Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-15
THE QUESTION OF COTTON TARE.
Subject 10 Discussed by Progressive
Farmer In Further Detail,

Our editorials in regard to the 6 per
cent tare on cotton bagging have ex-
cited widespread interest in all parts
OF the south, and have brought US nu-
merous letters and interviews from
cotton buyers and cotton manufactur-
ers as well as from &C ton growers
themselves. The lack Of information
concerning this subject of cotton tare
among all classes IN the south Is moth
ing less than amazing, and while we
sand ready at any time to correct any
erroneous impression we might make,
no statement of ours in this matter
! has yet been shown to be an error,
and what follows In this editorial Is
based on the best information we are
| to secure.
Our position, then, in regard to this
whole matter should not be hard to
understand. European manufacturers
(who buy nearly so per cent Of the
American cotton crop have fixed the
tare at per cent Of the gross weight
Of the bale. That is to say, they al
low 80 pounds tare on 500-pound
bale, or % pounds on a 400-pound
facturer tells US that q rebate is given
the exporter in case the tare Is less
than 6 per cent, but this does not in
any way affect our position. The facts
80 far as they have come to light, SIM
| ply show that foreign buyers who get
the bulk Of our cotton set prices with
view to paying for only 470 pounds
of lint for each 500-pound bale. If
the farmer does not put on this amount
Of bagging the rebate goes to the ex-
porter for this shortage when this re-
bate really belonged to the farmer. Cot
ton manufacturers with whom we have
70 llrad ond oorraon0ndad haua admit =
ted the truth Of this statement, but
have argued that competition is likely
to equalize this matter. In actual prac-
tice, however, the farmer who has the
bale with lightweight bagging usually
accepts the prevailing price per pound
for cotton when 1t Is offered him, and
does not get the advantage Of the the
oretical competition among cotton
buyers.
What we are pleading for is uni
form system. We at least want the
farmer to know what the standards
are, so that IL his baggins is under
weight he will get the advantage and
not have the rebate go only to the ex-
porter. This is a matter which the Of
ficers Of the Farmers Union would do
well to take up. Somehow or other
one uniform standard must be brought
about. With the foreign spinners fix
ing the price for cotton with view
to paying for only 470 pounds Of lint
in bale 1t Is not fair for the cotton
buyers of the south to make an or
ganized effort to have the farmers use
only twenty-five pounds Of bagging-
that is to say, to have the farmers put
in eight pounds Of 12-cent cotton
where the European spinners, our lars-
est buyers, are figuring on paying them
for 81 cents bagging and ties.
We notice that some South Carolina
papers are advocating smaller bales.
Since % pounds Of tare are allowed by
the buyers, farmers are urged to make
only 400-pound bales on which %
pounds Of tare would give nearly the
full per cent which the foreign mills
allow. This, however, is not a salts
factory plan either for the farmer or
for the manufacturers. There ought
to be q definite understanding between
the farmers Organizations and the
manufacturers organizations as to the
amount Of tare to be allowed on each
bale and the present double standard
system with all of its Irregularities,
uncertainties, and losses forever done
away with.
II the tare were less than 8 per cent,
but uniform and unvarying, prices
would soon be adjusted to compensate
for the increased percentage Of lint in
a bale, but with the present double
standard system the farmer gets
caught between the upper and neither
millstones and has lost thousands and
thousands Of dollars as a result. AS
we soc 1t, II 6 per cent tare Is to be
the recognized standard by European
manufacturers-and 1t has been the
standard so long that manufacturers
tell us 1t would be almost impossible
to change it-then the American
standard should be revised to accord
with It. In other words, we must have
a uniform system, and the 8 per cent
tare seems to be the only one that can
be agreed upon.-Progressive Farmer.