The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-15
LETTER ON COTTON BaGGING
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 baling cottons to
come to perfect understanding about
cotton bagging for the coming season.
nave had a good many years ex-
per1ence, but always at the mercy of
the Jute bagging manufacturers, as
well as the mercantile companies, who
were the distributors for the jute fac
tories, and | can truthfully say that
when there was big crop to gin the
1ute bagging always went up as high
as IL and 1917 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, it looks to
me as if every ginner would be anx-
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 it was al
most prohibited and thousands Of
bales were wrapped in old gunny
sacks, oct sacks and oSenburg, and it
! was at this time that Odenheimer
came TO the farmers rescue and made
a good cotton bagging which run tbs
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 has
price lifting effect; in other words,
increases the capacity to consume as
we increase prices.
To get back to the subject of cotton
bagging, / hope that the farmers,
ginners, in fact, everyone who really
wants to do something to better the
condition of cotton prices, and the
country generally, will take up this
bagging question and decide it, and
stand by the decision we make,
though the heavens fall. had per-
feet understanding last year and got
the bagging for my own customers
and arranged with Mr.. Peet Of Jack
son to supply those of my community
that ginned their cotton at Madison
station | do not think there was
more than six or seven bales wrapped
with cotton in this vicinity. There
should be an arrangement made that
would be binding legally, that carries
or fixes a penalty so that everyone
who signs it would have to stand to
the rack, fodder. | see that some say
that the cotton bagging will not hold.
Neither will jute bagging, the way cot
ton is handled AS an evidence, just
go to the compress where cotton is
handled and see the condition of the
bales wrapped in jute bagging and
you will be convinced.