Newspaper Page Text
4
COTTON FARMERS
ARE VICTIMS OF
TARE RULES
Corporation Commissioner Re
ports Injustice From False
Weight Practices.
Washington Sept 3 a false
standard of weights which inject un
certainty into practically every Ameri
can cotton sale in the important mar
kets of Europe resultinc in serious
abuses. Indefensible practices and even
fraud on the part of cotton merchants
in this country, has been created by the
rules of foreign cotton from
the United States, according to Luther
Conant. Jr. commissioner of corpora
tions. in a report to President Taft.
The reixirt is based unon an exten- ,
sive Investigation of cotton tari -the
allowance for bagging and tics inclos
ing a bale of cotton in order to ascer
tain the net weight—which was under
taken on complaint that American cot
ton producers were subjected to seri
ous loss because of excessive deduc
tions for tare under the regulations of
leading European markets The pro
ducer does not ordinarily suffer under
these rules, according to the < ommis
eioner because' of the active* competi
tion among merchants In the purchase
of cotton Lorn thi fartnei for export
The existence of competition and its
remedial effec t. however, he points out.
cannot always be* relied upon, and it
Is im|M>ssib|e to escape the eon- lusion
that the product may be injured, anti
Sometimes is.
Complicates Price Figures.
Tin tare itiles. the report declares,
complicate price regulations with an
unnecessary element of chance, and in
volve economic wash- bee ui.-c .if the
use of excessive bagging If this
«aste dots not injure the producer, or
merchant or spinner, it must Impose
an unnecessary burden upon the con
sumer of cotton goods, says the- report
Commissioner Conant declares that im
mediate action should be taken to
remedy the evils, and offers suggis
tions foi temporary and ultimate per
manent relief.
The American producer sells his cot
ton gross weight and. as a rule, ac
cording to the report, believes that he
makes a big profit on tare by receiv
ing the same price* foi bagging that
he obtains for cotton. This is untrue,
the* report says, as the evidence demon
strates that the buyer of cotton takes
the tare into consideration in fixing
trie price he offer-.
Cotton for * xport, on the othe r hand,
is sold net w ight. It Is in this con
nection that c nplieation and uncer
t.crflty are injected into cotton sales.
Tlie American exporter, by tin terms
of his invoice eontiact with the for, ign
buyer must compute th* net weight
of his cotton by deducing 6 per cent
from the gross weight. The average
hale of cotton, weighing 500 pounds
gross, contains about 17s pounds o!
cotton and 22 pounds of tare a- it
comes from the producer to the ex
jcortei. A deduction of cl pc i <■< nt, un
der the foreign tare rule from c gross
weight of 500 pounds, how. ver. would
leave only 470 pounds m t or S ixmnrls
less than tin- actual weight of the net
cotton the bale. In addition to that
discrepancy the report points out. tin
situation Is furthe r complicated by th*
fact that when the cotton reaches >•<
destination, the foreign buyer nutlet
the contract with the American ex
porter, Ims the right io demand an
actual, test f.> tare In this test Uie
rulu« tlx a maximum allowance for
tare of 5011 pounds. This j- ;1 discrep
ancy of three end one-half pounds u*
c.mifiaied with tiie lin-pcmnd Invoice
deduction, and th* foreign buyer call
upon the export,” to make" good that
amount
Exporter Faces Problem.
Tin American exp-rter. unde, ip. -e
circliinstam s. according to the* report,
fm.'s a rlous | ruble in 1., avoid . in
ducting business at n loss Some cot
ton merchants. Jli c'.min. 'ty-,argue
that these facts . e thoroughly under
stood by the t’.e in I are adjusted
In lite price which the exporter asks
for his cotton Th.* < r ( |o<s
not entirely agree w ith this view. and
says that tile practical r. suit of the
rules has been that the exporter adds
unnecessary t ire to his cotton
The exporter, he says "naturallv
adds tare up to the amount allowed by
the rules .roughly 26 1-2 pounds). ||,
does this by ’patching’—that is. piscine
strip-bagging on the bah . \ small part
of such patching is usually nee . ssary
to cover sample hoi.* How, \ er. since
the exporter. In making out his invoice
must eieduct six pet cent. h< frequently
goes further and adds tar.- up to at
least six pet cent of the total weight of
’hr bales; sometimes he adds even
more
"(.tbi ious'iy if the exporter makes ~
complete adjustment in tip* price, and
ai«e adjusts by adding tare, he make.*
a proflt of such added tare. If. how
ever, complete adjustment is not made
in the pine, this addition of tare be
comes simply a means of protection
against loss, although in the trade it
ls» usually spoken of as a profit on
patching.’
