The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-10-14
LETTER ON COTTON BAGG|NG
Mississippi Man Makes Interesting
Argument in Favor OF Agreement
for Benefit of Farmers.

Now that the season for ginning Is
coming, it is time for all parties who
are interested in ballng cottons to
come to perfect understanding about
cotton bagging for the coming season.
| have had a good many years ex-
perience, but always at the mercy OF
the jute bagging manufacturers, as
we'll as the mercantile companies, who
were the distributors for the jute fac
tories, and I can truthfully say that
when there was a big crop to gin the
jute bagging always went up as high
as II and 1919 cents, writes D. N.
Hearn of Madison, Miss, In Union
Advocate. We had to pay their price
even when the ginning competition
was so sharp that the price of jute
took all the profit, and with this con-
dition of things existing, 1t looks to
me as If every ginner would be anS:~
ious to unite on cotton bagg1ng,
whether they are friendly to the
union or not.
Every farmer, whether union or
nonunion, should demand that all bag
ging should be made Of cotton. That
would consume eight million pounds
Of cotton for a twelve million bale
crop. and there are six or seven fac
tories that have promised to add nine
pounds to the weight Of every bale OF
cotton that we sell them with cotton
bagging on it. That would compen-
safe for the difference in weight, and
if all or nearly all cotton was wrapped
in cotton, the 30.pounds tare would be
taken off.
Away back in the Alliance times the
jute bagging went SO high 1t was al
most prohibited and thousands OF
bales were wrapped In old gunny
sacks, oat sacks and osenburg, and 1t
was at this time that Odenhe1mer
came to the farmers rescue and made
a good cotton bagging which run the
price Of jute bagging as low as four
and five cents. Just think Of the farm
ers having to wrap four-cent cotton IN
fourteen-cent bagging. Now, Mr.. Oden'
heimer is offering to furnish cotton
bagging again, and for one believe
that cotton should be used for cotton
as well as for corn and oat sacks. BY
doing this we would only be making
use of our bad cotton. If we do any
thing to increase the price Of cotton
and cotton goods, the cotton growers
are the ones who are benefited. The
wage Garner is benefited, and that mas
a price lifting effect; in other words
increases the capacity to consume al
we increase prices.
To get back to the subject OF cottol
bagging, hope that the farmers
ginners, in fact, everyone who reall!
wants to do something to better tn
condition of cotton prices, and tn
country generally, will take up thl'
bagging question and decide 1t. ant
stand by the decision we make
though the heavens fall. l had per
feet understanding last year and go
. the bagging for my own customer
= and arranged with Mr.. Peet OF JACK
, son to supply those of my commun1t'
that ginned their cotton at Madison
station. I do not think there wa
, more than six or seven bales wrappe
, with cotton in this vicinity. Ther
: should be an arrangement made tina
would be binding legally, that carrie
or fixes a penalty so that eVeryon
), who signs it would have to stand t
the rack, fodder. see that some sa
that the cotton bagging will not holt
;, Neither will jute bagging, the way CO.
= ton is handled. AS an evidence, Jus
). 20 to the compress where cotton
handled and see the condition OF IN
: bales wrapped in jute baggfng an
YOU will be convinced.