The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1916-03-03
THE SlSAL
TRUST MENACE.
Another Trust Formed to
Hit Farmers.

Impliment News, who has made a
careful study of conditions warn
the farmers of the United States of
the Sisal Trust Menace" in the
following article:
An enormous advance in the
price of sisal fiber and a CORES
ponding advance i'll the price of
binder twine are sure to follow the
refusal of the government to break
up the sisal monopoly. The ad
vances already made in the price of
the fiber insure AN increase OF at
least 81 600 600 i'm the 1916 Irvine
bill OF American farmers, and UNI
less the trust is destroyed ad,li
tional advances will be made be-
fore the twine manufacturers have
obtained their 1916 requirements.
But the advances already made
sNill be small in comparison with
those which the trust will put into
effect before the fiber supply for
1917 is purchased. Ii the govern
ment refuses to interfere none need
be surprised if sisal and standard
binGer twine command a retail
price of Is cents OF even more i'm
1917.
" 1t is my opinion that the sisal
trust fully intended ere this to adj
vance the price much higher than
ii is and that ii has been checked
by the exposure and the consequent
action of Senator McCumber and
Representative Cox i'll introducing
resolutions calling for an investiga-
ton If the fight comes to naught
through the refusal OF Congress
OF the Department OF Justice to
take such steps as they may re-
store competition III fiber the big
advance will be made.
The only thing that is NOW
lacking i'll the fight against mono
polistic greed is the active and
vigorous support OF the farmers
Strangely enough the farmer who
will he compelled to pay all of the
enormous tribute eNacted by tho
sisal trust is asleep so far as this
important matter is concerned
Two or three farmer organizations
nave adopted resolutions and sen
them to Congress in a perfunctory
way but only a few individual
farmers have asked their repre-
sentativeS in Congress to protect
them.
Hundreds of letters have beel
received by Congressman from i'm
plement dealers and these letters
have caused the resolutions calling
for an investigation to be intro
duced But the sisal trust repre-
sentatives are telling Congressmel
thru letters and friendly newspa
pers that the agitation has beel
fomented by the big twine manu-
facturers and that the interests of
farmers are not to be affected adj
verselv by the operations OF th,
trust.
Trust representative have evel
gone so far a. to assert that tn,
price of sisal fiber would have beer
higher than it is if former condi
tions governing its sale had con
tinued. They are actually claim
ing that through the operations o
the fiber commission money will b.
saved by the American farmer OF
his twine bill.
Knowing that the implemen
dealers are retail distributors TO
the twine manufacturers and hav
ing heard no complaint from thei
farmer constituents, many member
of Congress may be inclined t
accept the trust version, that th
fight is being made solely i'll th
interest of the twine manufacturers
To them the claims of the trust re
presentatives appear applausible
Warn your farmer of the dar
ger. Urge them to write to thei