The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-07-29
.BAGG|NC TRUST BIFFED
SENATOR BACON WANTS THE AID
VANCE IN PRICE PROBED BY
THE GOVERNMENT.
JUMPED TWO CENTS A YARD

Notwithstanding Product Has Been
Put on Free List by Democratic
Tariff. Georgian Says Department
of Justice Should Get Busy.
Observation-Disclosures condem-
nation of the cotton bagging trust for
arbitrarily putting up the price of
bagging two cents yard and adVanc-
ing the price of bands for baling
cotton was heard in the senate last
week The secretary of commerce
was directed to make an investiga-
ton into the causes of the increased
cost.
Senator Smith of South Carolina,
in offering the resolution of inquiry,
estimated that the advance in price
of bagging and ties now, when the
new cotton crop is about to come on
the market, would cost the cotton
producers 81, 100000 on this seasons
crop.
Only fourteen firms are engaged in
the manufacture of these articles,
said Senator Smith on information
from the department of commerce,
and all were subsidiaries of the
American Manufacturing Company of
SO Wall street, New York.
The effect of the democratic tariff
bill freeI listing cotton bagging, where
the present law taxes it six-tenths of
a cent a yard, was injected into the
debate by Senator Smoot.
This is refreshing" he said, "be-
cause in the past l have always heard
from the Senator from South Caro-
lima that the tariff was responsible
for these advances in prices. In the
future, under this bill, he will find
the foreign manufacturers debating
the prices of cotton bagging."
Bacon Calls on Antitrust Law.
| Senator Bacon suggested that this
was a case for the department of JUS
tice instead of the department of
commerce. Confirmation of the re-
ported advance in prices had reached
him from Peacock's warehouse at
Pavo, Ga, he said. Bagging had adj
vanced 20 per cent and ties Is per
cent they informed Mr.. Bacon. He
said:
II have heard the expression of the
desire that the antitrust law should
be one that should have teeth in it
That is somewhat coarse expression,
but it is one frequently used. If the
statements now made are true, that
this combination of bagging manufac-
turers have deliberately, without any
justification and solely in the lust of
extortion, deliberately set themselves
to work through the power of their
monopoly to levy tax between ST.
100000 and $1,80O,0OO upon the
cotton growers of the country then,
Mr.. President, if the Sherman anti
trust law is one which has any eff
cheney it is time when not simply
the penalties of the fine should be
imposed, but when the prison doors
should be closed upon these men.
''It is difficult to conceive of
thing more iniquitous than this. The
most laborious, never-ceasing, hard
working people in the country are
the agricultural classes, and chief
among them are those who raise cot
ton. When men have been engaged
in this important industry, devoting
to it during all the year all theft
time and their energies, and just at
a time when there is a possibility of
their reaping some small profit as the
fruit of their labors, to have lot of
men sit in an Office and by this mo-
nopolistic combination in violation of
law exact from these men nearly ST.
| 600, 200, certainly presents an occa-
sion when the powers of the depart.
ment of justice should be brought in
to play and practically demonstrated
Il think that here is the place for
the activities of the department of
justice to manifest themselves.