The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-21
FARMERS
UNION NEWS
frhc.hcai Thoughts for Practical
Farmers.
'Oohuected by T.. w. Dabbs. Pres
ident 5. c. Farmers Union.)


some Random Thoughts
Since the addresses and warehouse
Dill OF tile Farmers Union were pub
llshed last Monday. Senator Smith
mas sent ma specia! Consular Reports,
62nd Congress. 2nd session. r. F.,
Document No 81. 1t would have
been helpful to the committee in pre-.
pairing the address. if the facts in
this reporL had been before it.
Ihls report vas IN response to an
appeal addressed to the President and
Congress from the commissioners Of.
agriculture of Georgia, accompanied
by copy of resolution by the
Georgia Legislature alleging injustice
TO cotton growers of the South by the
tare system applied to- American cot
ton at European ports. 1t was al
legged in this that the excess tare cost
the cotton growers an average of one
dollar per bale, thereby sacrificing
approximately II million dollars an
nually on the average cotxon crop of
the South.
Secretary IF State Knoz directed
the conluls at the l3 principal cotton
ports Of Great Britain and The eou-
tinent to make personal Mestiga-
tOns: to acertain the facts, with re-
spect TO the ''tare' charged against
American. ana other cotton exc.
These repGEt.s are SO repletts with
Interest that | commend them tn the
careful consideration of the Cssorgia
General. Assfs.1nBly and that they
be transmitted - the proper auIfiDr-
itiRs' in all the coti0E States* ~Ard
l had. the honor to suggest tha ad-
visibility OF legislation ideniicaG or
the part of ali the States Interested
in. the production oc' cotton. to. the
end, that, uniform methods might. nre-
shipment whereby the weight and
kind Of bands and covering would be-
standardized throughout the South"
Ihe above extracts are from the. tst-
ter of Secretary of State Knox. To
Hon. W.. G. Branties- CT Georgisn Of
date. December 9th. 1911. The dpeu-
ment covers A. pages and is reDlete.
with information as TO the. conditions
of American and. otl-ssr cotton when
unloaded on the docisa, Of EErope
-
There is only time this morning to
mentiDa. few of th4 prominsnE fea-
lures Of the report On page Il il IS
shown that on account Of the unnec-
essary baggilg, the compressiEg, ad-
ditional freight and insurance.
amounts To $1.S36 yer bale. 'rhis is
a dead loss. not offset by anything. To
save it by standardhing the bale, and
putting. il on the market like. the
Egyptian bale. would mean on
South Car9lina's average crop Of -
100000 bales $2-2O3,OO per annum
This in One year EOuld pay for all the
cost Of tAe charges that gould have
to be made in. our present irregular
haling methods. and leave profit
and thereafter would be clear gain
One of the complaints from Havre
There is constant tendency in
American cotton, and. especially in
cotton from the state of Georgia. 20
place additional baggtng on the bale.
This frequeutly rurs to an extrava-
giant weight sometir.,es as high as 40
pounds on bale. Not Only extra
bagging. hut refuse OF various kinds
is likely 10 be found in the bale"
wonder If any of our people are
50 blind as not to be able 10 see that
the price is fixed by the export buy
er to protect himself against all these
contingencies; and that there is an
additional loss over and above the ac-
tual exprnsr above mentioned. which
amply protects the dealers all along
the line? From time to time | hope
10 give more extracts from this VAL
uahle report. r w. L..