Newspaper Page Text
4
COTTON FARMERS
HUE MS OF
W RULES
Corporation Commissioner Re
ports Injustice From False
Weight Practices.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.—A falst
standard of weights which Inject un
certainty into practically every Ameri
can cotton sale in the Important mar
kets of Europe, resulting in serlou
abuses, indefensible practices and ever
fraud on the part of cotton merchants
in this country, has been created by the
rules of foreign cotton ex’ported from
the United States, according to Luthei
Conant, Jr., commissioner of corpora
tions, in a report to President Taft.
The report Is based upon an exten
sive investigation of cotton tare—tin
allowance for bagging and ties 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 tiie regulations of
leading European markets. The pro
ducer does not ordinarily suffer under
these rules, according to the commis
sioner, because of the active competi
tion among merchants in the purchase
of cotton from the farmer for export.
The existence of competition and its
remedial effect, however, he points out,
cannot always be relied upon, and It
ts impossible to escape the conclusion
that the produce may be injured, and
sometimes is.
Complicates Price Figures.
The tare rules, the report declares
complicate price regulations with an
unnecessary element of chance, and In
volve economic waste because of the
use of excessive bagging. If this
waste does not injure the producer, ot
merchant or spinner, it must impost
an unnecessary burden upon the con
sumer of cotton goods, says the report
Commissioner Conant declares that im
mediate action should bo taken tc
remedy the evils, and offers sugges
tions for temporary and ultimate per
manent relief.
The American producer sells his cot
ton grosi weight, and, as a rule, ac
cording to the report, believes that hr
makes a big profit on tare by receiv
ing the same price for bagging that
he obtains for cotton. This is untrue
the report says, ns the evidence demon
strates that the buyer of cotton take
the tare into consideration in fixing
the price he ofT<rs.
Cotton for export, on the other hand
Is sold net weight. It Is In tills co
llection that complication and uni ci
laliny are Injected into cotton s.ii■ s
'I he American expolhr, le. the tint
of tils invoice contrail with the for ina
bu.er. must compute tiie net weigh:
ot iiix cation by deducing fi per cm
from the gross weight The avrraa
bale of cotton, weighing 500 pounds
gross, contains about 478 pounds of
cotton and 22 pounds of tare a< I'
comes from the producer to the ex
porter. A deduction of 6 per cent, un
, der tiie foreign tare rules from a gross
weight of 500 pounds, however, would
leave only 470 pounds net or R pounds
less than the actual weight of the net
cotton the bale. In addition to lliat
discrepancy, the report points out. the
situation is further complicated by the
fact that when the cotton reaches its
destination, the foreign buyer, under
the contract with tiie American ex
porter. Jia'S the right to demand an
actual test for tare. In this fest the
rules fix n maximum allowance for
tare of 500 pounds. This is a discrep
ancy of three and one-lialf pounds as
cm pa red with the 00-pound invoice
deduction, and the foreign buyer ca'l
upon tiie exporter io make good th it
amount
Exporter Faces Problem.
The American exporter, under these
circumstances according to the report,
faces a serious problem to avoid con
ducting business nt a loss Some cot
ton merchants, Mr. Conant says, argue
that these facts are thoroughly under
stood by the trade, and are adjusted
in the price which the exporter asks
for his cotton. Tito commissioner does
not entirely agree witli this view, nn.i
says that the practical result of the
rules has been that the exporter adds
unnecessary tare to his cotton.
"The exporter," he says, "naturally
adds tare up tn the amount allowed by
the rules .roughly 26 1-2 pounds). He
docs this by 'patching - —that is. placing
strip-bagging on the bale. A small part
of such patching is usually necessari
to cover sample holes. Hoc. ever, since
the exporter, In making out his invoice,
must deduct six per cent, he frequently
goes further and adds tare up to nt
least six per cent of the total weight of
the bales; sometimes he adds even
more.
"Obviouelv. if the exporter makes a
complete adjustment in the price, and
a!»o adjusts by adding tare, he makes
a profit of such added tare. If. how
ever. complete adjustment Is not n f.
In the price, this addition of tare be
comes simply a means of protection
against loss, although in the trade ft
is usually spoken of as a 'profit on
patching.'
"Granting that the price of cotton
Is In no way affected by the six per
cent rule, it is nevertheless highly ob
jectionable. It results in changing tiie
gross weight of the bale and thus in
troduces an avoidable element of
chance, both as to the actual weight of
cotton to be paid for and as to price."
Half Over-Tared.
Asa result of this six per cent rule,
the commissioner estim«t< s that at
least 60 per cent of American exporta
tions of cotton are over-tared and that
an Ir.slgniCcant proportion of the re-
malnder is under-taredL It la this nee
of unnecessary tare, says the report,
that injects uncertainty and. possible
fraud into the cotton business.
