaran
tee that the farmers and ginners will
receive the profits, or fair portion of
them, which are said to accrue from
the use of the round bale. At present
there is no such guarantee in the con
tract which the company offers, and
that is why wise North Carolinians think
our people would do well to go slow be
fore putting the cotton crop of the Soutl
in the hands of a great syndicate headed
by Mr.. Searles. of sugar trust fame.
Mr.. Z. X. Middleton, Mississippi
ginner of Pocohontas. Miss, has haG
one seasons experience ginning tn,
round bale, and he gives it as his opin
ion that the syndicate reaps all the ben
eft-the very point made by the North
Carolina ginner, to whom reference i,
Ginner, Mr.. Middleton thus gives his
experience:
'Your letter asking me to write you
and tell us all you know about tho
round bale, whether it be good or bad,
received. l will write you what l Sc,
from the. ginner's standpoint, and one
who buys cotton at country points.
I'm July last, l contracted for The
American Cotton Company's half bale
press and began the tedious task OF
trying to run the round bale system
l found that the cost of freight and
erection incurred by me in the contract
was great deal more than l expected
or had been estimated to me. The adj
vertised claim of the company is, that
this cotton shall bring As cents per
hundred pounds more than the square
bales are WORTH This last part, or
two words, are WORTH is the gate at
which all the sheep get out. In fixing
contracts for this cotton, the freight on
square bales to the point is considered
and the contract based on the spot
quotation of the port. So when l be
gan to gin. l found that my average
price was only % points above square
bale values, and that many times dur
ing the season there was no premium.
The system of buying square cotton
on contract market, and round bale OF
spot market, accounts for this and so
often occurred that had no premium
to offer the farmers or to reimburse
myself for having rented the press.
This of course forced me to run the gin
without a profit. either in the matter
Of ginning or cotton buying, as the
farmers demanded the premium, %
points in lieu of the tare in bagging and
ties, and the 20 points rental on press
took UP the ginning profits. The re
suit can be seen. ! ginned the crop at
loss Of this seasons work, as well as
the fact that it cost me considerably
more to run than when using square
press. AS far as my research has eX,
tended. the claim l make holds good,
and in larger town l have visited the
premium generally was % points
1.-The trouble with the press and ma
chinery thereto comes in the matter OF
having to adjust its many parts often
and making so many little bales, all OF
which have to he kept account of and
settled for, stamped, weighed, etc. Bui
the greatest trouble comes in handling
the public The public has always been
hard on the ginner. hut no ginner can
conceive before hand in what posi-
ton he places himself.
.sNow the actual fact is. there is no
gain in the SYSTEM under the contract,
either to the ginner or farmer. and ali
the farmers anywhere have gained has
been lost to the ginner baling the cot
ton This has been fully realized by
them and a man who ran a press last
season said to me few days ago that
the community had gained what he
had lost Thus showing had he pro
tcCteu IIIuscil iOSSs AbV Noii'
munity would not have felt the gain; but
| found the community demanded more
than equality with square cotton. The
enormous claims Of the round bale peo-
pie had the public firm in the belief
that there was something in it for them
and they demanded it. / found thai
merchants and planters having Gus,
toners, would influence them to gin on
the round bale only when the price
named was Knockout to the other
side; when the bids were equal though
the round bale had often given him
good prices for cotton, he would gin on
the square bale. Thus the round bale
gin has to lose money before they car
possibly satisfy the public.
1.-The AZ points premium which is the
attempting thing that secures con
tracts, therefore becomes myth ano
no contracts can be secured wherein!
this value can be obtained in actua
practice, yet all those making contracts
have relied on the statements OF thu
agents Of the company that your cot
ton contract will be sent you fully GOV
| ering all the claims"
Il have been in the ginning business
ever since when ] sat on the lever ant
drove the teams around in the old horse
sinneries. and every single improve
mont in ginning or baling or the meth