The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-06-27
AMPLE Binding
Irvine TO FARMERS
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
TAKEN OVER REGULATION
OF SELLING PRICES.
PREVENTS RISE In PRICE
FARMERS ARE URGED TO PLACE
THEIR ORDERS AT AN
EARLY DATE.

The Food Administration contribut-
es the following:
Farmers are earnestly requested to
place their orders for binder Irvine re-
quirements as soon as possible, so
that the local dealers can provide by
early shipments for an adequate sup-
ply of Irvine to meet their harvest re-
quirements. Shipping conditions are
such that more time must be allowed
from factory to local distributing
points to avoid danger of shortage in
supply.
The prewar price for sisal averaged
about cents per pound. 1t was 7k
cents landed at ports of entry on June
1916. In July of the same year it was
increased to 10 cents and held about
at that point until December 1916,
when it rose rapidly to 1914 cents in
March, 1917. Last August it reached
10 cents Gulf ports and 1914 cents de-
livered New York.
Prevent Further Rise in Price.
1t was at this period that the Unit
ed States Food Administration decid-
ed to act, because of report that an
other rise in price was contemplated.
Through the. efforts of the United
States Food Administration a further
rise in price of sisal was prevented.
We have been trying since to get a
lower price, but our efforts so far
have not been successful.
In view of the exorbitant price ex-
acted by the Commission Reguladora,
the Yucatan monopoly controlling sis
al, therefore, and as a result, the sisal
used in the manufacture of binding
twine, rope, and for other, purposes
will be much less this season than in
previous years. AS a result, the stock
of sisal in Yucatan is rapidly increas-
ing, while the demand in the United
States is rapidly decreasing.
The Commission Reguladora and the
planters of Yucatan must realize SOON
er or later that more reasonable pric-
es must be made or the sisal business
will be completely curtailed. There
fore, we still hope for more reason
able prices.
Makes Effort to Provide Irvine.
Every effort possible has been made
to provide binding Irvine for the har-
vest season of 1918 as low as possible
under the circumstances, and for the
accomplishment of this end the Unit
ed States Food Administration enter
ed into an arrangement to purchase
and distribute to the manufacturers
all of the sisal actually required for
the manufacture of binding Irvine. It
also entered into a contract with the
binder Irvine manufacturers, the
terms of which provide that the Unit
ed States Food. Administration shall
purchase and distribute the sisal as
required, and that the manufacturers
shall manufacture it into binding
Irvine on basis nof the cost of raw
material plus cost of conversion plus
reasonable profit, the reasonable
ness of which to be determined by the
United States Food administration.
In conformity with these arrange
ments, the manufacturers have made
semimonthly reports of the amount of
binder Irvine manufactured from sisaI
United States Food Administration,
and after careful investigation by the
allotments and from orner maternal
supplemented by Investigations of the
cost of manufacture by the Federal
Trade Commission, the cost of 500
foot Irvine was established at 90 cents
f. o. b. factory, other grades in propor-
ton.
Ample Supply Assured.
The retail dealers have also agreed
to distribute the Irvine to the farmers
on basis which, considering the
necessarily high price of Irvine, does
not seem unreasonable. An apmle sup
ply of binder Irvine is assured, there
fore there need be no uneasiness
about the supply of Irvine in time to
meet harvest requirements.
The United States Food Administers
ton solicits the cooperation of manu-
facturers, retail dealers, and farmers
during these trying times.
s