The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-02-10
PLAN FOR SAVING
WASTE IN COTTON
TEXAS HOUSE COMMITTEE CON-
WINGED THAT VAST EXPENSE
CAN BE SAVED GROWERS.

Austin, Texas. Feb. 9.-Clarence
Ousley of Fort Worth appeared be-
fore the house committee on consti-
tutional amendments tonight and in
half an hour practically converted the
members to his way of thinking on
the bonded warehouse constitutional
amendment now in contemplation.
At the close of his speech he was
congratulated by several Of the men,
bers, in itself an unusual thing, and
was invited by the committee to lend
his services further toward the franz
ing of an amendment that will cover
the needs of the cotton growers in
cutting down an actual waste of more
than $3O,000,O00.
Broadly, NIr. Ousleys proposal is
for the amendment to provide for
legislation that will allow the state
to lend its credit to a system Of
bonded warehouses where cotton can
be stored in lots, in easy reach of
the buyer and under conditions tina
will go far to eliminate the "tare,"
or 20 pounds to the bale, or an av-
erage of $3.50.
Storing a bale for 81 year would
be both a saving to the producer and
a profit to the warehouse, says Mr.
Ousley.
Points Out Useless Expense.
In enumerating the elements of
useless expense he referred to the
city crop" and explained this form
of theft. The "city crop" is baled
cotton gathered from the samples
taken from the farmers bales and
later put on the market.
According to the government esti-
mate this amounts to 100000 bales
annually or an average OF $6,OOO,OOO.
This would be entirely eliminated un
der the proposed plan as the sample
would be sent in a pocket with the
bale. Incidentally, he told of GER
tain Texas ginner who admitted that
the city crop" alone paid the oper-
ating expenses of his vant.
The tare of the spinners due to
improper wrappings and the resulting
burden of dirt amounts to 6 per cent
of the value of the cotton, and tho
country damage" or that incurred by
allowing the cotton to lie in yards
and on platforms amounts to $9,000,-
900 year, and the mere cutting of
the bale to take the sample an aver
age of $14,O0O,OOO annually.
Farmer Pays the Cost.
"Now, if this cotton" said Mr. Gus
LEY, "were assembled in warehouses
where it would be accessible in lots
of from so to 1000 bales, it could be
marketed for 25 cents per bale,
whereas it costs so cents a bale now,
and remember the farmer must pay
the expenses.
''He would require the ginner to
put the sample he takes in a pocket
and send the bale to a state officer
at a state warehouse, where it would
be certified as to weight and grade
The bale would never be cut until it
reached the spinner, thus eliminating
the "city crop" and the expense Of
patching. The tare could be reduced
to a minimum, or from 80 pounds to
20 pounds, and the purchasing eX-
pense from 80 cents to % cents per
bale"
The constitutional amendment or
amendments necessary to bring this
about, says Mr.. Ousley, should con-
fer on counties and subdivision the
power to levy taxes for the build
ing of warehouses for storing farm
products as other crops than cotton
are to be considered in the plan.
But further than this is the amend
ment he proposes to allow the state
to lend it's credit, after a fishion, to
the enterprise.
Warehouse Company Plan.
A warehouse company could organ
ize, pay in its capital stock and re-
ceive from the state bonds in twice
the amount of the capital stock. These
would be reinvested at per cent
guaranteeing the principal and leav-
ing only the interest, wear and tear,
insurance, taxes and administration
to be supported from the receipts for