The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-28
THE TARE ON COTTON

A UNIFORM SYSTEM IS VERY
BADLY NEEDED BY ALL.
This is Matter Which the Officers
of the Farmers Union Ought to
Look After.
The Progressive Farmer says its
editorials in regard to the six per
cent on cotton bagging have excit-
ed widespread. interest in all parts
of the South, and have brought us
numerous letters and interviews from
cotton buyers and cotton manufac-
turers as we'll as from cotton grow
ers themselves. The lack of infor-
nation concerning this subject Of
cotton tare among all classes in the
South Is nothing less than amaz-
ing, and while we stand ready at
| any time to correct any erroneous
statements of ours in this matter,
none has yet been shown to be an
error, and what follows this edi-
torial is based on the best infor-
nation to be secured.
Our position, then, in regard
to this whole matter should not
be hard to understand. European
manufacturers (who buy nearly 60
per cent Of the American cotton
crop have fixed the tare at 6 per
cent Of the gross weight of the bale.
That Is to say, they allow 80 pounds
tare on a 500-pound bale, or "a
pounds on a 400-pound bale, etc. A
prominent cotton manufacturer tells
us that a rebate is given the eXpor-
ters in case the tare is less than 6
per cent, but this doesn't in any way
affect our position. The facts 30 far
as they have come to light simply
show that the foreign buyers who get
the bulk Of our cotton set prices
with a view to paying for only A70
pounds of lint for each 500-pound
bale.
If the farmer does not put on
this amount of bagging the rebate
goes to the exporter for this short
age when this rebate really belongs
to the farmer. Cotton manufactur-
ers with whom we have talked, and
corresponded. have admitted the
truth of this statement, but have ar
gued that competition is likely to
equalize this matter. In actual prac-
tice, however, the farmer who has
the bale with light weight bagging
usually accepts the prevailing price
per pound for cotton when It is Of
fered him, and does not get the ad-
vantage OF the theoretical compe-
tition among cotton buyers.
What we are pleading for Is a
uniform system. We at least want
the farmer to know what the stan
dards are, so that if his bagging Is
under weight he will get the ad-
vantage and not have the rebate go
only to the exporter. This Is mat
ter which the officers of the Farmers
Union would do well to take up.
Somehow or other one uniform stan
dard must be brought about. With
the foreign spinners fixing the price
i II
for only 47O pounds of lint in bale.
it Is not fair for the cotton buyers
of the South to make an organized
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
largest buyers, are figuring on pay
ing them for 3 1-2 cents bagging
and ties.
We notice that some South Caro-
lima papers are advocating smaller
bales. Since % pounds of tare Is
allowed by the buyers, farmers are
urged to make only 40O-pound bales
on which 22 pounds of tare would
give nearly the full 6 per cent which
| the foreign mills allow. This, how
ever, is not a satisfactory plan,
either for farmer or for the manu-
facturers. There ought to be de-
finite understanding between the
farmers organization and the manu-
facturers organization as to the
amount of care to be allowed on each
bale and the present double stand
ard system with all Of its irregu-
larities, uncertainties and losses for
ever done away with.
If the tare were less than per
cent, but uniform and unvarying.
prices would soon be adjusted TO
compensate for the increased per-
centage Of lint in n bale, but with
the recent double standard system,
the farmer gets caught between the
upper and under millstonee and has
lost thousands and thousands OF dol
lars as result. AS we see 1t, II
6 per cent tare Is to be recognized
standard by European manufacturers
and it has been the standard so
long that manufacturers tell US it
would be almost impossible to
change it-then the American stan