The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-01-14
INVESTIGATION OF
COTTON MARKETING
Complaints Against Buyers Investigat-
ed and Discrimination Found.

Washington, d. .CS-For many years |
tho farmers of Mecklenburg county
lave complained that the buyers Of
Charlotte had combined against them
to get their cotton at prices below the
market values. Several years ago a
protest was registered by sen ding
Mecklenburg cotton to Concord, Wax
nav, Fort Mill and Monroe.
Farmers in other counties have made
similar complaints against the buy
ers in their market towns.
The Office Of Markets of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture has issued for
the papers a very vigorous and inter
esting statement covering this ancient
but important subject The utterance
from the department is in the form Of
a bulletin-bulletin No. 3G-which
deals with conditions OF Oklahoma
There Is not a single important
step or process in the entire cotton
owes it's origin to a special considcra-
ton Of the producers interests" the
chief Of the Office OF Markets says.
"Thc studies as to the conditions OF
marketing cotton began in October,
1912. They have covered 1903 cotton
market towns Of Oklahoma, involved
the sampling Of over 1920 bales Of
cotton with records Of date, place of
sale, and price paid to the grower.
| They also involved careful grading
and staplng Of these samples, and a
close comparison between the prices
paid to the grower and the actual diff
ferences In grade. AS result Of these
studies, the Investigators find that
practically every feature Of the hand
ling and marketing system is retained
because Of the insistcnce Of some one
Of the numerous middlemcn and car
riers who have at best only temper
airy interest in cotton. Even the spin
ncrs' desire for better bale kept un-
der shelter until it is shipped to the
mill and with covering which would
keep the cotton clean and dry is sys-
tematically ignored.
These conditions apply to many
other cotton markets In the South
Partly as result OF the findings. the
Office Of Markets is now conducting
Investigations in so typical local mar
keting points throughout the cotton
belt"
The middlcman is hit severe blow
by the ONCE Of Markets in the Okla
homa cotton report. What is true o
Oklahoma, the Department Of Agri
culture thinks, IS true Of North Caro-
lima.
The report continues:
Accurate knowledge Of cotton grad
ing Is Of little value to the producer
in marketing his individual crop un
der present conditions. The price
paid to farmers both for seed and linz
eragcs This works great injustice tt
the producers Of the best grades. Th'
greatest losses to the farmers unde
the present system Of marketing ap
pears to lie in their failure to secur,
the premium for their grades whicl
these bales finally bring"
The following comparisons are mad
to show the way the farmer gets it il
the neck:
"To bring out the general relation
between the price Of middling cottol
in different local markets in Oklaho
ma as compared with the Galveston
closing prices Of the preceding day
four middling bales were selected a
different times in fifteen towns, thci
range Of local price noted, and diff
ference from the Galveston price dc
tcrmincd
ut was found that the range Il
price paid In local market for differ
cnt bales Of middlng cotton varie
from $0.75 in Duncan to Sc a bale i
Erick, whore on the same day $52 an
$5S were paid for a bale OF this sam
grade
"Thc difference between local ay
: erage middling prices and the Calves
: ton price varied from 5000 in Ryan t
5 $500 In Marietta. There seems to b
: no regularity in variations between lc
cal prices and the Galveston prices.
81 A. Il &c