The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-08
Opposed TO the Round R.,e

Mr.. j. t. Pickett, of Alabama, Is in
FAVOR OF the square bale and opposed
TO b round bale on count OF their
apparent monopolis;ic features:
L am opposed TO the round bale
methods OF handling cotton, on account
Of their apparent monopolistic features
Inc round bale people tell us that
there are three round bale presses in
the market, therefore there is no posi-
bility of monopoly of the cotton or
ginning business.
Now, what are these ro,nd hale
presses? What are their relations. and
what Is the competition between them?
L have heard no one deny, except the
american Cotton Company and its en-
ployes, that that Company is ~endeavor-
ing TO place their machines on the
market upon monopolistic lines, there
bg driving the small ginners out OF
the business, etc.
Inc American Cotton Company.
which is working largely in the wes-
tern cotton states, come out openly and
make a market for the products of their
presses.
The Lowry Round Bale Company are
making a market for the products of
their presses in South Carolina, Geor-
gla and Alabama, principally through
Messrs. Inman & Co.. cotton buyers
and exporters, Of Augusta, Ga. which
firm, 1t appears they would have you
believe, is a different firm from Messrs.
Inlnan & Co., who are handling their
presses throughout these states: al
though the two firms, as I understand
it, are composed of the identical men,
bers, the only difference being that the
accounts, etc, are kept separate.
When we tell the first two above
mentioned round bale people that we
do hot care for their presses on a roy
atty basis, they then wish to know il
we are prepared to buy, and if so, re-
fer US to the Ginners' Compress Com
pany, of Chicago, ILL.,, which company
sell their machine s outright. Upon
inquiry Of the Ginners' Compress
Company, of Chicago, Ill, We find the
price of their presses beyond the reach
of an average 1900 to 1000 bale gin
ner and they, in writing to some GIN
ners, send them the American Cotton
Company's round bale literature in ex-
PLANTATION of bading cotton.
Most ginners will doubtless tell
that all of the round bale people are
doing all that they possibly can to make
the 24x54 standard square bale move
ment a failure. This 1 construe as an
admission on their part that the 24x54
packed bale will meet all the require
ments of the commercial world,
and if universally adopted that it will
greatly retard any further progress on
fhp no rt 4nf tho round ho1a rropp0tarc
otherwise they certainly would not be
spending any time or money to prevent
ginners from changing their press
boxes to the standard dimensions.
W ask the travelling representatives
of the first two above mentioned round
bale presses, who are going through the
cotton states and posing as the farmers
friend, why they do not sell their ma
chimes, as most other inventors do, at
a price that will allow them a reason
able interest upon the actual invest
ment, which | estimate to be about
$4,000 per machine, and they will
smillingly answer you, in effect, why
should we sell our machines? No, we
have a good thing which is fully pro-
tected by the United States govern
ment patent office stamp and we pro-
pose to keep it and operate it on a
basis that will net us from 81, 10000 to
S 100000 per machine per year. Does
not this look like a monopoly?
LAS yet 1 am unable to see any COM
petition between these round bale
presses. On the other hand, there ap-
pears to be a strong combination be-
tween the three round bale companies
to knock out the old methods of baling
cotton, so that the matter will be left
wholly in their hands"