Arizona republican., 1919-10-15
an average of PTS pounds per day for five consecutive days.
 The Labor Problem

The Labor Problem The labor problem is naturally a | very vital one in the development of this new type of cotton, and for the purpose of meeting this problem and others of the industry from commun- ity standpoint, the Arizona Cotton Growers Association was formed, and in a systematic way, through the CO., operation of the gins, has succeeded thus far in furnishing fairly efficient labor at just prices, and has acted as a practical clearing house for labor.
 This additional labor supply has come partly from other cotton growing states in the south, but mostly from the importation of Mexican labor from the northern states of Mexico under special authority of the Department of Labor, and by the use of many Indi- ans from the reservations of Arizona who are glad to obtain this seasonal labor. Not only have good wages been paid, but there has been a' well-di- rected effort to see that these laborers are well housed, that their living and sanitary conditions are safe guarded and provision Is being made for the education of their children. Last year during the peak load of the picking season, it is estimated that in the Salt River Valley this class of labor aggre- gated over 15,000 individuals. Many of the larger growers have established tent villages for these laborers and in some instances dance floors have been installed, providing that recreation so dear to the Mexican.
 Preparation for Market
 The number and type of gins has naturally been very important fea ture in the development of this new type of cotton. It was found that the saw tooth gin, principally used throughout the south, would not eff fectively gin this cotton without tear | ing the staple and the roller type of gin has been used, the rollers usually covered with walrus hide. This gin is almost identical with that used in the Delta of the Nile and has proved most effective. An average gin stand under good conditions turns out about one bale every ten hours. The cotton grown in the southwest reaches the gin in a practically bone dry condition and in some of the gins the installation of humidifiers has been adopted. which f is believed slightly increases the per centage of cotton lint. The Egyptian |
 The question of the percentage of lint cotton to he seed cotton entering the gin is interesting and it has beer found in the testing that the average percentage of lint to Pima seed cotton is 26-32-1O0 per cent which requires about 1900 pounds of seed cotton tt produce Q 500-pound bale of lint, dis tributed as follows: 500 pounds O lint, per cent waste, 3S pounds cot. ton seed, 1852 pounds.
 Continued improvements in the gin ming processes are steadily increasing this percentage of lint, and there wer, many instances last year where cottol grown under correct cultural condi i tions showed q percentage of lint 0 from 2S to 90 per cent.
 , This season in the Salt River Valley our ginning capacity has been mater ially increased and 263 gin stands vii be in operation with daily capacity in two-10 hour runs, Of about 450 bale ; Ter day.
 One peculiar feature about tn , American Egyptian cotton produced i ! tho southwest is that as it is growr < ginned and handled under practical. bone-dry conditions it has averaged il , shipment to eastern points of manu | facture a gain of from seven to eigh ! pounds 10 the bale.
 f The Handling of It
 There has been some difference i
 practice as to the basis of weight 9 a which American Egyptian cotton ha ' been sold in eastern markets which ha res ulted in some confusion over tn I prices. Quite portion Of the cotto shipped from the Salt River Valle , last year was sold without deductio s of the customary 22 pounds per bal Q for bagging and tying, while other cot
 ton was sold with this deduction. I justice to both buyer and seller som h established method should be followe : in this matter.
 Experts differ greatly as to the de . sirability of compressing America Egyptian cotton. The tire manufac r turers nave found that the cotto reached the east in better condition il uncompressed, and most of the cotto n for tire fabric use was shipped uncom
 pressed. Other users of American Egyptian cotton have compressed it i r transit, and report that the result V have been entirely satisfactory. It = evident, however, that to avoid an r difficulty of wind-cutting low con F pression rather than high compressio k should be practiced on this cotton. In the first years of the productio IT of this new type of American Egyptia if cotton t attracted the particular al = tention of the manufacturers of auto \ mobile tires and of thread, who ha been large users of Sakellarides EgyI
 tian, Sea Island, and Peruvian Tor
 staple cotton. Some three years sine r1t
 as to the strength, length of staple ar
 spirality of this cotton, the Goodye;
 Rubber company entered the field
 production in the Salt River valle
 acquiring by purchase or lease, lart
 tracts of land and through their sul
 sidiary company, the Southwest Co
 ton company, now control in the Sa
 River Valley nearly 10000 acres
 land, of which 1s,0oo were in cultiy,
 ton last year, of which 5000 acres a
 in cotton, the balance mostly in alfal
 in order to prepare the desert land f
 efficient cotton production. The lal
 which they own is outside the limi
 of the government irrigation proje,
 and they have developed most r
 markable supply of water for this la
 by the successful installation of one
 the most modern underground pun
 ing plant systems in existence. Moo
 towns have been established in t
 centers of their various tracts, and di
 tricts which four years ago were not
 ing but desert are today fine exampl
 of highly improved agricultural COT
 munities, and it is estimated that t
 production of cotton this season
 the Southwest Cotton company v
 amount to about 5000 bales or 10 r
 cent of the total crop in this district
 In referring to the districts CT,
 there was produced in the Salt Ri1
 Valley, adjacent to Phoenix, Arizol
 last season, over o4,000 bales, and fri
 careful tests which were made by |
 Department of Agriculture in classii
 ing thia nnttnra if ir a1ti +ln4