The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-27
1918 sIsAL SUPPLY
FOR BINDING TWINE

The pre-war price for sisal aver
aged about seven cents per pound.
| II was seven and ore-half cents land
ed at ports of entry in June, 1915.
| In July of the same year 1t was. In
creased to ten cents, and held about
| at that point until December. 1915.
when II rose rapidly to sixteen and
| one-half cents in March. 1917. Last
| August IL reached nineteen cents. gulf
ports. and nineteen and one-fourth
| cents delivered New York.
II was at this period that the United
! States food administration decided 10
act, because of report that another
rise in price was contemplated.
| Through the efforts of the United
States food administration, further
rise in price of sisal was prevented.
| In view of the exorbitant price ex-
acted by the Comision Reguiadora
(the Yucatan monopoly controlling
sisal), the sisal used In the manufac-
ture of binding Irvine, 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 increasing, while the de-
mand in the United States Is rapidly
decreasing.
The Comision Reguladora and the
planters of Yucatan must realize
sooner or later that more reasonable
prices must be made or the sisai bust
ness will be completely curtailed.
Every effort possible has been made
to provide binding Irvine for the har-
vest season of 1918 at as low price
as possible under the circumstances.
and for the plishment of this
end, the United States food admin
istration entered into an arrangement
to purchase and distribute to the
manufacturers all Of the sisal actually
required for the manufacture Of bind
ing Irvine. II also entered into a con-
tract with the binder Irvine manufac-
| turers, the terms of which provide
that the United States food admins
tration shall purchase and Distribute
the sisal as required, and that the
manufacturers shall manufacture II
into binding Irvine on a basis of tha
cost of raw material plus cost of con-
version, plus a reasonable profit, the
reasonableness OF which will be de-
termined by the United States food
administration.
In conformity with these arrange
ments. the manufacturers have made
semi mo nthly reports of the amount
of binder twine manufactured from
sisal allotments and from other ma
ton by the United States food admin
istration, supplemented by investtga-
tons of the cost OF manufacture by
the federal trade commission. the cost
of twine-5o0 feet to the pound-was
esta blished at % cents t. o. b. fac
tory, with other grades in proper
ton.
The retail dealers have also agreed
to distribute the Irvine to the farmers
on basis, which considering the nee
essarily high price of Irvine, does not
seem unreasonable. An ample sup
ply OF binder Irvine is assured and
there need he no unessiness about suf~
ficient Irvine In time to meet harvest
requirements,
Farmers are earnestly requested to
place their orders for binder Irvine
requirements as soon as possible. so
that the local dealers can provide by
early shipment. 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.