The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-21
COTTON PLATFORM CONDITION.
ONLY REMEDY AT PRESENT Is
TO KEEP COTTON OFF THE
MARKET.
What Some of Those Who are In
teresscd I'm the Matter Have to Say
unprecedented Receipts OF Cot.
ton.

prscedented amount or cotton being
unloaded on the market at one time
and scarcity OF labor are the proba-
BILE causes Of the congested condi-
tions at the cotton platform and the
weishers' stand. Probably the last
two are the real causes Of conditions
as they are at the platform.
The cotton platform and compress
when II was first established was re-
euired By law to furnish space for
1000 bales OF cotton to be placed on
end. This law was fully complied
with and. moreover. space on the
platform between this original plat
form and the railroad track was
built sufhcisnt to hold approximately
2.so0 more bales OF cotton. Both Of
these platforms are now crowd ID
with cotton. probably more than 81
600 bales Of cotton being on them at
the present time. and possibly as
much as 5000 bales. Besides this
spsce on the cotton platform. the
platform OF the Southern Railway
company is almost entirely covered
with cotton. and there are nearly q
thousand bales lying on tho Atlantic
Coast Line platform. In all. Il IL
probable that at the present
time there are somewhere In the
neighborhood OF 5000 bales of cot.
ton on the various platforms used
for cotton. the majority Of which cot
ton was sold In this city. Every
platform is blocked so that II Ii hard
10 get around on 1t and at the same
time more cotton Is coming In all Of
the time 20 keep the platforms 81
full an they now are. While some
cotton In going out. about the same
amount is coming In. All OF the side
track space is lined with cars Of
1e<eca shipped into Sumter To be .sold
and weighed here or to be stored In
the warehouse. Some OF the cars are
being unloaded and the cotton weigh
ed. while at the same time these cars
are being loaded with other cotton to
be shipped to export buyers.
What IN responsible for there be-
ins no space for cotton on the platform
and why II Is that cars OF cotton have
TO stand on the side-track several
days. or even weeks. before the cot
ton can be unloaded and weighed
was question that the reporter for
the Item asked and which was an
swered In various ways by those par
ties through whose hands the cotton
had to pass.
The farmers stated that the trouble
In lack OF weighers. They complain
bitterly Of having to wait so long In
line before their cotton can be weigh
ed. Some OF them stated that they
had to remain In town several days
before they get their cotton unload
ell from the cars In which they had
shipped II from nearby points. One
farmer stated that he had even gone
20 far as TO get two white boys to
help MIN and ne had himself trucked
his cotton so that II could be hand
led promptly.
One of the weighcrs said that there
were two things that caused the con-
gestion. The weighers could not get
SUFFICIENT truckers and the railroads
do not move the cotton promptly.
He said that II was probable that
they could get men to work for them.
but a competent trucker was a hard
thing to get. and at present the
weishers could weigh twice as much
cotton each day IL they had the need =
ed number OF truckers.
But here is what the railroads say
to this. They say they get the cotton
on as fast as II is turned over to
them. but that II generally takes the
big buyers several days TO get their
cotton I'm line. and marked and grad
ed. before II can be turned over to
the railroads for shipment. and. In
the meantime. the platform space is
crowded. II was also stated that they
have sufficient labor to handle all of
the cotton as Il Is shipped I'm or turn
ed over TO them to be shipped out.
Tho only trouble that they have had
was cotton being mixed when 1t was
sent In here from nearby points and
the railroads had to straighten out
the tangles.
Hut the cotton buyers do not ex-
actly agree with what the railroads
have To say. One OF the local buy
ers stated that all of the trouble had
been caused by lack Of a sufficient