The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-08-26
IMPROPER BALING
A TREMENDOUS Loss
YEARLY PREVENTABLE WASTE
ESTIMATED AT FROM $54,OOO,-
600 TO $1Os, 100000.

1llSllOS WIN 10 llOb q COIIOAA
man or a southern man, but a ma
chinery man of Michigan, has writ
ten as clear and comprehensive a
statement covering one of the gross
wastes of the cotton industry as per-
haps ever was prepared. 1t is in re-
gard to improper and careless baling
of cotton and poor COMPRISING,
writes Richard Spillman in the Phil
adelphia Public Ledger.
Mr.. Inglis was member of the
war industries board. While serving
in Washington he had to devise meth
DDS for saving space on cars and
ships to help twin the war" Because
he did so we'll, probably, he was APP
pointed a member of the American
commission that went to London re-
Gently to discuss matters in connec-
ton with the worlds cotton confer
ence.
In answering an inquiry of the
Manufacturers Record as to what
was accomplished, Mr.. Inglis wrote
Annual Loss Huge.
Gin our conference with the users
of American cotton in Europe / think
it is safe to say that no other topic
elected their interest more than this
of cotton density. They are utterly
unable to understand why they get
American cotton in such abominable
packages, and, on the other hand, re-
ceive cotton from such benighted
lands as Egypt and India fully COW
cred with burlap and thoroughly pro-
tected in every way and compressed
to a density so as to reduce to the
minimum the transportation and
storage charges.
'To my mind a correct and salts
factory bale of cotton means a re-
vision of marketing methods. Start
ing with the present loose bale at the
gin, and then giving it one and in
many cases two additional operations
at the compress, and allowing the
bale to be sampled frequently, as it
is, and the contents exposed to the
weather, as it is, means inevitably a
loss out of every crop which, when
reduced to dollars, makes an almost
unbelievable aggregate. There are
certain interests that benefit by the
present system, and benefit largely.
These are not favorable to any
change. The spinners in the South,
who use largely local cotton, are not
much concerned over change. New
England manufacturers are interest
ed to an extent only second to for
eign buyers"
Our Baling Far Inferior.
To appreciate the full Importance
of this subject few additional details
must be given.
The cotton crop averages about
100000 bales a year. Normally
nearly half of it is exported and half
consumed in domestic mills.
In America we "gin," cotton gin
hing being the term used to repre-
sent the first baling process. In this
baling the cotton is packed in layers,
but not tightly. The law makes it
obligatory for the bale to be com
pressed at the first railroad point hay
ing a compress.
So far, so good. But the American
compress brings cotton down to a
density of about twenty-five pounds
per cubic foot, while Egyptian cot
ton is compressed to a density OF
about forty pounds, and India to
more than thirty. The bagging we
put on the cotton bale is abnormally
bad. The ties are not satisfactory.
Frequently after one COMPRISING
bales are recompressed within week
or two.
Waste Is Enormous.
At every stage of its handling the
American cotton bale is shamefully
and wastefully treated. The high
lords of the cotton world permit it
because they profit by it. The waste
through the mishandling probably
runs from to per cent. of the
total value of the crop. A 100000
crop, selling at thirty cents a pound,
$3.50 bale, would bring S1,8OO,0OO,-
900 to the planter. Three per cent.
of the sum would be $54,0O0,00O.
Six per cent. would be $108,000,000.
The natural method of compress
sion is in the form of cylinder or
a bail. The American method is un-
natural Being unnatural, nature
constantly works against it.
Years ago a powerful organization
a lot of gins in the South
to compress cotton in cylindrical
packages and then incase the lint in
a cover impervious to rain or dirt.
South Feared Monopoly.
Unfortunately the persons back of
tho cxyctorn XUaro n1OnODOllStS and