The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-18
OLD CONGRESSES
ARE DOOMED
BELIEF OF COTTON TRADE.
TOO EXPENSIVE TO COMPETE
WITH THE NEWER SYSTEMS.

Decision of the Railroad Commits
sion i'm the Munger System Case
Shows Trend of Progress That
Marks the beginning of the End
of the Old System Steel Presses
Too Expensive to Build and Oper-
ate and Give No Greater Density to
Package Than Can Be Obtained at
Gins.
That the recent, decision of the
Railroad Commission reducing the rate
on cotton compressed by the Munger
System, will have widespread effect
on the, present system of handling cot
ton for shipment is the opinion of the
members of the local cotton trade,
who have given the matter any consid-
Grafton. They believe it sounds the
death knell of the present congresses,
too expensive in their first cost and
too expensive in operation to compete
with other presses that will do the
same work or better work and at a
very much reduced cost.
Discussing this question yesterday
prominent member of the cotton trade
said: 1.-THE Munger bale is a good
package from a transportation stand
point by either rail or water, and it
is as much entitled to compress rate
as either the present compress bale
or the round bale. The Munger sys-
tenn, however, is not the only one
that will compete with the present
congresses for there are numerous
other methods as well as the Mum
ger system for obtaining density in the
packing of cotton at gins as well as
at congresses.
Good Dale for Shipping.
Savannah has handled more or less
of the product of the Munger system
gins for several years, the greater por-
ton Of it coming over the Central of
Georgia from the West, and the Cen
trail has also handled a great deal of
package that enables the storing of 100
bales to the standard car, thirty-six
feet in length.
1.-The time is not far distant when
cotton will be compressed at the gins
by some one Of the various methods
now in use, and it is only a question
of time when the present congresses
will be thing of the past on account
Of their very expensive first cost and
the further expensive operation of
them. Even with the expensive plant
and cost of operation the congresses
of the present day cannot deliver cot
ton shipside at density that can be
obtained at the gin for a great deal
less expense in operating. The present
congresses claim to press cotton to
a density of seventy to eighty pounds
per cubic foot between the jaws of
the presses, and yet when it reaches
shipside it only contains a density of
between eighteen and twenty-tw
pounds per cubic foot, and most of it
this season has been under TWENTY-FIVE
pounds.
COMPRISING at the Gins.
Cotton can be compressed at the
gins with a very little power to a
density of 25 to 30 pounds per cubic
foot. and held at this density until it
reaches its destination. If the extra
compression is any injury to the sta
pie, then everything is in favor of COM
pressing at the gin regardless of the
saving that might be made"
One objection that might possibly be
offered against the Munger bale, in
the opinion of another member of the
trade. was a difficulty about sampling
1t, but this another authority stated is
only such an objection as may be ex-
pected to be urged against any inno-
walton in any department of trade.