The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-13
CYLINDRICAL COTTON BALES.
Railroad Men Figuring on Rates for
the New Bales.


Some of the Savannah traffic men, who
attended the conference of the railroad
men, held at st. Augustine last week, for
the purpose of considering various traffic
matters, chiefly with relation to cotton,
have returned home.
The subject of chief interest before the
conference was the question of rates to be
given on shipments of the new cylindrical
bales. The representatives of the two
companies now engaged in the production
of cylindrical bales were before the meet
ing, each urging that they were entitled
to the same favorable rates as are ac-
corded to compressed cotton of a certain
density. AS the presses used by the gins
which produce the cylindrical bales pro-
duce bales which do not require compress
ing, the rates to be given on the new
bales furnish a problem for the traffic
men.
IF all the cotton presses in the South
could be changed in a night and the en-
tire crop could be furnished in the new
form the railroads would have no diff
Guilty in solving the question of rates, >"
said one of the traffic men yesterday. 'The
bales all being uniform the num-
Der of bales required to hll
car and the weight of the
carload could be easily ascertained and
the proper rate could easily be arrived at.
With the new bales being offered only in
small quantities and being odd sizes, as it
WERE compared with the present bales, 1t
is difficult TO say what the rate should be.
Representatives of the compress compa-
MES were also in attendance upon the
meeting These are naturally antagonistic
to the new processes which do away en-
tireiy with the necessity for COMPRISING.
AS the railroads themselves own a num-
Der of congresses, or have private con-
tracts with compress companies, this is
also a feature of the problem which re-
quires considerable attention. Should the
new processes come into general use much
money now invested in congresses would
become valueless.
There are two styles Of cylindrical bales
now being manufactured. One is the cy-
lindrical bale produced by the American
Cotton Company which controls
the gins as well as mauufac-
lures the machinery. This produces
a very tightly wound bale of
such density as TO make COMPRISING I'M
necessary. The cotton is turned out by
the gin In bats, and In unwinding the bale
at the factory II is unwound in the same
manner. 1t is claimed that this saves one
process at the factory, and that on this
account the bale is preferred by the man
ufacturers.
The Planters Compress Company of
BOSTON also manufactures machinery
which produces a cylindrical bale. This
bale is smaller than the other, however,
and is packed by the vertical process,
the cotton being packed In spi-
rails around core. After the packing
Is complete the core is drawn out, thus
leaving a cylindrical hole in the center.
which il is claimed, facilities the drying
out of the cotton and also enables a COM
plete sample to be taken of the whole bale
without injury to the package. These
bales average about 250 pounds each, and
are encased in common cotton osnaburg
wrapping the sack being tied at the mouth
by puckering string, so that they can
easily be opened and closed up again.
Wire wrapping is used to maintain the
shape of the package. Convenience in
handling is claimed for these packages.
The cylindrical bale produced by the
American Cotton Company of st. Louis IS
much heavier than that produced by the
vertical process. 1t is wrapped in jute
bagging but the density of the package IS
| said to be so great that no sample can
be taken and buyers are compelled to de-
pend upon the sample furnished by the
gin. This process is controlled by CON-
pany which proposes to do away with all
middlemen by handling the cotton itself
from the gin TO the factory Exporters
and other middlemen are naturally oppos-
ed to the general adoption of the process.
1t is said TO be not beyond the range
of possibility that the two companies man.
ufacturing cylindrical bales or the machln-
cry for producing such bales may consoli-
date their interests. 1t is realized thai
the general introduction of the cylindrical
bale would mean total revolution in
preparing and delivering cotton to mar
ket, not only for the railroads, but with
all classes interested.
The question of proper adjustment Of
rates for the cylindrical bales of both va
rieties was left to a committee which will
report at a future meeting.
The question of cotton rates in North
Georgia. from Athens 20 Atlanta. was an
other matter discussed at the meeting al
st. Augustine. 1t is stated no decision
was reached one way or the other. The
dispute was referred to the initial lines
at Athens, who will endeavor TO arrive az
an amicable adjustment and report M
another meeting to be held at some future
| date,