The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-25
 OF COTTON No Way to Move Staple
 From Montgomery. FAULT OF COMPRESSFS Warehousemen and Dealers Anxious Over Situation. Inadequate Faculties for Pressing Bales is Diverting Trade to Other
 Points and Buainess Men
 Seek Relief.

Cotton Is congested in Montgomer as 1t never has been before since tk
 war. Contracts made by shippers car
 not be fulfilled, some of the street
 of the city are full of cotton and tn
 shippers say that a great deal of cot
 ton which would naturally come
 Montgomery is being divested to Tro. opelika, Eufaula and other cities.
 The cotton shippers of Montogmer regard the local situation as acut,
 While they have an ample amount c cotton on hand to fill all orders the cannot get 1t to Savannah and othe points where vessels are rocking idl on the water waiting for their cotto cargoes. The shippers stand in dan ger of several financial penalties an they are certain to sustain more o less loss.
 The cotton men have no hesitancy fl saying that the acute situation Is du to the inadequate and inefficient com press service of Montgomery. Th railroads will not take the cotton un less it Is compressed and the presse have been unable to handle the cot ton of the city. They assert that tn compress officials are endeavoring t' operate their presses with an made quate force and that they are careless and indifferent to .ae welfare of thu city and the welfare of the cotton mel of Montgomery.
 Only Two Presses Here.
 The two congresses of Montgomer, are operated by the Atlantic Compress Company which Is known as the com press trust c. c. Hanson ot Atlants is president of the company. It con trols with very few exceptions tho oF Ioh ta
 Montgomery had last season three presses. The largest and best eauipp' ed press of the three which was tht plant of the Alabama Compress and Storage Company was destroyed by fire last spring. Even at that time the Atlantic Compress Company oper. ated all the presses of Montgomery Inasmuch as the company controlled the other two presses of Montgomery the officials of the company did not think that 1t was necessary to the com pany's interest to rebuild the burned plant.
 All the cotton that has como to during tho season has been or will be pressed in the plant of the other two comprcsses whicf were known as the Montgomery Com press and the Mutual Compress. The influx of cotton to Montgomery has been too great for the capacity oi these two presses in the way in which they are now operated. That much cannot be denied.
 A well known cotton man said yes terday:
 If these two presses were run by efficient officials and labor these two presses would De able to meet the de- mands of Montgomery's cotton trade If they were run with night shifts the condition would be relieved. But 1t is not even necessary to operate these presses with night shifts. Together these two presses have a capacity of between 1,500 and 2,000 bales. If both presses had an efficient force of hands they could press in a ten hour day be- tween 1,500 and 2.00o bales of cotton But they don't do it. In fact on a of days during the present sea- son one of the presses has not been in operation and even when both of them have been at work the force which they have has not been efficient. Some days between 600 and 800 bales were pressed"
 Is Injuring Montgomery.
 While the congested condition Of the cotton trade of Montgomery Is of vital and direct interest to the shippers of the city 1t has an important bearing upon the warehouse trade. The cot- ton men have no hesitancy in saying that buyers who would naturally do business in Montgomery stay away and operate in other cities. They will not come to Montgomery because they say they can not have their cotton pressed and shipped in time to meet their contracts. They say further that a great deal of cotton which should come to Montgomery is being di- verted to the upbuilding of other towns and cities. The cotton men exception lay the blame upon the compress service of Montgomery.
 The railroads have, so far, come in for no blame. It is possible if all the cotton that has come to Montgomery was turned loose upon the railroads the freight facilities. So far the rail- roads have not gotten enough cotton from Montgomery to embarrass their rolling stock.
 President C. C. Hanson of the com press combination, has heard from the cotton shippers of Montgomery in em- phatic letters. Probably every cot- ton shipper in the city has complained to him of the poor compress service of These communications have in no uncertain terms called his attention to the deplorable cotton sit- uation in Montgomery. It Is under stood that threats have been made that the Atlantic Compress Company would be sued for losses on contracts which could not be filled because the were not in a position to press the cotton in time.
 Complaint of Shipper.
 T have had cotton" said a we'll on the open streets of Montgomery as long as two weeks at a time. exposing not only the cotton but the surround Ing property to danger of fire. That cotton has been sold on contract for delivery at shipside at Savannah on a certain date. l have been unable in any way to have the cotton handled by the local presses with their inadequate torces."
 So far the local receipts this season have been much heavier than they were up to this time last season. The shippers unite in saying. however, that this fact is not responsible for the condition which prevails, It nas contributed onl- in a degree to the situation They say that if the presses were run at anything near their full capacity the increased receipts could nave been freely handled.
 Twice as much cotton has been re- ,eived this season as was received last reason ID to the same date last year jp until Friday night this year. 29.269 bales of cotton had been received in the ocal market. Last year to the same late there had been received l4OS5 bales. During last week l3,101 bales were received in Montgomery. For the week last year 6,Sf5 bales had been received.
 The large increase Is due first to the