Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-30
THE TARE QUESTION.

1t would not be fair to say that the
tare law passed at the recent session
of the general assembly-the law that
allows bagging and ties to include 6
per cent of the entire weight Of a bale
Of cotton-has brought about any ac-
tual friction in this county; but still
the situation is not exactly to the lik-
ing of the people interested in the buy
ing end of the proposition, and 1t may
be some time before the matter regu-
lates itself satisfactorily.
Under the law the producer Of the
cotton is allowed to put on covering
bagging and ties-up to six per cent Of
the weight of the bale, and the buyer
is not allowed to dock the bale or 9TH
erwise discount the price on account
of the alleged excess bagging. He
must buy the cotton at it's gross weight
or not at all, so far as excess bagging
is concerned.
The new law has it's origin in the
fact that Liverpool and other foreign
markets allowed 80 pounds of tare to
the bale. On a five hundred pound
bale for instance, they allow 30 pounds
for baggng and ties and pay for the
bale the same as if there were 500
pounds of actual cotton. With this
fact established the lawmakers have
there is any profit in the difference be-
tween the total amount of tare allowed
and the actual weight of the baggng
and ties on the bale, that this profit
should go to the producer instead OF
the middle men, who handle the cotton
on it's way from the producer to the
spinner.
This theory" said a cotton dealer to
the writer, a few days ago, would be
all right If it comprehended all the
facts, but it does not comprehend the
facts properly. 1t is a fact that Liv-
erpool allows 30 pounds of tare on
500 bale of cotton; but that is all that
| is allowed. So take a bale of cotton
here with 30 pounds of tare on it. Be-
| fore it can be exported it has to be
compressed. That requires two more
| ties, weighing three pounds and two to
three pounds of bagging with which to
patch the holes cut by samplers and
close up other exposed places. This is
required by the insurance people. At
| ter this has been done, your cotton goes
on to Liverpool with &c pounds of tare
and the Liverpool people will only pay
| for 80 pounds. The people who put on
| the extra ties and the patches, be-
cause they were compelled to do 1t
have lost that much. If the cotton had
been marketed originally with not more
than "a pounds of tare. there would
have been no loss or injustice any
where.
| Now. of course, this same thing
does not apply in exactly the same
way to cotton consumed in the home
trade; but it is just as embarrassing
Against the 30 pounds of tare allowed
| by the Liverpool spinners, the home
spinners allow only 90 pounds. Their
| maximum is small. because there Is
no compressing to be done and nC
patching. 1t is about right.
"Of course. it can be argued that the
South Carolina mills can he forced to
obey the law and pay for full per
cent tare: but that is not strictly cor
rect. The South Carolina law does not
apply to Georgia and cotton may be
bought i'm Georgia with the under
standing that there is to be only q
pounds of bagging and ties TO the bale
| Every buyer naturally tries to buy tC
| his own best advantage, and he would
go to Georgia, rather than buy extra
bagging and ties that he does not need
| in South Carolina.
But as a matter Of fact" concluded
the cotton buyer, there has been very
| little disposition to take advantage ol
| the new law. Only a few bales are be-
| ing offered with more than 22 pounds
of bagging and ties on them, and there
is not much reason to fear serious
| complications. The matter Will regu-
| late itself"