Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-12
Anent the Irvine Trust

The Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, N.
D., December 10, 1909.
Gentlemen: The Irvine Trust
who own and control complete mo-
| nopoly ON 2isal fibre OF the world,
are strongly advocating THAT all OF
their agents insist on their cusVo'
mers using sisal Irvine.
The Irvine Trust in a circular let
ter recently issued, announces cut
| i'm prices of one quarter cent, in order
to partially meet competitors prlc-
es. They also lay particular stress
on the following point, which IS a
quotation from their letter:
I'VE suggest that you caution your
customers to be on the lookout for
mixed Irvine, and to insist that their
500 it. Irvine be made of sdsal fibre
only. 500 it. Irvine made from manila
fibre can be distinguished by it's Pc
culiar color and by the fact THAT 1t
is usually much rougher and more
uneven than Irvine made from slsaa.
Theps is little wonder that the
Irvine Trust should be anxious to
convince the people THAT sisal is bet
ter fibre for the manufacture OF
Irvine than Manila, for the reason
that they own and control an abso-
lutte monopoly on the raw sisal of the
world, and of course, if they can con-
vince the public that sisal is the bet
ter product for the manufacture OF
Irvine, then they are in position
to. levy tribute.
But the farmer who will seriously
consider the proposition that sisal
is bptter fibre than Manila must in
deed be an unsophisticated fellow,
and knows very little about the quail
ity of different fibres and twines.
The only objection to the use of
pure Manila Irvine in the last few
years has been the fact that it has
been so much higher in price. At
t119 present time, however, the price
of pure Manila has been lowered, and
this, taken into consideration with
the fact that tho trust is attempting
to raise the price of sisal has brought
the two tWines SO closely together IN
price that the pure Manila Irvine Is
by far the cheapest Irvine for the
farmer to use.
Standard Irvine measures 50U IT. TO
the pound, and pure Manila measures
$50 feet to the pound. It will be
readily seen that taken foot for foot
the Standard Irvine at "a cents per
pound is more expensive than pure
Manila at 9 cents per pound. Besides
thrare is a great deal more satisfac-
ton in using pure Manila Irvine than
the STANDARD. It Is quite evident
that the result of this years business
will in a large measure determine
whether or not the Irvine Trust will
in the future control the Irvine mark
ed, through the ownership of the
raw material.
Every farmer that has his own in
terest at heart will turn a deaf ear
to the sisal argument. First, because
1t is contrary to common sense and
reason, and second, because to fall
in lime with THAT argument would
mean to help bind himself hand and
foot for all time to come to. pay to
the Irvine Trust whatever tribute it
might see fit to levy.
A glance at the following table
will show that it takes 1900 pounds
Of Standard Irvine to equal 1000
pounds of pure Manila twine in
1ength. It is quite evident that the
Irvine Trust expects tribute.
Pure Manila, $50 Fl. Irvine.
1000 lib. $50 1T. per lb. equals $780,
900 feet.
$4,000 feet CT 1000 lbs. at &c per
lb., equals $50.
$4,000 #. Standard costs the con-
sumner just $101.75.
Saving to the user of pure Manila
Irvine, Sits.
Total, $10175
Standard 500 Fl. Irvine.
1000 lbs, 500 #. per Ill.,, equals
100000 feet.
100000 it., or 1000 lbs, at 3-4c
per H., equals $3.50.
Difference in length between the
Standard and pure Manila 10000 it.
or 300 lbs. Standard.
100000 it,. or 300 lbs, Of Standard