Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-04
WOULD LICENSE GRADERS


WOULD LICENSE GRADERS
Hon. John L. McLaurin Would Make
Trade in State Moro Exact.
John L. McLaurin, state warehouse
commissioner, has prepared an act
regulating the grading Of cotton which
will be introduced in the next legisla-
ture. The measure provides for the
edoption of the standard grades fixed
by the United States; the licensing OF
graders by the state warehouse COM
missioner; fixes a penalty for grading
without license, and for wilful mis-
grading, rs points off to constitute
prima facie evidence Of guilt, and
charges S. for license.
Senator McLaurin, in addition to
preparing a warehouse bill for the
Georgia and Alabama legislatures. has
sent to accompany 1t, bill to regu-
late the grading Of cotton. He hopes
to have the same bill presented to the
South Carolina legislature next win
ter.
In speaking Of the price Of cotton
he said that every effort had been
made to depress the price when 1t got
around 10 cents pound; that the
sinking of the Lusitania gave very
good opportunity, and that a report
was circulated in the cotton and stock
exchanges that President Wilson had
been assassinated and this was sent
out all over the country just at the
psychological moment.
with the war complications" he
said, "the decline in the price has not
at any time been more than 81 bale
from the highest price, and that real
ly, instead Of being a weakness IN the
market, Is an element Of strength, be-
cause it has shaken out all Of the spe-
culative bull interests, and there must
now be a very large short interest In
the market, which leaves 1t in bet
ter situation for an advance. AS a mat
ter Of fact, the prices in the cotton
exchanges for futures are below the
prices offered for spot cotton In the
south.
"The most remarkable thing abou,
the whole cotton situation is how bad
ly all Of the experts were mistaken
last October about the consumption
OF cotton. They failed to take into
account about three million bales OF
cotton that have been used up in the
war itself, manufacturing explosives
and in tents, uniforms, bandages
batting, absorbent cotton, which
amounts to a great deal more than
the reduction in manufacturing
When the war closes the demand fol
cotton will be fully as great as 1t was
at the close Of the Civil war, and there
Is not telling where the price will go
However, after the experience OF the
past few months, ! do not feel like
ever making any prediction about
what the price Of cotton Is going to
be. Something always seems to hap
pen to make it do just the opposite OF
what is expected"
The following is the act prepared
by Senator McLaurin:
Be it enacted by the general as
sembly of the state Of South Caro-
lima:
Section /. That from and after the
passage of this act. baled cotton Of
fered for sale in South Carolina shall
be graded and classified according tc
the standard grades fixed by the
United States agricultural depart.
ment.
Sec. 2. That any person grading
baled cotton offered for sale shall OBJ
tain a license from the state ware
house commissioner, who shall issue
commission to such person to
grade cotton in the state Of South
Carolina only after an examination
which shall satisfy him Of the com
potency of the applicant to properly
classify and grade cotton according
to the United States standard grades
Sec. 8. Any person grading baleo
cotton offered for sale. without a IL
cense as herein set FORTH shall be
guilty Of a misdemeanor and subject
to a fine Of not more than one hun
dred dollars or Imprisonment for not
more than 80 days for each bale OF
cotton graded by him without a IL
cense as herein set forth,
Sec 4. Whenever satisfactory proof
is made to the state warehouse COM
missioner that any person to whom
license has been granted under the
act does not grade cotton properly ac.
cording to the United States stand
ard grades, it shall be the duty OF
the state warehouse commissioner tt
revoke the license Of such person.
Sec. 5. Any person who shall viii.
fully misgrade a bale Of cotton Offered
for sale in South Carolina shall be
guilty Of a misdemeanor, each bale
constituting a separate and distinct
offense, punishable by fine Of mo-
more than 500 or imprisonment fol
not more than 30 days A variation
of 25 points from the United State:
standard grade shall constitute prims
facie evidence of wilful intent on the
part of the person grading the cot
ton offered for sale.
Sec. 6. A fee of five dollars fo1
each license issued by the state ware
house commissioner shall be collected
for same.
| Sec Z. That all acts and parts o
acts inconsistent with this act be
and the same are hereby, repealed
- Nitrate shipments from Chilli t
the United States have largely increas
ed since the beginning of the Europ
can war. Ship loads have passed
through the Panama canal to Nor
folk and other ports along the At
lantic seaboard Of the United State!
1 ~ a