The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-09-26
CRUSHERS AROUSED
Over Export Losses Caused
by Foreign Tariff.
HOLD SPECIAL MEETING
Convention in New Orleans Will At
tempt to Have Duties on Cotton
Seed Products Lowered-Ex-
pert Benton Reports.

Facts from both sides in the con-
troversy as to why southern cotton
seed products exporters lose thou
sands of dollars monthly from negli-
gent handling Of their goods in steam
ships were presented at Mondays ex-
traordinary session of the Interstate
Cotton Seed Crushers' Association in
New Orleans.
Action was taken to combat for
eign tariffs, which are claimed to
have cut down southern business in
these products by 100000 annual
ly. The convention nominated Albert
G. Perkins of Memphis, Tenn, for
United States expert abroad on the
subject of cotton seed products. This
nomination is to be an appointment
which will be made by Secretary
Strauss of the department of COM
merce and labor. Professor H.
Connell of Dallas, Texas, was the
only other candidate for nomination.
Mr.. Perkins succeeds J. L. Benton OF
Monticello, Ca, resigned.
MIR. Benton reported to the conven.
ton his observations upon the causes
of the losses of southern shippers.
Mr.. Benton told of the enormous
waste in cotton seed products, due
to careless handling by steamship
lines, and of the loss to American
shippers thereby, estimated as high
as $1,O00,00O in single year. AS an
example of how this waste occurred
he said:
I'VE find in New Orleans today
waiting for export 5000 tons of meal
from five different firms. This meal
includes Eve different brands. OF
| the total amount 1000 tons Of it is
choice meal. The remaining 1000
tons is dark, badly ground and with
an excess of lint and hulls. All
this meal is loaded into vessel at
New Orleans without regard to the
classification shown on the marks in
dicating the brands. AS result it
| is pretty well scattered over the ship.
Since this cargo. does. not fill the
| boats capacity, a few thousand bar
| rels of cotton seed oil are rolled in on
ton of the meal. A few of the barrels
break. a few of the sacks are torn,
and both cargoes, oil and meal, are
more or less damaged.
Upon unloading, the meals sacks
are 4loisted by a single rope from the
hold of the vessel and are dragged
along the floor until they reach the
warehouse, by which time several
more bags are broken. Having been
loaded without regard to brands, the
| meal is unloaded in the same man
ner.! So many bags, moreover, nave
been ruined that it is useless to at
tempt to collect the cargo according
to it's classification. Instead, the
meal is piled indiscriminately IN
heaps of a ton each of mixed meal
for weighing and sampling. The loose
meal from the broken bags is appor-
toned to those piles which may be
| short in weight. At this stage, car
60 which left the United States con-
sisting of 4,0C0 tons Of choice meal
and 1000 tons of off meal, is now
reduced to all one grade, and that the
worst There is just enough lint and
hulls in it to cause reclamation.
The importer therefore does not
get the grade he has bought. If we
could guarantee him the grade we
could get more for southern, cotton
seed cake than is paid for any other
cake in the world
MIR. Benton said it will be dlf1'
cult task to extend southern cotton
seed products trade abroad until the
delivery is improved.