The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-19
TO DOWN THE ROUND BALE.
CAMPAIGN TO THIS END NOW BE-
ING WAGED.

Savannah by Mr.. c. c. Hanson for
the Georgia and Alabama Com
press AsSOciatiOns-A Large Force
of Wen at Work and the Movement
Meeting With Much Success-Gin
Presses Now Being Changed to the
Standard Size at the Rate of 10 to
30 Day-Fifty Per Cent. of the
Next Crop May Come in standard
BaIes-Reports as to the Condition
of the Cotton Crop Vary.
The fight against the round bale has be-
gun in earnest. The Georgia and Alabama
| Compress Associations are conducting the
ight and are meeting with much success
! in their movement. The Southern com
press associations arrived at the con-
cluslon last season that the best method
of fighting the round bale is by securing
the general adoption of the standard
square bale, and in this conclusion they
have the Endorsement or the railroads,
who fail to see any advantage to them
to result from the general use of the
round bale.
The fight is being conducted from Sa-
vannah by Mr.. c. c. Hanson, the lessee
Of the Central Railway presses, who is
conducting the campaign for the Geor-
| gia and Alabama Press Associations. I'm
less there is a sudden drop in the move
ment fully 30 per cent. of the next sea-
sons cotton receipts at Savannah will
come in the shape of standard bales. A
quiet but very decided movement in the
direction of the standard bale has been
going on for the last three or four months
and the movement has now gained con-
siderable Roadway. The movement was
begun at the meeting of the Georgia
| Compress Association in Atlanta last
spring when il was decided to begin
campaign in favor of the standard bale.
A union was effected with the Alabama
Press Association for this purpose and
Mr.. C. c. Hanson of Savannah was put
in charge of the movement. AS the
lessee of the Central Railroad presses in
Georgia and Alabama Mr.. Hanson was in
a better position to direct the work ef-
fectively than almost any man that could
be named.
Results have shown the wisdom Of the
selection. When a Morning News re-
porter called upon Mr.. Hanson at his
office in the Central Railroad building
the press man made the surpris-
ing statement that boxes were being
changed in the Savannah territory at the
rate of fifty to 100 a day. "A steady cam
paign 10 this end has been conducted for
tho last three or four months" said MIR.
Hanson. You see I have large office
force here, which is chiefly engaged in
corresp oudence on this subject. We have
not depended upon correspondence, how
ever, but have number of men in the
field who are engaged in Interviewing the
ginners personally We find this the best
means of accomplishing results. 1t took
some time to get the work under way.
The country giuners were inclined to be
suspicious of city men who came out to
tell them what their own interests were,
and ii was not always easy to convince
them that it was their interests which
were concerned rather than that of the
/ congresses and the railroads. The move
ment has gained considerable Roadway the
last few weeks, however, and now the
! changes are being made very rapidly. The
work is being carried on in South Carolina
as wei as in Georgia and Alabama"
"Of the Central's receipts last year"
said Mr. Hanson, about Is per cent. were
| standard bales. If the work of changing
tae presses is kept up al the present rate
| between 40 and 80 per cent of our re-
ceipts next year viii consist OF the stand
ard bales"
| IT only costs from 81 to s. each to
/ change the packing boxes from their ir-
/ regular sizes 10 the standard size of q by
/ a. Many of the ginners, however, have
shown an unwillingness 10 eXpend even
| this small amount for the convenience Of
| the railroads, as they regard it. The ar
! gument that the general adoption of the
| standard bale means lesser rates by rea-
| son Of the fact that 40 per cent. more cot
ton should be carried in a car does not
| appeal to them as forciby at it should.
! "As soon as 50 per cent. of the gin boxes
! have been changed" said Mr.. Hanson,
/ the railroads viii adopt the plan now pur-
/ sued in Texas of discriminating in favor
Of the standard bales by giving them les
! ser rate. This will be greatly to the advan-
! tace of the ginners using the standard
! boxes and will doubtless have the effect of
! bringing the others in line as soon as the
! effect Of the discrimination is felt"
Mr. Hanson was asked what reports he
| had received of the condition of the cot
! ton crop in Savannah's territory. "Our re-
! ports are TO the effect that the cotton pros
! poets are good" he replied I'VE subscribe
| to about 900 newspapers in this section and
| Uatch their 1crOrts of crop conditions. We
! also receive number of reports from trav-
! cling men. = hese reports are TO the effect
| that the GU look for the crop is fairly good,
! notwithstanding the damage done by
| drought and insects. Worms have been re-
| ported in some sections, but only in linn
| lied areas and DO not appear 10 have done
any general damage Allowing for the re-
| auction in acreage and tor the reduction
! in the use of feTilizers the status OF the
| crop is about the same as il was at this
| time last year. our estimates for this ter
ritory are 10 per cent reduction in acreage,
| and % per cent. reduction in the use Of
| fertilizers This means, of course, that
| there will be some decrease in the yield.
! Many of the excurs:onsts who are in
| the city from along the line of the Geor-
| Ia al led
! their friends among the cotton factors and
| brokers' Their reports of the crop
| conditions are not so favorable as
| have been received heretofore. They stat
| ed that in Southwest Georgia and in South
| east Alabama and along the line of the
! Georgia and Alabama generally that the
| crop has been greatly damaged by the
! long drought, which has not yet been fully
| broken in those sections. The corn crop
! is already a total failure. and unless suf-
! ficient rain falls within the next two weeks
! the cotton crop win be very much cut off