The Lafayette gazette., 1900-09-29
sWXNDLLNG THE FARMERS.

theory of the universe
SWZNDLZNG THE FARMERS.
The victims Of trusts-and all
those who eat and wear clothes are
among the victims-will hardly
agree with Mark Hanna that there
are no trusts. At least those who
have been swindled by the Jute Bag
giog Trust will not believe Mr..
Hanna. The following article from
the Daily States will give people an
idea of the methods of the trusts.
Heretofore the consumers have
been paying extortionate prices for
trust goods to enable the trusts to
return handsome dividends on
watered stock, but the case of the
Jute Bagging Trust is one where
water has been sold. to farmers so
that holders of watered-stock might
receive larger profits. The facts
given in the appended clipping are
incontrovertible and should be suf-
ficient to convince all fair minded
men that they are being systemat,-
cally robbed by the trusts. backed
up by Hanna ard the Republican
party. What is done by the Jute
BagRing Trust is practiced by every
other trust in the country. The
States says:
The Little Rock Democrat publishes the
particulars of swindling scheme which has
been practiced by the Jute Bagging Trust at
the expense of the cotton farmers of the
Southwest. The standard weight of bag
gng in which the pressed bale is wrapped
runs 100 pounds to the roll of fifty yards,
and it is bought with the understanding that
each roll contains 100 pounds of jute, or two
pounds to the yard. 1t has been discovered,
however, that the bagging comes from the
loom weighing from SO to 81 pounds to the
fifty yards, and to meet this shortage the
cloth is treated with a strong solution of
salt and water, and as it is then wound into
a tight, hard roll, it retains the moisture and
gives the roll the full weight of 100 pounds.
In this way IS pounds of bagging and IS
pounds of salt and water are palmed off on
the farmer 100 pounds of jute, and when,
pound, the purchaser paws $1.2o for the
brine in every fifty yards he buys. The
money paid for the salt and water is, of
course, lost to the farmer and goes into the
Golfers of the swindling trust. The Little
Rock Democrat relates that Vicksburg
dealer dried Ioo-yard roll of ~ ,bagging
for three hours and it lost forty pounds.
1t had been over-weighted with the brine to
$50 pounds, and dropped in drying to 200
pounds. At Shreveport 5o-yard roll lost
seven pounds in the warehouse and thirteen
more after drying two hours unrolled in the
sun. AT ST. Louis two 7o-yard rolls were
weighed and then dried. One showed a
loss of 23H pounds and the other of IS
pounds in about five hours.
The parties who were guilty of the fraud
and imposition detected in these cases, it is
noted, 'sclaimed that their patented process
of manufacturing jute bagging rendered it
freproof, and they sold it at a higher figure
for that reason.'' 1t has been shown, how
ever, that 'sthe only fireproof quality it
possesses is the dampness from the salt
water with which it is saturated, and that
few hours exposure to the and air
renders it more infammable than it would
have been without the treatment
1t is estimated by one authority that the
people of Texas alone have lately paid at
least 100000 for the salt and water in the
bagging they have bought of this character,
and as the swindle, seen, affects both the
dealers and the farmers who handle it, it is
plainly to the interest of such people in this
part of the country to fight very shy of
'.6reproof'' bagging generally, and If posi-
BILE to get their supplies from responsible
at home.
Free of Charge.
Any adult suffering from a cold