"Granting that the prl<* of cotton
is in no wav affected by the six p» i
eent rule, it is nevertheless highly ob
jectionable. It results in changing thf
gross weight of th« bale and thus in
troduces an avoidable- element of
chance, both as to the ac tual w» igrt of
cotton to be paid for and as to uric. ”
Half Over-Tared.
As a result of this s,x per e.-m ■ul
the comm'.-sioner < s’m. etr.-- teat .
least 60 per cent of Amerl- an exporta
’ions of cotton are over-tarod .rd 11.
an insignificant proportion .1 i<
* mainder is under-cared It is this use
iof unnecessary tare, rays the report,
that injects uncertainty and possible
1 fraud into the cotton business.
"This uncertainty.’’ adds the report,
i "strikes at the basic factor of every
I transaction. namely, the amount of the
I commodity actually sold. It in effect
establishes a false standard of weights
i with the invariably unfortunate con
sequences of such a c ondition. It thus
I gives an advantage to a skilled class
of specialists whi best understand the
complicated details of the business
with a corresponding disadvantage to
the leas expert, it is not sufficient to
say that the competition among these
skilled classes often forces them to
turn over the benefit of this false
1 measure to the producer. It is not
-erlousiy contended that this is always
90. and there is thus ever present the
i open door to fraud. There is always
the invitation Ao cotton merchants to
adopt improper practices, and there
is thus enticed Into the trade a class
of men who bring discredit upon hon
■st merchants. This is not only the
retically so, but ft is actually so. Buy
ers of cotton, both in this country and
abroad, are constantly finding them
selv* s involved in transactions where
shippers have taken advantage of
these opportunities to defraud ”
Standardization Remedy.
The Ideal remedy for all these evils.
Mr Conant com hides, is the standard
ization of tare to be put on a bale of
cotton by making it a definite or read
ily ascertainable amount, so that the
net Wright may he determined with
out controversy or test. The present
careless and irregular methods of cov
ering cotton, if the evils are allowed to
go uncorrected, he declares, seem like
ly to Invite legislation.
Pending the adoption of a thorough
remedy, the commissioner believes’
substantial benefits will accrue by
modifying the six per cent contract so
as to provide for a deduction of five per
cent or some other percentage more ac
curately representing the amount of
covering actually necessary to protect
the cotton. The requirements of the
contract, he says, should certainly be
Identical with the a How ante established
by the rules under an actual test.
There would be a great saving, the
report says, if the cotton could be com
pressed at the gin. Under the present
practice, the staple is pressed at the gin
and later compressed to greater densi
ty at numerous establishments scat
tered over the cotton belt. Compress
ing at the gin. he says, would encoun
ter opposition from the ow ners of com
presses because it would destroy their
business. Furthermore, he adds, it
would be Impractical at this time be
cause It would require a capital outlay
of at least $100,000,000 to equip gins
with compresses. Nevertheless, he be
lieves, this is an ultimate ideal condi
' tion to which the cotton tiLide must
look forward.
RAUER’S PURE I’LWORING EX
TRACTS have no equal. Sold every
where JOc and 25c the bottle, at your
BIRMINGHAM AND
RETURN $2.50!
Tuesday. September 17th Special
trains leaie old depot s a. in. SEA
BOARD
I . ..
EXQUISITE WEDDING BOUQUETS
AND DECORATIONS.
ATLANTA FLORAL CO.
Call M;un 1130
WE WILL MAIL YOU $1
for < ach <d of old F'alse Teeth sent
us Higae-t price paid for old Gold,
Silver, old Watches. Broken Jewelry
and l ’re< lous Stont ,
Money Sent By Return Mall.
Phlla. Smelting and Refining Co..
I'lstablislied ?u. Years
863 Chestnut St.. Philadelphia. Pa.
TO DENTISTS
We will bi|> your Gold Eilings. Gold
Scrap and Platinum. Highest prices
paid.
i
Pi Hirns has given his entire
life to the study of the human
< \ • and how to correct refracted
errors with lenses. With him
it does not matter how compti
» rated or how dim The sight might
be. if the » yes» respond to the
I light he can um over any and all
hidden defects, and correct same
<[ with glasses in a manner that
I gives pl 'usurp, comfort and re-
* suits h< rrbvforc unknown. Hr
‘ wishes all to know that his prii o
are no higher than elsewhere,
ami that there are no charges for
« xamining when glasses are
bought.
HINES OPTICAL COMPANY
91 Peachtree St.
Eel ween Montgomery and i 1 cazar Theaters I
.■ ■ muwn in iihib
■ I. ■■■■ ■ 11.1. .
Men and Women
I CURE YOU TO STAY CURED.
of all chronic, nervous,
prixati blood and
! Wjjf \ skin diseases I use
_ J, '
t A < ed results. I give
x ’T' 606. the celebrated
| X German preparation.
