The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-14
BAGGIN AND TIES GO UP.
TRUSTS HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL
OF BOTH ARTICLES.

Very Heavy Advances in the Prices
of both E-ticIes Announced This
Week-Ties Are Worth More Than
Double VIII They Were Last Year
and Further Advances in Both
Lines Predicted - The American
Steel Hoop Company Controls the
Tie Output and the American
manufacturing Company the Bag
Sing Output-BOth Are Preparing
to Squeeze Large Profits Out of the
Southern Planters.
The cotton planters of the South may
again have to resort to cotton sheeting as
a covering for their cotton. and to seek
some substitute for ties to hold the bales
IN shape. These needful supplies are now
entirely controlled by the trusts. Last
year there were half a dozen competitors
in each line This year there are none.
Ore concern has absolute control of all
the cotton bagging in the country, and
another has absolute control of the cotton
ties.
The American Manufacturing Company
"
OF the country, aud the American Steel
Hoop Company. which is included in the
great Federal Steel Trust, controls the tie
output. The latter is a comparatively
recent amalgamatiou of several concerns.
The Ludlows 'of Boston, Mass, are sill
in the cotton bagging business, but they
are in close alliance with the American
Manufacturing Company and make ex-
actly the same terms and prices.
The result is seen in the changed quo
tations, For several months the quota
lions on ties and bagging in the Morn
ing News trade columns have remained
practically unchanged. There was no
necessity to change them, for the sim
pie reasons that no prices were being
made by the trusts, and none of their
products were being sold at any price
To-day's quotations will be found to diff
fer considerably from those which have
been in force heretofore. An increase of
about 2la cents a yard has been made in
the price of bagging, and it is not I'M
likely that there will be further increases.
The trusts have in fact given notice that
further increase in prices may be ex-
pected in June.
While nominally the bagging business is
being conducted both by the Ludlows and
the American Manufacturing Company,
both send out the same prict list and
make exactly the same terms. Both de-
clined to sell any bagging for this years
crop until this week, and both opened at
the same prices. Their terms are spot
cash and no credit.
All the cotton ties used in the United
States are now made by the Federal Steel
Company as agents for the American Steel
Hoop Company. The latter is an amalga-
nation of the several different concerns
which were engaged in the hoop and tie
business last year. The result of the
amalgamation was felt Immediately From
60 cents, the price al which most of the
ties We're sold last year, the price
| Immediately jumped TO 70 cents, from
which it was run up to $125, at which
| price ties have been. quoted by the Morn
ing News for the last several weeks The
| latest dictum makes the prices $1.31 spot
| cash and $136 for August delivery. This
! is to merchants in large lots. To farmers
! the cost will be to 10 cents bundle more
| With the complete control o. the bust
| ness now enjoyed by the baggng and tie
| trusts it can very easily be seen that these
| concerns are in position to squeeze the
| farmers of the Sbuth at their pleasure.
! For several years the cotton planters have
| secured these supplies at reasonable nj es.
but this will evidently not be the case this
year. Being protected by a heavy tariff
| against foreign competition and having
! knowledge of the fact that the farmers of
! the South are in more prosperous condi-
| ton than for several years past, and with
! the assurance of a large demand for the
| present year the two trusts realize that
! they have the planters at their mercy. and
that the time is ripe to multiply their
| profits 1t will be alleged of course, thar
| higher prices for the material entering in-
to these products account largely for the
| increased prices. There will be just enough
truth in this to lend color to the assertion
but it is easy to predict that the cotton
| growers of Egypt, India and the rest of
| the world willspay no such prices for their
| baling materials this year as will the
| Southern cotton planter.