Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-09-03
SHARP PRACTICE
On cor TON TARE
lContluued from PAGE One

81 ut ne IAlFn 'IUuhAlg % IL
pounds he does this by patching.
that IL placing strips bagging on the
bale A small part OF such patching
Is usually necessary 10 cover SAMPLE
holes. However. since the exporter
In max ng out bis invoice must de-
duct . per cent he frequently goeS
further and adds tare up 70 al least
8 per ent Of the total weight Of
the bales, sometimes be adds even
more tran Is necessary
"Oby ousIy. IL the exporter makes
a comp etc adjustment In the price.
and also adjusts by adding tare. he
makes "a profit on such added tare
IT, hos yer, complete adjustment b.
not made in the price. this addition
OF tare becomes simply a means OF
protection against loss. although IN
the trade u is usually spoken Of az
prof. on patching
Granting that the price OF cotton
Is in u0 way affected by the per
cent IN es. 10 Is nevertheless highly
Objectionable. II results In chang
ing the gross weight Of the bale and
thus introduces an ayoidable element
OF chan o. both as 10 the actual
weight ~ cotton 10 be paid for and
as 10 price
As result OF this . per cent
rule. the commissioner estimates
that at east 90 per cent OF American
eXportaf ons OF cotton are oyer-tar-
ed and hat an insignificant proper
ton OF the remainder is under-tared
II IL this use OF unnecessary tare.
says tho report that Injects uncer-
tainty and fraud into the cotton
business
This uncertainty adds the re-
port strikes al the basic factor OF
every transaction. namely, the
amount Of the commodity actually
sold u In effect establishes a false
standard of weights with the newt
ably unfortunate consequences of
such condition II thus gives Nh
advantage 10 q skilled class OF speci-
alists who best understand the com.
plicated details OF the business. with
a corresponding disadvantage 20 the
less expert u is not sufficient 10
say that competition among these
skilled classes often forces them 20
turn over the benefit OF this false
measure 20 the producer II is not
seriously conteuded that this is al
WAYS SO. and there is thus ever pres
cnt the open door 10 fraud There
Is always the invitation 10 cotton
merchants 10 adopt improper prac-
tices, and there is thus enticed into
the trade class of men who bring
discredt upon honest merchants
This i not only theoretically so. but
10 is actually so Buyers OF cotton
both iu this country and abroad are
constantly finding themselves iurol-
we'd .n transactions whore shippers
have taken advantage of these op-
por'uniiies 10 defraud.
The ideal remedy for an these
evils Mr. Conant concludes. is the
Standardization OF tare 10 be put on
a bale OF cotton by making il a def
niie or readily ascertaiuable amount.
so wat the net weight may be- deter
mined without controversy or test
The present careless and Irregular
methods of covering cotton. 10 the
evils are allowed 90 20 uncorrected.
he declares seem likely 20 invite leg
islat.on
Pending the adoption of
thorough remedy. the commissioner
believes substantial benefits will ac-
cruo hy modifying the per cent
contract so as 10 provide for de-
ductIon OF per cent or some other
percentage more accurately repre-
senting the amount of covering ac-
ually necessary 20 protect the cot
ton The requirements OF the con
tract be- says. should certainly be
Identical with the allowance estab-
lished hy the rules under an actual
test
There would Doe a great saving. the
report SAYS. n the cotton could be-
compressed az the gin Under tho
present practice the staple is pressed
an the Gin and later compressed to
greater density at numerous estab-
Iishments scattered over the cotton
belt COMPRISING az the gin. ne
says. would encounter opposition
from the owners OF congresses be- .
cause i' would destroy their bust .
ness Furthermore. he adds II
would boz Impractical az this time be- .
ause 70 would require "a capital ont
lay OF ar least 10000 900 10 equIr
gins with congresses Nevertheless
boz believes. this IS an ultimate ideal
condition 20 which the cotton trade
must look forward.