The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1916-02-26
A Big Advance
In Binder TWine

output of Yucatan, Mexico, has been
obtained by the Comision Reguladora
del Mercado de Henequen committee
to regulate the sisal fibre MARKET, a
body created by Yucatan law.
A big advance in the price of binder
Irvine will be one of the results.
The Comision Reguladora is now
composed of supporters of Gen. Car
rama, head of the de facto govern
ment of Mexico. To finance the mono
poly the Comision has enlisted the aid
of New Orleans bankers, who in turn
have prevailed on banks in New York,
Chicago and st. Louis to take parts of
the large loan required, and which will
be secured by warehouse receipts on
the fibre stored in New Orleans and
elsewhere. A company composed of
American bankers and members of
the Comision has been formed and
will receive large commission on all
fibre sales in addition to the interest
paid the banks on loans.
The Comision Reguladora was Great
three years ago to buy surplus stocks
of sisal fibre to prevent them from
being dumped on the market and bear
ing down the price. The Comision
fixed a certain price as the one re-
quired by planters to make their crop
profitable. but was unable to get sufii-
cient financial backing in Mexico to
carry out its plan. With the power
of CarranZa behind it the Comision
has driven out the fire dealers and no
1ucatan sisal can be purchased thru
any agency other than the Comision.
Having complete monopoly the
Comision can dictate the price at all
times. The price it is now demanding
is 2 cents higher than the price it pro-
nounced profitable to the planters in
the beginning. 1t is 2 cents higher
than the price which prevailed year
ago. 1t is 12 cents higher than the
average price paid for sisal by binder
Irvine manufacturers last season;
hence, if no farther advance is made,
the price of Irvine is sure to be in
creased that much over the price of
1915. And there is no telling how
high the price will be raised by the
Comsion before the required amount
of fibre for next seasons Irvine supply
has been purchased, and in the sue
ceeding years.
In advancing the price the Comision
has ignored the law of supply and de-
mand; for last year, notwithstanding
the consumption of sisal fibre was the
largest in the history of the trade,
there was large surplus in 4ucatan.
Under normal conditions of competi-
ton, such as existed before the Conf
sion seized the market, the price would
have declined from last years figure.
The price is therefore arbitrary and
',nwqrranted
rds and retire. We meekly yield to 40
: despotic l"ign of the auto, and call ~
on all users of the streets and high ~
Us to join us in recognizing the in pr
liable. Keep yourself and your ile
lldren off the streets as much as in
ssible. Keep your family and your o.
f off the road as much as possible.
mt resent this advice-f0llow it. It
is not a question of what you like; re
is question of whether you want a
live. Don't appeal to the shotgun ",
at might lead you into further trou- %.
:. Don't put any hope in the law, Of
u can be killed under its splendid lie
efficiency. Lock yourself and your a.
nily up in the house. It's your only
sety-even though it be trfe irk- re
ne. And if the time hangs some
Is this monopoly amenaDe to the
antitrust laws of the United States?
If it were purely Mexican affair, or
if the financial backing were obtained
from other countries, the United
States would be powerless to inter
fere. But since the capital is contri-
buted by American banks from depo-
sits of American depositors, the COM
bination should be amenable to Ameri-
can law. Justice to the farmer re-
quires that the government take such
steps as may be taken lawfully to
prevent the financing of the monopoly
with American money.