Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-11
G-RASSHOPPERS CREATE SISAL.
MONOPOLY, HASKIN SAYS
Daily letter by Frederic j, Haskin

WASHINGTON. June Il Two
groups OF Government experts are
hard at work on a series OF prob
lens which have been raised by the
lowly but numerous grasshopper.
The problems include the interests OF
the American farmer, the profits OF
great corporations, the international
relations of nations and the charac-
ter of a law. Psychologists have
discovered that d tiny beetle was
regarded by the early Egyptians as
a supreme god because it destroyed
so many of the works of mankind.
Such reasoning does not seem in
~congruous when it is considered that
the grasshopper can put Govern
ments to work.
The immediate problem which the
grasshopper has raised relates tc
sisal. the raw material of binder
twine. Sisal is a fibrous plant, not
unlike a cactus in appearance. The
chief supply is in Yucatan, Mexico.
The production OF this plant consti-
tutes practically the sole industry of
Yucatan and its sale has brought
great wealth to the people of that
province.
N~inety-five per cent of the out
put is purchased in the United, States,
where it is manufactured into binder
Irvine. This Irvine is employed by
the farmers in tying up the sheaves
Of wheat. The reaper and binder,
used on every wheat farm of any
size in the country, mows down the
grain and passes it through machin-
a-vr .-LHZlz 44a- Il E.AA L.,.I11. 80
sheayes. These sheaves are stacked
in the fields until it is time to take
them to the threshing machine
where the grains of wheat are sep
arated from the chaff and the straw.
Experience has shown that during
this period when the sheaVes are
waiting in the fields, grasshoppers
come along and, if the Irvine which
ties them together is made of Manila
or other fibre, the grasshoppers will
eat 1t. This causes the bundles to
break open and the stalks to be
scattered on the ground where much
of the grain is lost. 1t was dlscov-
cred some time ago that for some
reason, long unknown, the grasshop-
per would not eat twine made of
the sisel fibre.
This curious fact, the apparent
distaste of the grasshopper for sisal
twine, resulted in the creation of
what practically vas a monopoly for
the sisal growers. Naturally, the
farmer wanted only the variety of
twine which would be immune from
the devouring insects. The sisal
growers of Yucatan could well afford
to erect a heroic statue to the grass
hopper in the public square of Pro
gresso, their principal port and city,
for to that humble but active Gre
ture has been due the inflow Of mill
Hons of dollars in American farm
ers' money. The Yueatan sisal in
| dustry has been literally built by
the grasshopper.
Monopoly Brings Problems
The existence Of this monopoly is
the problem which Is occupying one
of the groups Of American experts
referred to above. The American
Government has received complaints
| from farmers that, because of the
! monopolistic position of the sisa
growers, they have been exacting un-
| considerable prices for their insect
proof product. This is claimed to be
an unfair practice. Omcials of the
Department of Commerce are work
ling to determine If It is not possible tt
make some arrangement with Yucca
tan whereby the price of sisal shall
be computed on the basis Of It's Cost
Of production rather than on the
basis of monopoly of supply. TIC
bring this about, plans have beer
proposed for erecting discriminatory
taxes against the profits of the sisaI
growers and for suing them undei
the Sherman Law as a monopoly IN
restraint of trade. 1t Is difficult tc
accomplish these purposes because
the are Mexieans and car
not be reached directly under Amer
lean law.
Another group of Government g
perts has been working to break thf
monopoly in another way. me!
have been seeking other sources o
sisal. Nowhere in the world. 1t ap'
pears, are conditions so favorable Il
the production of this tropical plan
ae In Yucatan. The east coast o
Africa produces some sisal but at
pr~ohibitive cost. Some can be pro
duced in the West Indies and Ii
Central America. The Department
| OF Agriculture botanists have bee
making experiments to ascertain
1.-The fibre cannot be produced on som
JsAA saAs Of the Mexican monopoly.