The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-05-16
SAYS NEW LAW
WILL AID THE
COTTON GROWER


Washington, May 11.-Of more
than passing interest to the farmers
of South Carolina, and particularly
the cotton growers, is the measure
introduced and passed through the
efforts of Senator E. d. Smith, re.
quiring the Department Of Agricul.
ture to test the tensile strength, that
is, the yarn-making quality Of each
and every grade of cotton; to bleach
every grade whether in the form OF
yarn or cloth, in order to determine
the cost and the result of the bleach.
ing; to estimate carefully the
amour of waste in each grade Incl
dent to converting it into yarn and
cloth; to estimate carefully the value
of this waste.
From this it will readily be seen
that the result of these experiments
will be of incalculable benefit to the
grower. This measure became a law
at the last session of congress and
the Department of Agriculture is
now engaged in the work of investi-
cation. 1t will give the producer the
requisite knowledge from an impa1-
tial official source of the real COM
mercial value of every grade Of cot
ton.
AS is well known, both the export
and domestic buyers make a differ
ence between middling and the lower
grades from $1.25 to SIS per bale.
The producer had no way of knowing
whether this was right, just or not.
He had to take the word of the
trade. BY virture of this law he will
be furnished bulletin giving him
full knowledge of all these facts. So
that when he comes to market he
will be thoroughly informed as to the
value of every grade in reference toI
its manufacturing value, and will not
have to take the word of an inter.
ested party.
In conjunction with the above law,
the grades have standardized by
the government. Senator Smith has
begun the campaign to have every
shipping point in the cotton-growing
States furnished with set of these
standardized samples, that is, every
shipping point where there is a
sworn weigher or other competent
official to take charge of them. It
can be readily seen that, with the
knowledge furnished by the provision
which is already law, as to the value
of each grade, that if each shipping
point is furnished with set Of SAM
Piles, the farmer who comes to mar
ket to sell is thoroughly equipped
to protect himself against being bun
coed or deceived as to what wSasdf
his cotton is and. the sv~sso,rss
grade. To illustrate, when q farmeY
comes to market where there is a
set of standard samples, he can de-
termine himself what his grade is
and not be dependent upon the buyer
to say what the grade is. When the
grade has been determined by COM
parison with the government stand
ard, the farmer then can determine
the value of that grade by reference
to the government tests furnished
him. For instance, suppose the
buyer offers the producer a half cent
or three-quarters of cent less for
his low middling than for middling.
Suppose the farmer by reference to
his bulletin, finds that, according to
government tests, low middling for
manufacturing purposes is as valu-
able as middling. With this knowl-
edge, he can demand the same price
for his low middling as he does for
middling and it would be up to him
whether he takes less or demands
the same. In word, he will be in
possession of all knowledge avail
able in reference to the value and
the grade of his cotton that the mill
man and buyer has, and can govern
himself accordingly.
In Senator Smiths opinion this is
the most important legislation ever
enacted in behalf of the cotton grow
er.
Senator Smith has reintroduced
and is pushing his bill looking to the
regulation of cotton exchanges. This
is the same measure that came near
passing at the last session of con-
gress. Briefly stated, this bill pro-
vides that in each and every contract
for the future delivery Of cotton the
grade or grades contracted for shall
be specifically named in the contract,
and such grade or grades as are
named shall be according to govern
ment standardization. This will le-
galize the standardized grades in in