Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-29
TARE ON COTTON.


set forth under rules Of the Cot
ton Buyers association is sub
Jet matter which should engage
the serious attention OF southern cot
ton producers az this time. There
are but few farmers. as rule,
who really understand the meaning OF
tare on their cotton anyway, and IL I, is
important that the question should be full
" discussed in all its bearings from a
plain. practical standpoint. At the outset
Il Is well enough TO understand that the
word ''tare." as applied TO our merchant
able cotton BY the cotton trade. means
the weight OF the bagging and ties placed
on the cotton at the ginnery. We haze
In the first place the gross weight OF the
bale when ginned and packedI then when
the ''tare" OF the weight OF the covering
Is deducted. the net weight Of the lint
IN the bale is left. The spinners or manu-
facturers Of our cotton buy only the net
lint from the exporters. as they buy moth
ing and pay for nothing which they can
not spin into cloth. The covering on cot
ton Is a net loss 20 the farmers. they
being required 10 furnish the covering and
bands which go on the lint to put the bale
into marketable condition for the trade
and transportation companies TO handle
en- route from the ginhouse TO the manu-
featuring plant The spinner, therefore
makes 20 the buyer Of our cotton a price
on the net value OF the lint. requiring the
buyer or exporter 20 deduct from that
price certain per cent to cover the tare
and all other fixed charges between the
spinner and the producer. When the ex-
porter receives the spinners' price. there
fore. he begins first 10 discount the per-
centage OF tare on the bales. the cost Of
warehousage and insurance, railroad and
steamship transportation, compression,
loading at the port average loss in
weight. average loss for country damage,
the commission charges for buying and
handling and when all these and other
charges are discounted from the spinners'
price. he reaches the point where he can
offer TO the farmer net price. based upon
the different grades OF cotton. This Is
what happens when straight. legitimate
business Is carried on between the buy
ers and spinners.
At this particular time when there is
but little legitimate demand for cotton,
the whole market being regulated by
speculation on account OF the very heavy
receipts OF spot cotton being daily dump
ed on the market. IL IS hard TO tell Just
how the buyers are regulating prices be-
yond their combined efforts 10 depress and
hold down prices by taking advantage Of
the farmers. persent bad system Of mark
citing their cotton within a very short
period OF time. I have been thus explicit
because IL is necessary In handling a sub
Ject OF this kind 10 present as plainly as
possible all the details. in order that a
full and complete understanding Of the
subject OF my article may be had.
A Great Injustice.
Some months ago the Southeastern Cot
ton Buyers association held a convention
at Atlanta and passed resolutions, prOvid-
ing that thereafter no farmer should be
Ill - e. me- - A. -
bagging and six ties on his cotton. and
IN case he did that deduction should be
made in the price offered covering the
extra weight so placed on each bale. IN
other words they undertook to fix the
tare on our cotton for the future at -
pounds per bale. and circulars covering
this rule were mailed TO the gfnners
throughout the country with request TO
post IN conspicuous place at the ginnery
50 that all farmers would be promptly
notified at the opening Of the season.
promptly wrote an article on the subject
when these circulars were first issued
and put the public upon notice of its in
justice and advised all farmers to disre-
gard IT, I also spoke against IL at the gin
uers' convention in Macon in July, and
aided in preventing the adoption OF a reso-
luton by the ginners indOrsing the prop
ostion al that time. did not believe that
the buyers would undertake 10 enforce
their ruling over the protests OF the farm
ers and ginners OF the country. but Il Is
quite evident now that IL is being enforced
and farmers are acQuiescing without any
apparent knowledge OF the heavy losses
they are sustaining. The truth OF the mat
ter Is simply this: The European spinners
allow a deduction OF per cent for actual
tare. or - pounds on each 900 pound bale
OF cotton In other words. an exporter bill
ing out TO a manufacturer anywhere in
Eel hafu % Frrr
averaging go pounds each. makes out his
account as follows:
100 bales (gradel cotton ago pounds
Less s per cent tare 500 pounds
Net -.--. .... see. Gee. ......f7. 600 pounds
The spinner pays for 1900 pounds and
the 5000 pounds tare, together with all
other fixed charges. has already been
borne By the farmers in their local mar
ket in the interior. Now comes the ques-
ton Of injustice TO the farmer on this
transaction under the new rulings fixed
this season by the buyers I'm reducing the
tare at all local markets TO = pounds per
bale or six yards baggiag and six bands
To be fair while the buyers were reduc-
ing the tare at this end. they ought also
have secured a corresponding reduction
for the fare at the other end Then the ex-
porters bill TO the spinner would have been
as follows:
100 bales (grade cotton =. ........ 500
Less . pounds per bale for tare q. .. 200
NJ ...................... $500. .......47.s 800
The burden TO be borne by the farmers
then would have been but the actual
weight put on at the gin. and deduction
made from the spinners' price for only
p pounds. as against 30 pounds. which
thew are now being forced to accept.
Another object in View.
But the originators Of this shrewd bust
mess scheme had another object I'm view.
They wanted TO cut the farmer down 70 p
pounds and build I'D the weight to 80