Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-29
TARE ON COTTON.

This is a subject about which there Is
probably less known. BY the average far
mer. than OF anything else connected with
hts farming operations. Yet IL is a matter
% vital Importance 10 the cotton prOduc-
ers. and one about which every man who
raises cotton FOR market should be fully
posted The present system OF deducting
six per cent on the weight OF a square
bale Of cotton. by the spinner. on account
OF the weight OF the bagging and ties.
defined IN the cotton vocabulary as tare.
has been the direct means OF robbing
southern cotton producers out Of hun
dreds OF millions OF dollars within the
rast quarter Of a century.
The system OF robbery BY which the
farmers Of the south have been 50 grossly
nlched out OF their hard-earned dollars In
this department OF the cotton business
has been as unjust. unrighte0us and illegal
as the criminal work OF the highwayman
On q defenseless individual IN the dead
hours OF the night. The more deeply in
vestiEations are made into this subject
the more giaring becomes the preparation
OF the fraud. and should ittingly rank
alongside OF such unlawful dealings the
sprinkling OF salt water on iute bagging
hy the tute manufacturers to increase its
weight. the average reduction OF pounds
in the weight OF cotton per bale BY the
buyers OF square cotton; and the system
o. excessive sampling and stealage 10
which the square bale Is subjected during
its circuit0us route between the ginner
and the spinner. The manner in which
farmers are at present treated. and have
been for a long number OF years. by the
handlers OF our souare-bale cotton. exem-
plines total depravity and dishonesty in
the minds and hearts OF those who are so
wilfuIly responsible for the existence and
ten Is all the more appalling because OF
its open barefacedness and recognition By
the shippers and handlers OF the south's
great crop.
Facts and figures shall be fully presented
IN this article TO bear out the assertions
made. and doubtless every local cotton
buyer familiar with the handling OF ex-
port cotton viii endorse every statement
made and the charges preferred There
have been, doubtless. many recorded in
stances in which individual farmers have
made Efforts TO overtare or false pack
bales OF cotton. but these instances are
Not only rare. but are nearly always de-
tectsd az once BY the eagle eve Of the
buyer. and instead OF being the gainer
such farmers become losers.
Illustration Of Tare.
II should be thoroughly understood at
the outset that the spinners only pay for
ire actual MEANMA Va AANN A@%AN ~" 49,
81 bale or package OF cotton which they
purchase. in the case Of the socalled
square bale OF cotton. which until within
quite recent years has been the only form
on package universally used In the south
the spinners have deducted per cent
from the gross weight OF the bale for tare.
on a bale OF cotton weighing 500 pounds
this would be 50 pouhds deducted for the
weight OF the bagging and ties This
average reduction Of per cent Is inten-
ded 20 cover the difference between the
cross weight OF the bale including the
bagging and ties and the net weight OF
the lint. The difference between the gross
and net weight is termed the tare. and
in the case OF cotton refers solely 10 the
covering. Now let Us illustrate plainly
and simply the points under discussion
and see wherein the Injustice 10 the pro-
ducers comes in on the transaction The
nrfce OF raw cotton is fixed by the spin
ners who are the fnal purchasers OF the
rroduct for manufacturing purposes The
Spinners IN figuring the price they can
orer for American cotton and only being
interested in the lint. must take into con-
sfderation the covering OF the package.
and on all square bale cotton they deduct
s per cent OF for tare from the gross
weight Of the bales
Applying this rule 20 a square bale OF
cotton Weighing SO pounds less per cent
fare. means a reduction Of 50 pounds for
which nothing will be paid by the spinner.
finurinr this on basis Of cents offered
b the spinner for net cotton, less the
hanL-ng and transportation, reduces the
price sd per bale or nearly One-hah a
cent per pound 10 the producer.
To make Il palmer. a farmer offers a
bale OF cotton as follows:
one bale square cotton.-..----..500 pounds.
Less per cent tare.----.-.-..--- - pounds.
Net weight. zee. -. -.--f70 pounds
This last weight is all that the spinner
viii buy or pay for. and the 30 pounds
trre Is a net loss 10 the producer, though
he may not know It.
Now a great many farmers imagine they
make money On their bagging and ties.
when. as a matter Of fact. they always
~rstain a net loss Let US illustrate that
rolnt. not as Il appears. but as Il actual
H. exists We have seen that the tare de-
Quoted on a 500 pound bale Of cotton re-
duces the spinners price. based on cents
for the actual lint. nearly IL cent per
Mound or So per bale. We viii now fig
IRE the bazgfng and ties on a 500 pound
hale OF cotton when the market offers
cents for the cotton
Thirty pounds tare deducted by spin
uer al s cents. $40.
= pounds bag ard ties on bale at
cents ------ ..---- S-to
Les cost Rag and ties =. zee. .. .. 80
Apparent gain 20 farmer. o.. o.. o.. Sc
Deduct apparent gain from spinners
charge Of s. % and we have a net loss Of
u-5L
50 that on this basis OF calculation the
farmer who paid - cents for his p pounds
rf hagging and ties and sold the same at
s cents. thinking he was ahead IS cents on
the transaction. Is I'm reality sustaining a
ret loss through the indirect taxation Of
the spinner OF S-a per bale. The un-
lust and fraudulent feature Of the trans
action comes in the fact that the Liverpool
brokers will not allow the producers TO
nut on the full 81 pounds OF tare which
are deducted by the spinners- The usual
allowance by the Liverpool brokers IS
only - pounds per bale and II farmers
persist in putting on more, the price Of
fered them for their staple is correspond
fngly reduced.
The action OF the Liverpool brokers is
based upon the manner I'm which they get
their pay for handling American cotton
The difference between the actual tare OF
- TO = pounds on square cotton. and
the per cent. tare. or % pounds to the