Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-09-05
COMMITS REPORT
ON COTTON TARE
(Continued from page one.(

JuSIeQ IN TIE prize NuiCh (hS g
porter asks for his cotton. The
commissioner does not entirely agree
with this view and says that the
practical result of the rules has
peen that the exporter adds unnec-
essary tare to his cotton.
"The exporter" he says, "natur-
ally adds tare up to the amount al
lowed by the rules troughly 70 -
pounds. He does this by patch
ing that is placing strips Of bag
ging on the balls. A small part q
such patching is usually necessar!
to cover sample holes. However
since the exporter in making out hi
invoice must deduct s per cent, nc
frequently goes further and adds
up to at least 6 per cent or the
total weight Of the bales; sometimes
he adds even
obviously, if the exporter makes
a complete adjustment in the price
and also adjusts by adding tare, n
makes a profit on such added tare
If, however, complete adjustment j.
not made in the price, this addition
Of tare becomes simply a means o
protection against loss, although II
the trade it is usually spoken Of a.
a profit on patching.
Granting that the price Of cot.
"
ton is in no way affected by the
per cent rule, it is nevertheless high
lly Objectionable. 1t results II
changing the gros sweight Of tn
bale and thus introduces an avoid
able element Of chance both as to tn
actual weight of cotton to be pait
for and as to price,
AS a result of this 6 per cent rule
the commissioner estimates that q
least 80 per ctn of American export
tations of cotton are over-tared an
that an in ignificant proportion O
the remainder are under-tared. j
IS this use Of Unnecessary tare tina
injects uncertainty and possibl'
fraud nto the cotton business.
"This uncertainty" adds the re.
port, strikes at the basic factor q
every transaction, namely, tn
amount of the commodity actuall'
sold. 1t in effect establishes a fals
standard of weights with the newt
ably unfortunate consequences o
such a condition. It thus gives a.
advantage to a skilled class Of spec
~ialists who best understand the con
plicated details of the business, wit
a corresponding disadvantage to tn
less expert. 1t is not sufficient {
say that the competition anon
these skilled classes often force
them to turn over the benefits q
this false measure TO the producer
1t is not seriously contended tina
this is always so, and there is thu
ever present the open door to fraud
There is always the invitation L
cotton merchants to adopt impropel
practices, and there is thus enticeC
into the trade a class Of men who
bring discredit upon honest mer
chants. Buyers of cotton both IL
this country and abroad are con.
stantly finding themselves involved
in transactions where shippers hav'
taken advantage Of these opportuni
ties to defraud."
The ideal remedy for all these
evils, Mr.. Conant concludes is tn
Standardization of tare to be put o
a bale Of cotton by making it a def
mite or readily ascertainable amount
so that the net weight may be DE-
termined without controversy 0
test. The present careless and irregu
lar method Of covering cotton, If tn
evils are allowed to 60 uncorrected
seem likely to invite legislation.
Pending the adoption Of a thor
ough remedy, the commissioner be
lieves substantial benefits will &C
crue by modifying the s per cen
contract SO as to provide for a de
duction Of ) per cent or some otheI
percentage more accurately repre-
senting The amount of covering act
ually necessary to protect the cot
ton. The requirements of the con
tract should certainly be identica
with the allowance established b.
the rules under an actual test.
There would be a great saving
the report says, if the cotton coulC
be compressed at the gin. Unde,
the present practice the staple il
pressed at the gin and later com
pressed to a greater density at mum
erous establishments scattered Owe
the cotton belt. COMPRISING at TIL
gin, he says, would encounter or.
position from the owners Of com
presses because it would DESTROY
their business. furthermore, h.
adds, it would require a capital out
lay of at least a billion dollars Il
esuip gins with congresses. Never
theless, he believes, this is an ulti
mate idaal condition to which thu
cotton trade must look forward.
TX x = X X " !; y Y X X X X X J