J K > 1’ blood poison, with-
n I ‘Utting » r deten
f Y \ 1 n from b. aa ss 1
<u ’*’ •'' - 1 or make n<-
I continent : al <’ cue to me without de
’* lay. and let me <tf • mens t rate how
I giv*‘ you results w ’ er< other
,f physicians lave faded. I cure Vari
cocele Stricture. Fibs. Nervous De
d bilitv. Kidnex, Hladd« r and prestatic
troubles Acute discharges and in
danunation and all contra* ted dis
♦>ase« FREE consultation and exam
ination Hours, h a m. to 7 p ln
Sundays. 9 to b
Dr. J. D HUGHES. Specialist
i» ro'posite Th rd National Rank
16 North Broad St Atlanta, Ga
HIE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1912.
KILLS COYOTE AT 50
FEET WITH HAMMER
FORT LUPTON. COLO., Sept :i -John
Corcoran, while at work on the roof of a
CHEER OP! If HEADACHY, BILIOUS,
CONSTIPATED-CASCARETS TONIGHT
No odds how bad your liver, stomach or bowels, how much your head
aches, how miserable and uncomfortable you are from constipation, indiges
tion. biliousness and sluggish intestines—you always get the desired results
with Casearets.
They end th< headache, biliousness, dizziness, nervousness, sick, sour,
gassy stomach. They cleanse your Li ver and Bowels of all the sour bile, foul
gases and constipated matter which is producing the misery. A Cascaret
tonight will straighten you out by morn Ing -a 10-cent box from your druggist
will keep your head clear, 1 stomach sweet, liver and bowels regular and make
you feel cheerful and bully for months.
O j LB A
7 e=& J G=2 I 2=3 1
10 CentS. Never gripe or sicken.
"CASCARETS WORK WHILE YOU SLEEP.”
J. M. High Co.’s
CHARMING FALL SUITS
. Are those in tomorrow’s great
showing. Suits from America’s
foremost manufacturers,and every i,
style shown here will be noted as
somewhat out of the ordinary and
greatly different from most suits
seen and shown here abouts.
. 'MO Max Schwartz Famous Suits
in an assortment of high grade man-
? ish cloths and in every correct cut
WBIA and finish. . I j| MU
W'HlI Suits From Luntz and Kashowitz, i jMIIIT
Suits From Neugass and Lublang HhM
. ® and Beck. .
varied assortment we have ever had
the pleasure of presenting to the peo
ple of Atlanta and vicinity, and we
want you to come in and let us show
you these pretty and fascinating gar-
ments.
fr* In addition to these regular styles and
we are ma king a specialty of
Mourning and Extra Size Suits
Hsll'iaA A department which is sure to meet i
instant favor. The large woman who /wH
Ks is so hard to tit will find suit buying a i f 7
pleasure here, for every right material
in best models and in largest sizes is Ig I
now ready for your inspection. Wl i-l '
I Come Tomorrow If Convenient n fc
♦ ■ ’,'■■■ f/- 3; ,®t*
. r • I ’ iLW'
and permit us to give you a first view y Jm' g r
i season s smartest garments, Wffl w!
W which represent a full range of prices
from $67.50, $59.75, $47.50, I- KjS
A $43.75, $39.75, $37.50, $35.00, U'
J.M.HIGH COMPmT
house he was building eant of town, saw
a coyote about 50 feet away running off
i with a hen ih its jaws. Although the an-
imal was on the run. Corcoran threw a
hammer so effectively that he killed the
1 anima) and liberated the chicken, which
was still alive and uninjured.
d | The Security
ISI f Offered by our
Va.it,
m t We give to patrons the
J[j AfeXtfeMy I advantages of new and
“ ,L ' l " ‘ “ modern’ vaults rein-
forced and barricaded with Yale Deposit Locks. The
Yale system of locking is known around the world as
the most sturdy, the most impregnable.
Everv box in our vault is protected by a special guard mechanism and a double set of
tumblers. Entrust your valuables to us, —they will be safe from fire as well as theft.
ATLANTA TRUST CO..
Henry Hillyer, President. Capital, $500,000.00
u7juT pil WOOLLErs SAN|T *nmM
ibsl OPIUM and WHISKY SSe-*?
aa«e« are cazabl*. PstKnl? also treated at thalr horaeß. Oow.
mitatkm confidential. A book on the subject fMB. DB. B. M,
WOOXXET k SOK. Mo. VicUr SanttartaM. i&ata. •*.
Two Extra
Specials
for
Wednes
day and
Thursday
Another carload
of very fine
Georgia
Yellow
Yams
AT
24c
PECK
Better buy at
this price, for it
will be hard to
secure such a
bargain again.
Another Ship
ment of
Green
Virginia
Cabbage
AT
Uc
POUND
Better Than
Ever
ROGERS’
36
PURE FOOD
STORES