Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-05-04


to discuss matters pertaining to the
South, or for that matter to any sec
ton, of which they are as ignorant
as Germany is to honor and morality.
The disposition of some people to
talk earnedly about things Of which
their ignorance is so dense that it is
almost mpenetrable is illustrated in
a weekly circular of w. j. Wollman
& Co., members of the New York
stock exchange, who undertake to
tell the Sotuh what it should do in
regard to cotton from the question Of
how to grow cotton to how to handle
Il, One statement, which is typical
| of most of this amazing financial re-
| view, is the following:
"The amount that the South wastes
annually in the handling of the cot
ton crop is greater than the total
dividends paid out on all the rail
roads Of the United States, and these
in 1916 amounted to $342 100000
Density of compression at the gins
would save hundreds of millions every
wear that now go for rehandling,
extra handage, needless space taken
up on railroads and steamships, loss
in transit, claims for damages and
other items. Yet the South has set it's
face stubbornly against these modern
improvements and chung to ancient
methods"
1t will be news to the cotton gin
ners of the South and to the income
tax forces of the country that the
cost of cotton ginning runs far into
the hundreds of millions every year.
Indeed, this remarkable statement
says that hundreds of millians" could
be saved annually by greater density
of compression. 1t is scarcely con-
ceivable that an office boy, able to
write his name, could have been
guilty of putting forth such asinine
statements.
Density of compression at the gins
is important. Better bailing and bet
ter handling are of great Importance,
but the utmost amount that anyone
has yet claimed which could be saw
Cd by this improved system is from
$5O,OOO,0O0 to $6O,OsO, 900 a year.
That is very big item, but it is far
the away behind the $4,000, 900
which this bankers circular mentions.
Since according to Wollman & Co.,
density of compression would annual
" save hundreds of millions" we are
wondering just how many hundreds
OF millions these bankers have been
figuring on as possible to be saved
certainly far more than the $4,000,
600 which they have mentioned as be-
low the saving that could be effected
each year.
Possibly these bankers, whose dem
slty of ignorance about cotton is far
greater than the density Of the most
densely compressed cotton bales, are
not aware of the fact that leaders in
the South have for years sought to
bring about letter compression of
cotton, but that the railroads of this
section, owned and dominated almost
entirely in New York and either
owing or dominating many of the
congresses in the South, have in many
cases aggressively sought to prevent
the betterment of cotton bailing.
they have refused in times past to
give better rate for properly COM
pressed cotton than for badly baled
cotton, though they could carry far
more of the better compressed bales
10 AGAR than they could of the pres
ent badly baled cotton. Many years
age, when the round bale was being
introduced, the entire cotton-handling
system of the South could have been
changed if the railroads but had ag-
excessively fought against giving any
advantage whatever to the improved
pale as compared with the old bale.
steamship companies doing the
worlds trade were willing to give
petter freight rates, but the railroads
OF eI the South, owned and controlled in
iVew York, were not as ready to help
better bailing of cotton in the South
y We're the steamship companies
winch were owned in England. More
over, this banking house is probably
lgnorant of the fact that a large pro-
portion of the big cotton congresses
"a the South were owned or controll-
eea, directly or indirectly, by New
iork cotton firms who had such a
power in the cotton trade that they
i iolned IN the campaign against bet
Yer Dallng and through their financial
ssiength were able to break nearly
very effort made for improving the
'e,.on-handling system of the South.
IN spite of these facts, this firm
slltielses the South as having stub
:oorniy set it's face against modern
improvements in cotton handling. 1t
should have known that every effort
~ really modernize cotton handling
las nas almost died a-borning because Of
.Ie power of the vested interests in
rallreads and cotton congresses do
". ma in the city of New York.
me same circular says:
All true friends of the South, and
- clam a place among them, will
lus,stion the wisdom of the movement
ns'ng about a reduction in the
sss.age Tor the purpose Of causing or
HS,,taining high prices for cotton
I'M, We take It for granted that the
millions q people ii the South, who