Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1905-04-21
WAREHOUSES; FOR
COTTON STORAGE
PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN COT
TON ASSOCIATION
WRITES LETTER ON SUBJECT
Is Of Interest to Nearly Every Line Of
Business in the South and Deserving
of Careful Consideration and Action
By all Interested.

The question Of proper warehouse
facilities for the purpose of market
ing the cotton crop of the south is at
tracing 2 ssseat deal of attention now,
and in a number of places the proper
warehouses are being constructed so
that The cotton can be safely held in
definitely. President Harvie Jordan
OF the Southern Cotton Association
who has made a careful study Of the
warehouse matter has written an ar
entire soutah has been directed to the
expresses his ideas on the question and
gives some sound advice. Mr.. Jordan
says:
"During the recent extensive cotton
holding movement the attention OF the
enire south has been directed to the
Importance Of devising better facili-
ties for handling the cotton crop. Just
now the bankers, farmers, merchants,
cotton manufacturers and cotton fac
tors are particularly interested in the
construction of a system of modern,
up-to-date warehouses which will bet
ter facilitate the handling and caring
for the future cotton crops to be
grown throughout the entire cotton
belt.
"The want Of proper storage quar-
ters to protect the several million
bales Of cotton which have been held
since the heavy depression in the price
on December 3rd has proven conclu-
sively to the south that in order to
market our great staple crop slowly,
it is absolutely essential that better
system be provided. Hundreds of
thousands of bales Of cotton have been
marketed during the past two months
because the staple was being injured
by exposure to the rain, sunshine and
wind. Most of this cotton, which has
gone forward to the markets of the
country at price hardly represent
ing its cost Of production, would have
still been in the hands of sthe owners
{ If proper storage quarters had been
provided.
ain the southwest especially, cotton
is stored in what is known as cotton
yards, few acres being fenced off
and the cotton simply laid out on the
ground-in many instances with no
provision made to keep the bales from
coming directly in contact with the
moisture of the earth. In a great
many cases such cotton when sold is
in badly damaged condition and
has to be picked by the buyers at
heavy loss to the owners. The losses
sustained on cotton stored in this way
without any provision for shelter has
been sufficient TO have provided splen-
did warehouse facilities in a great
many sections.
"In addition to the loss sustained
by damage or rot Of the staple, insur-
ance can only be had at very high
rate of from 1-2 to per cent, which
in itself is prohibitive. In addition
to such losses and expenses, the rate
of interest on borrowed money carries
with it risk which forces the buyer
20 secure loans at heavy charge upon
his collateral by the bankers. Such
system is primitive in its nature and
should no longer be permitted in this
day of Goth century methods of doing
business.
sit is well established fact that
the south cannot handle the cotton
crop properly without frst-class sys-
TEN of properly constructed warehous-
es. This is an essential feature in
moving the cotton crop slowly so as
to restrict the supply to the legitimate
demand of the mills for consumption.
cit therefore makes the hardship
doubly hard to bear by the producer
Yet he alone is responsible for this
condition of affairs and has no right
to complain at the demand made by
the buyers. This is perhaps the prin-
cipal reason why cotton in the south
west is today selling for at least sixty
points per bale less than cotton in the
old states where better warehouse ia
ciliiies have been in use for several
years.v