The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-07-30
PRICES ARE RAISED
BAGGING and TIE TRUST Hold
Up THE FARMERS
Will Be LOOKED AFTER

Senator E. D. Smith Gets a Resolu-
ton Through the Senate Calling on
the Department of Commerce to
Investigate and Find Out the
Cause of the Raise.
The inquiry into the increase of
two cents yard in the selling price
of jute bagging, which is to be start
ed at once by the Department of
| Commerce, as the result of Senator
E. D. Smiths resolution in the Sen
ate on the subject, will, it is believ-
ed, have very important effect. 1t
will show that the ,bagging manufac-
turers, anticipating lower tariff du-
ties. have determined to get all they
can out of the farmers of the South
while the getting is good. The in
crease of two cents a yard in the
price of bagging means tax of ap-
proximately $1,S00,000 in one season
On the farmers of the South, and Sen
ator Smith is confident that the in
qulry will show that there has been
no excuse for this other than the
manufacturers had the power.
The following extract from the
Congressional Record, giving the pro-
ceedings in the Senate while the res
olution was under consideration,
shows that some of the Republican
senators, representing the protected
interests, tried to defeat the inquiry,
but were unable to do so, and also
shows that Senator Bacon and other
Democratic senators frankly stated
that Senator Smith is accepted as an
authority in the Senate on all mat
ters pertaining to cotton. His pre-
sentation of the matter was so strong
that the resolution was finally adopt
ed without a dissenting vote. The
extracts from the Record follow:
Mr.. Smith, of South Carolina: Mr..
President, some time in the early
| spring-about the usual time when
the prices for covering and putting in
marketable order the great CONNER
clal crop Of the South were being con-
sidered-inquiries were coming in
from the merchants and from differ
ent sources throughout the South as
ITO just what would be the current
price or what would be the status, so
far as any legislation is concerned.
was unable to answer that, as / sup
pose other senators interested were
unable to answer it.
Subsequent to that there have
come letters in great numbers calling
attention to the fact that, without
any reason, the price of this common
article, the covering of the American
cotton crop, has advanced two cents
a yard aggregating cost to the pro-
ducers of cotton of s1,SO0,O00. The
parties engaged in the manufacturing
business, as I am informed from the
Department of Commerce this morn
ing, are only fourteen in number.
Those fourteen are subsidiaries, ac-
cording to my information, to the
American Manufacturing Co., 63 Wall
street, New York.
have attempted to investigate to
find what is the reason for this rise
in price from eight cents a yard last
year on exactly the same covering, to
ten cents a yard this year, and have
been unable to find it. There is no
report current that the jute crop has
been short; there is no report that
there has been any excess in the cost
of labor, but at the arbitrary will Of
these few parties engaged in this in
dustry in the preparation of the arti-
Gle s1,S00,000 is to be added to the
cost of marketing a great interest
Mr. Smoot: Mr. President, this is
rather refreshing to me, because in
the past'I have always heard the SEN
ator from South Carolina say that
the reason for these extreme prices
have been the tariff.
Mr.. Smith, of South Carolina: 1t
is the cause, in my opinion, now.
Mr.. Smoot: The pending bill pro-
vides that cotton bagging shall be
free. So, I say, it is quite refresh
ing to me to hear the Senator now
ask for reasons why there is an in
crease in the price of cotton baggins.
Senator Smith: The Senator from
Utah we'll knows that those engaged
in this business have been protected
by duty that forbade competition
and importation. Realizing the dan
ger which now threatens them and
knowing that they have this one
stroke at the American people. they
are holding them up to get $780,
600 before they are forced by the
Democratic tariff to deal fairly.
Senator Smoot: The Senator
ought to know that the few nlanufac-
turers of this country of cotton bag
ging have not million eight hun
dred thousand dollars on hand, nor
any considerable portion Of.
Senator Smith: I suspect that is
one of the reasons why they want to
get it,
Senator Smoot: All 7 wanted to
call the Senate's attention was t!!at
the rate on cotton baeging is OILY
six-tenths of cent square ward.
| Nou- tho Copotor from, Sout'- .ti.,. .
lima rises in his seat and says the
price has advanced three cen a
pound.
Senator Smith: That is correct.
Senator Smoot: In the very face
of free bagging. say to the Senator
that there is some other cause fCr in
creased prices besides the tar'f. as
have told him in the post. Instead
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