The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-12-30
THEIR INTERESTS NOT CONSID-
Erred IN HANDLING AND
MARKETING COTTON.
SOME DISCLOSURES STARTLING

Federal Department of Agriculture
Has Conducted Series of nvestiga-
cations That Show Where the
Farmer Loses Out.
There is not a single important
step or process in the entire cotton
handling and marketing scheme
which owes its origin to a special con-
sideration of the producers inter-
ests" is one of the conclusions re-
ported by the office of markets of
the United States department Of ag-
riculture in its bulletin No. SO, Of
November 18th, 1913, on Studies of
Primary Cotton Market Conditions in
Oklahoma" This bulletin can be OBJ
tanned free as long as the supply lasts
by application to the department.
Canvass of Oklahoma.
These studies began in October,
1912. They have covered 103 cotton
market towns of Oklahoma, involved
the sampling Of over 5000 bales OF
cotton with records of date, place Of
sale, and price paid to the grower.
They also involved careful grading
and stapling Of these samples, and
close comparison between the prices
paid to the grower and the actual diff
ferences in grades. AS a result of
these studies the investigators find
that practically every feature of the
handling and marketing system is re-
tanned because of the insistence of
some one of the numerous middle
men and carriers who have at best
only a temporary interest in cotton.
Even the spinners' desire for a better
bale kept under shelter until it is
shipped to the mill and with a cover
ing which would keep the cotton
clean and dry is Systematically ig-
nored.
Investigation Is Widened.
These conditions apply to many
other cotton markets in the South.
Partly as a result of the findings the
Office of markets is now conducting
Investigations in eighty typ
ical local marketing points through
out the cotton belt.
The investigation showed the fol
lowing conditions: Actual quality
above middling has little effect on
the price paid to the producer, be-
cause
(a) In general, the ginners, who |
buy large proportion of the cotton,
pay very nearly the same price for
all cotton purchased on a given day. |
Oh In many street markets even |
where there are large number Of !
buyers widely differing prices are
paid on the same day for bales of
identical quality. There is no uni |
form price even for middling cot
ton.
(c) The differences fixed by Ok |
lahoma firms allow only about one
half as much premium for grades
above middling as do the differences
of the New York fixed difference sys- !
tenn.
Cd In actual street puying the |
premiums paid for bales grading /
above middling are far less than the
locally advertised differences for such |!
grades. In some cases the bulk Of
the cotton is bought as middling for
weeks at time, when a large ma
jority of the bales are actually above !
that grade.
(e) Except in the southeastern |
part of the state no attention is paid !
to length of staple in fixing the price
Of the individual bale, but certain |
regions receive slightly higher prices
than others because of reputed supe-
riority Of average staple.
(f) The cotton trade in Oklahoma !
recognizes no grade above good mid
ding, although many thousand bales !
of higher grades are produced.
From these conditions it is appar-
ent, the investigators say, that aeeu-
rate knowledge of cotton grading is
of little value to the producer in
marketing his individual crop under
present conditions. The prices paid
to farmers both for seed cotton and
for lint are too largely based on a
system of averages. This works great
injustice to the producer of the best
grades, and discourages careful pick
ing and Improvement Of varieties in
length of staple. The greatest losses
to the farmers under the present sys-
tenn of marketing appear to lie in
their failure to secure the premium
for their high grades which these
bales finally bring.
No Compensation Coming.
The farmer is not a party to the
neglect which results in most of the
country damage hut he receives no