The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-01-10

ohSASu AoH saAe III VIC OCdCe ny IL
ties for wilful misgrading did not
meet the approval of the Legislature
and nothing was done. I am still of
the opinion that this bill should be
made a law, but l will submit one
upon another line applying only to
cotton in warehouses, whether State,
corporate or privately owned.
The Federal Department of Agri-
culture has been making investiga-
tions into the loss to planters from
undergrading cotton. and the report
mounts up into millions of dollars.
This agitation for licensed graders is
largely due to the South Carolina and
Texas. Warehouse laws. We have
done nothing except agitate in South
Carolina, but Texas has a compulsory
graders law which provides for sam
pies being taken at the gin, and Grim
inal penalties for not doing so. l
have not sufficient information to ex-
press an opinion as to the Texas law,
but do think that such system is
practical in South Carolina on ac-
count of the difference in our methods
of ginning. submit herewith bill
which contemplates the employment
of three expert graders at the State
Warehouse. Every warehouse receiv-
ing cotton to be stored is required to
take one sample from each bale, to
be tagged in duplicate order with the
number and marks, so that both sam
pie and bale can be easily identified.
The sample is sent to Columbia and
classified by grade and staple. A
record of same is made upon the
books here and the sample returned
to the warehouse manager who sent
it forward. He makes a record of
same and files the sample, so that it
is accessible, if called for. The re-
ceipt issued by the warehouse man
ager gives the grade and staple and
also the number and mark, so as to
identify both bale and sample. The
owner can sell the cotton on the dup
licate, but l would expect cotton to
be sold in large lots from these sam
pies as they went through the State
Warehouse office, a record being made
of them each day. Mills and cotton
buyers could come to the State Ware
be able to purchase only such grades
as were actually wanted, and there
fore could give a higher price. One
OF the troubles in marketing cotton
now is that mill has to buy cotton
which it does not desire in order to
get other cotton which it needs. This
is burden at all times on the cot
ton market. A central market sys-
tenn would be advantageous to both
the planter and the cotton mill, as it
would eliminate the expense of sew
eral middlemen. Cotton always brings
more money handled in large lots,
especially when the mill can select
from them exactly what it needs
Again, in parts of South Carolina
the cotton territory is parceled out
bptWppn parflln h,1u
mills; this gives monopoly, and
there is no competition in prices. Un-
der the system to which am refer
ring man could sell his cotton read
lily through the State Warehouse. A
perfect system of marketing cotton
will never be attained, but having as
sumed leadership it is the duty of
South Carolina to go forward and do
something each year to curtail the
enormous waste in handling the crop
1t is little here and little there,
but the sum total amounts to millions.
| believe that the waste in handling
and marketing the cotton crop each
year would go far towards feeding
the people of the entire South. 1t is
not question of production, but one
of conservation. The price of cotton
in the past has been depressed more
by UNEQUAL distribution than overpro-
>.uctlon. We were compelled by rea-
son of cotton not being a good collat-
eral for money to sell a twelve
months supply within three months
The State Warehouse system of
South Carolina is the first step ever
made towards scientific distribution
of the supply over an entire year or
two years, if necessary. If properly
developed, it has unlimited possibili-
ties.
In 1914 cotton was of no use as
collateral, and the South lost $780,
000,000.00 by the sacrifice of its cot
ton crop. Cotton is now recognized
when represented by a proper ware
house receipt as an unrivaled security
for money, and is eagerly sought by
investors.
The commodity loan section gives
the farmer the use of money at a
rate of interest never known before.
Instead Of the reserve monies of the
nation being centered in New York,
they are now distributed in twelve
centers. TO take full advantage of
this we must not only have warehouse
room to carry agricultural products,
but an effective system direct to the
manufacturers.
The South Carolina law makes it
the duty Of the Commissioner to aid
in securing loans upon cotton and also
to make sales of same at the request
of the owner.
The State guarantees the weights
and grades of the cotton, but las
never provided a scientific method of
determining such grades. 1t requires
expert knowledge to grade and staple
cotton and tho ayerorn ..,o~n, n,,c,