The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-25
Oil Manufacturer Com.
mends Position of Sen
ator Simmons
DENIES THERE IS TRUST
A Tariff on Cotton Seed Oil Would
Largely Prevent Competition Among
Buyers to the Detriment of Cotton


Buyers to the Detriment of Cotton
Growers.
10 the Editor: 1t was with much in
terest / read the article in your today's
issue under the above heading. Like
Senator Simmons and all men of COM
mon sense and good Judgment l want
q day placed on Gotten seed oil as a
protection to the cotton seed oil mills
of the South and to the farmers of the
South. The cotton of the
South Will not be glad to have Ger
many as a bidder for their cotton seed
SO the trust cannot control the price.
There is no trust. there are two large
companies operating in the South but
there is no trust, no com controls
the seed any more than my p
does. l am an independent mill oper-
atCr and the larger companies no more
control the supply of seed than my
miIl. Those Senators who are reSpon-
sih,e for putting cotton oil on free list
haVa not the best interests of the South
or the interests Of the cotton armer
at heart and are not fit to represent
the South. Why talk about exporting
cotton seed When>there is not enough
OF seed in certain districts in the
South to supply local mills? To put
cotton seed oil on the free list is an
unjust insult to the Southern oil mill
man and farmer and is indeed a very
hazardous course to pursue.
What will be the result of this mis-
take Of our Sll~Ort-Sighted representa-
tives who are totally ignorant of the
practical side of the cotton oil bust
ness? 1t will be that Germany and
other countries will buy our seed, and
in turn ship the oil produced there
from back to his country. l pea
that the Southern farmer does not re-
Qui~e a greater market for his cotton
seed, he can sell all he makes at
home. The mills at home can use all
the seed produced, then why export
it? IT is time hat the cotton seed oil
mill interests took a stan against such
steps as placing cotton seed oil on the
free list by men who know nothing
about the matter. Any sane man can
see to put in force such a measure
would be in favor of the foreign buyer
of our seed and against our Southern
farmers and oil mills. Let every Oil
mill operator and farmer put up a
strong fight against such a measure
being passed by a few men who are
not practical in their views upon a
practical question.
ARCHIBALD MELDRUM,
Cotton oil mill operator
Zebulon, n. c., May %.
The Southern farmer knows he
Will get the highest price for his seed
if there are many competitors in the
buying market han 4 few. If a man
in Germany will pay more for the cot
ton seed than a mill in Raleigh or
ZebuIon, and pay freight on them
across the ocean. it is to the interest
Of the cotton farmers to sell to the
highest bidder no matter where he
lives. If American cotton SEED oil
mills cannot meet his competition,
+Iaco Il, 30 r, tito flo, IN tovino oil
consumers of the oil to insure them a
monopoly of the trade. The pro-
posed tax is indefensible from any
standpoint except to give a monopoly
to the oil mills. 1t may be that there
are a handful of independent oil mills.
the trust permitting a a few OF then,
to do a small business like the trus'
tolerates a few independent factories in
order to tr%uthfully say they do not
control the whole Business. But it vii
be remembered that a few years ago
they nearly all felt it necessary to sell
out to the trust. The safety of the
farmers and is not giving
the cotton seed oil mills a monopoly.
Those Southern Senator'S, who saw the
danger in the trust. and were wise
enough and patriotic enough to refuse
to give the mills a monopoly, may not
be- practical" in the eyes Of the owner
of the cotton seed mills. But they are
patriotic and are standing for a correct
policy and refusing to legislate for
any special interest or particular sec
ton. Mr.. Aldrich's bait to the South
looked pretty. and some fish Nigh,
oi'e. But Senators who know rha