Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-11
COTTON SEED QUOTATIONS.
TO REGULATE TRADE
IN THIS GREAT STAPLE AND
ECO UNLIKE PRICES

EQUALIzE PRICES.
While the value OF cotton seed and
its products is increasing steadily
every year, the seed itself is not yield
ing to its producers in the United
States a revenue ut all proportionate.
The trade in cotton seed Is now in
condition about as demoralized as it
well could be, and there Is Widespread
feeling in commercial circles that some
radical changes in the methods of
handling the crop must be made ut
once ii the business is to be rescued
IRON the warning interests that now
control II and force the planters to ac-
cept prices that too often mean no
profit at all TO them.
John M. Parker. the retiring prcsi-
dent of the New Orleans Cotton Ex-
cnange. in his annual report recently
submitted, took up this subject briefly
but Significantly, us follows:
Under existing conditions the farmer
IS at tie mercy of monopoly which
IN order TO pay dividends on inflated
ana watered stocks srinds him down
on the price paid for crude cotton seed
or arbitrarily advances the price in GER
tain localities in order to crush out in
dependent opposition. That accom-
piishcd, the combine decreases prices
TO the extreme limit without any cor
responding fluctuations on the value Of
oil, meal, cake or huls. There is GER
tainly parity in value between these
products and The crude cotton seed. and
by giving daily official quotations for
the guidance of the planter this insti-
tuition will be the pioneer in a new
held of usefulness and of great benefit
to our agricultural people,
Going further into details President
Parker could have shown how railroad
commissions. competing TRANSFORMS
ton interests, oil mill associations ana
litigation in the state courts have CON
trbutcd 10 trade tangle so compli-
Gated and serious that there is abso-
iutely no uniformity or stability in the
price of cotton seed anywhere in the
south to-day. Oil mills in South Caro-
ma, for instance. have paid as high
rs So n ton for seed. while on the same
day those In Mississippi ana Louis
lana were paying 81. and those in
Texas only 5000 to Sl2. Meanwhile the
prices of cotton in these four states
and all over the South were pracu-
cally Identical. In short, the planter
has the advantage of the daily cotton
quotations in the various markets of
the country, ana sells or holds his cot
ton accordingly; as to the price of his
seed, he IS all in the dark.
The iirSt step. therefore. in bringing
order and system out o; this chaos
should be the establishment CT cotton
seed markct-the disseminate of daily
quotations on the raw seed ana It's pro-
ducts. Maze an open market for these
great staples, elevate them to the trade
dignity that they deserve alongside Of
grain. cotton. sugar petroleum. iron
and the meat products. and the chief
mischief maker in the cotton seed in
dustry VIII have been destroyed. The
prices of the raw seed throughout the
cotton producing states Should he rs
uniform as those for the ba!ed lint it,
self
Why. then should there be any de-
Law in the work of rescuing this great
Industry from its present demoraliza-
tom IL the New Orleans Cotton Ex-
change shall act promptly on it's retIr
inS presidents recommendation. it viii
set the pace for a revolution in the
cotton seed trade that every interest
Involved ought to welcome and follow.
From the New York Commercial of
Dec. 9TH 1900