The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1900-10-20
THEIR INTERESTS IDENTICAL.
Farmers, Ginners aud the American
Cotton Co., Share ROundlap
Savings

From the Little Rock Gazette.
Certain Southern papers are publish.
ing articles designed to prejudice against
the roundlap bale those who do not know
their origin or purpose They are paid
for by the square bale compress associ.
ations, whose interest is, not that the
farmers cotton shall be baled in the
way that will bring him the most money,
but that it shall be put up in bales that
will have to be compressed. The people
of the South are not to be caught with
such chaff. The favor with which the
roundlap bale is received wherever it
has been introduced is due to its merits
alone and to the fact that the producer
receives more money for his cotton in
this form than in any other package.
He will continue to use the roundlap
bale so long as he finds tproftable, and
no longer.
The interests of the farmer, the ginner
and the American Cotton company are
identical.
The farmer has his cotton put in
roundlap because the savings which ac.
crue In their marketing enables the
buyer to pay him premium sufficient
to pay the baling charge and leave him
u substantial profit besides.
Much AS compressmen would like to
have farmers believe otherwise, the
American Cotton company has no pur
pose further than to secure for itself q
fair share Of these savings. Its interest
lies in enabling the presses which it
Ia. Ia tr hall Of hnv
cotton crop rs possible. In order to in.
sure this result 1t Is essential that cotton
growers find profit in the use of these
presses, or they would not patronize
them. To this end, and in order that
the full saving of which roundlap bales
are capable might be realized, the
American Cotton company became a
buyer of roundlap bales, paying for
them premium above the market value
of square bales. Thus the rental which
the company charges for the use of its
presses by ginners who prefer lease to
purchase is paid by neither the farmer
nor the ginner, but the cotton buyer
whether the American Cotton company
or some other) and 1t is paid out Of the
savings.
Beyond insuring that cotton In round
lap bales shall in all cases sell for the
premium to which 1t is entitled and
which is paid for it at the mills the
company does not go. Its cotton agree.
ment does not require that single bale
Of cotton shall be sold to the American
Cotton company. Ginners are free to
buy or lease presses, and every roundlap
bale, with all of its advantages, can be
bought in open competition by any re.
sponsible buyer and handler through to
the mills with all the resultant savings,
but wherever the ordinary cotton buyer
declines TO purchase roundlap bales on
this basis the American Cotton company
stands pledged to buy them.
The farmer who patronizes roundlap
gin plant may retain rs complete control
over his cotton as II he took II TO any
old style gin house. II he does not wish
to sell his cotton he can have II custom
ginned and keep his roundlap bales until
such time rs he IL ready to dispose of
them, with the assurance that they are
always salable ut the full market value
Of the cotton plus an increased price be-
cause 1t Is In roundlap bales. II he likes
he can arrange with the roundlap ginner
TO ship his cotton TO the American Cotton
company to be held for him and under
MI ordinary circumstances draw against
II to 80 per cent. of Its value. The
American Cotton company has IN this
way largely assisted those who desired
to hold their cotton, II makes no COM
mission churue for such hnsinaaa