The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-04-15
ROB FARMERS; Want MORE.
COTTON EXCHANGE DENOUNCED
RAGING AND TIE TRUST.
Would Check Rapacity. Which Would
Increase Duty and Thus Mulct
Growers OF Millions.

New Orleans. April 10.-That the
cotton bagglng and tie trust. now
robbing the American cotton planter
OF s1.000.000 annually through un-
just tariff placed upon bagging and
ties, are planning to increase their
own cotton crop to s2.S00,O0O an
nually Is declared in resolution adopt
cd today by the New Orleans
cotton exchange. The resolu-
ttons appeal to congress to
place bagging and ties on the free
list and urge the enactment of the
necessary legislation at the present
extra session of congress.
w. Il. Thompson president of the
cotton exchange. In letter, which
he addressed to each member of con-
gress. tells of the great Importance to
the South of this alleged tariff steal.
He says In part:
"The cotton crop OF the South
yields an average of about 100000
bales or this total approximately
nve-eights. or 100000 bales, rep
resenting an average money value of
over $500. 100000 are exported and
exchanged for foreign gold. The mere
statement Of these facts attests the
importance of the cotton producing
Industry. emphasizes the obligation,
which the country at large owes the
producer of this crop and establishes
his right to at least just treatment at
the hands OF the general law making
power.
Under the present tariff law, the
duty on steel cotton ties amounts to
81 cents per bale. OF s324.000 on a
crop OF 100000 bales. This tariff
is prohibitive, as is shown by the fact
that no steel ties are imported.
Therefore the government tax consti-
tutes simply and solely tribute levied
upon the cotton farmer for the bene-
fit OF the cotton tie trust.
The duty on jute bagging imposed
by the present tariff law amounts to
IA cents per bale OF $500 on
q crop OF 100000 bales. This
tariff Is to a large extent prohibitive
inasmuch as II yields only about
100000 in revenues to the govern
ment. The balance OF about $685.
900 constitutes tribute paid by the
cotton farmer to the bagging trust.
"But the bagging trust is not salts
fed with its share of this tmpost.
It desires to raise the duty to a figure
which will not only prevent the gov
ernment from receiving any revenue
therefrom. but will enable the trust
TO take from the farmer four times
as much as 4. has been able to take
heretofore.
This trust has recently made a
technical test case based upon a ques-
tion OF chemical analysis, and has Sc
cured q ruling thereon from the board
OF general appraisers In New York,
which will change the duty on import
cd bagging from the present rate.
which amounts to about Ia cents
per bale. TO an ad valorem duty,
which will amount to about 21 cents
per bale. This means an increase
from s600,000 on the crop to prac-
tically s2,5oo,000. all OF which the
trust will collect from the farmer
without any division with the govern
ment.
Thus under the payne-Aldrich
law as heretofore interpreted, the cot
ton producer has borne tie burden OF
q ss5o.ooo yearly tax on ba.ging and
ties and II the chemical interpreta-
ton holds, he will hereafter be
mulcted In the yearly sum Of s2,800.-
600 for his baillng materials, all Of
which goes into the treasures of the
bagging and tie trusts.
From this II will appear that not
only the proposed outrage, but the
present tax on bagging ard ties is in
adequate and wrong: and because the
Western farmer has. and has had for
more than Is years. his binder twines
on the free list. the tax upon the
southern farmer stands condemned
on the additional discrimir ation."