Abilene weekly reflector., 1915-12-30

MNAANA|AAAN
II the Kansas farmsrS hase 70
Day . quarter Of . million dollars
sxtra for their binding twine next
year the money win so into the
pockets Of CarranEa and the mem
bers Of the new sisai trust 1t New
Orleans. Another advance Of one
eighth in the price Of sisal fiber for
shipment 10 the latest development
IN connection with the cornering
OF the sisal octput of Yucatan. The
latest quotation on sisal for use OF
the twine plant at the penitentiary
|is s6.97 per hundred pounds. This
Is more than two cents above the
price OF one. year ago. an increase
of fifty per cent in the cost OF raw
material. How much higher II will
20 It Is impossible to say. Since
Carranza obtained control OF Yuca-
tan about a year ago he has en-
deavored to dictate absolutely the
price OF sisal. For q time he pro-
hibited the shipment Of sisal from
the port of Progresso. through
which is shipped all OF our supply.
In response to q bombardment OF
the state department at Washing
tom by some $1,000 members of the
implement dealers associations and
farmers together with the efforts
of western congressman, Secretary
Bryan started enough trouble to
open that port. The first actcal in
formation Kansas was able to OBJ
tain on the subject came from Sem
ator Bristow who made personal
protest to Secretary Bryan.
Since Carranza became the rec
ognized head Of the Mexican gov
ernment a complete monopoly OF
the sisal output has been organized
through what is known as the CO.
mission Reguladora, composed OF his
and financed by New Or
leans bankers. This group OF finan-
ciers will receive large commits
sion on all sales in addition to the
interest paid banks on loans. AS
Kansas uses fifteen to twenty mil
lion pounds Of binding twine year,
an advance of one cent means $780,
600 to $4,000 extra cost to the
of the state with no possi-
bility of recovering 1t from the ulti-
mate consumer. The two advances
of one-eighth Of cent each made
in the past month have added $500,-
900 to the receipts of the trust and
It is entirely probable that still FUR
ther advance is likely. The reports
from New Orleans indicate that the
trust is figuring on obtaining COM
plete control Of the sisal twine busi-
ness with its own twine mills ana
its monopoly Of the output OF raw
material. For every cent added to
the price of twine two and one-half
million dollars will be added to the
binder twine bill of the American
farmer. He must depend for q time
on sisal for the greater part of his
twine supply as It is impossible to
obtain an adequate supply OF manila
fiber at this time.
The implement dealers associa-
tions and farmers organizations are
waking up to the iniQuity Of this
trust and 1t seems reasonable that,
las It is financed by American capi-
tai contributed from deposits OF
american banks, the combination
should be amenable to American
law. II sufficient effort is brought
upon the administration at Wash
ington 1t may be that something will
be done to correct this unjust bur-
den upon the American farmer
Plenty Of information has already
been furnished to Washington, but
nothing has been done. It may be
that It will require another cam
paign of protest from the farmers
and their representatives in bust
ness and in congress to awaken the
administration.
The penitentiary twine mills have
q supply sufficient for about ont
month operation and is buying In
small quantities to keep the PLAN
running in tho hope that there ma,
be a reduction in the price of sisal
1T is expected that the plant will b
able to manufacture S,5OO,OO'
pounds of twine this year. The pric'
has not yet been fixed and canno
be until there is some assurance o
the price Of sisal, but Indication
are that It will be necessary t
chorOo n considerable advance owe