"This uncertainty," adds the report,
"strikes at the basic factor of every
transaction, namely, the amount of the
commodity actually sold. It In effect
establishes a false standard cf weights
with the Invariably unfortunate con
sequences of such a condition. It thus
gives an advantage to a skilled class
of specialists who best understand the
complicated details of the business
with a corresponding disadvantage to
the less 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
measure to the producer. It Is not
seriously contended that this is always
so. and there is thus ever present the
open door to fraud. There is always
the invitation to cotton merchants to
adopt improper practices, and there
is thus enticed into the trade a class
of men who bring discredit upon hon
est merchants. This Is not only the
< retioally so, but It Is actually so. Buy
ers of cotton, both in this country and
abroad, are constantly finding them
selves Involved in transactions where
shippers have taken advantage of
these opportunities to defraud."
Standardization Remedy.
*The ideal remedy for all these evils,
Mr. Conant concludes, Is the standard
ization of tare to he put on a bale of
cotton by making It a definite or read
ily ascertainable amount, so that the
net weight may be 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 allowance 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 owners of com
presses because it would destroy their
business. Furthermore, ha adds, It
would be Impractical at this time be
cause ft 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 trade must
look forward.
SAUER'S PUPS FLAVORING EX
TRACTS have no equal. Sold every
where 10c and 25c the bottle, at your
croeer’s.
BIRMINGHAM AND
RETURN $2.50
Tuesday, Sepu I itli .Special]
train.-- leave ohl ii< pot x a. in. SEA |
BOARD
uXQUISI'u WEOPIYf- r UQUE
AND Di-CDRAriCNS
ATLAix 1 \ ri.u »■ *si, CO |
Call Main 1130.
WE WILL MAIL YOU $1
for each set of old l-'alse Teeth sent
'is. Highest pel,- paid for old Cold.
Silver, old Watches. Broken Jewelry
and Precious stones
Money Sent By Retorn Mall.
Phlta Sme'ting and Refining Co..
Established yo Years.
863 Chestnut St.. Philadelphia, Pa.
TO DENTISTS
We will buy yoi.r 'told l lhngs. Gold
Scrap and Platinum. Highest prices
paid.
Ur. Hines has given his entire
life to the study of tile human
eye and how to correct refracted
errors with lenses With him
It does not matter how compli
cated or how dim tl •> sight might
be, If the eyes respond to the
light he can uncover any and all
hidden defects, and correct same
with glasses in a manner that
gives pleasure, comfort and re
sults herebefore unknown. Ho
wishes all to know that his prices
are no higher than elsewhere,
and that there are no charges for
examining when glasses are
bought.
HINES OPTICAL COMPANY
9X Peachtree St.
Fetween f>‘on pomery ard Alc’.’ar Theaters
■r.WH'IRW H 'IW .UWVKW" < ».' -a: '.lt
wawwMamsOTw. ni.. ■ i i i
Men and Women
I CURE YOU TO STAY CURED.
. private. blood and
' \ skin diseases. I use
,lu ' v "'' latest meth
therefore getting
■a . ' \ ■■red results. I give
sf , 's' <O6. tiie celebrated
I ' 'Oi < erman preparation,
J for blood poison, w tth-
/ 4 w \ ■ nt cutting or deten-
r y \ u.'n from business. I
. 7 v&'.Ufe. 1 > ou O! ' r ake no
charge. livery thing
confidential C >nte to me without de
lay. and let me demonstrate how
I give you results where other
physicians have faded. I cure Vari
cocele, Stricture. Piles, Nervous De
bilit’.. Kidney, Bladder and prostatic
troubles Acute discharges and in
flammation and all contracted dis
eases. t' ltl'K consultation and exam
ination. Houts, 6 a. tu. to 7 p. m.
Sundujs. 9 to 1.
Dr. J. D HUGHES, Specialist
Hppngj’p Third X;’tional Bank
16 2 North Bread St.. Atlanta, Ga.
THE ATLANTA’ GEORGIAN AND NEWS. TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 3, 1912
KILLS COYOTE AT 50
FEET WITH HAMMER
FORT LUPTON, COLO., Hept. 8,-John
Coreoran, while at work on the roof of a
CHEER UP! IF HEADICHY, BILIOUS,
CBHSTIPATED-CASCARETS TONIGHT
No odds how bad your liver, stomach or bowels: how much your head
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gassy stomach. They cleanse your LI ver and Bowels of all the sour bile, fgul
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you feel cheerful and bully for months.
10 Cents. Never gripe or sicken.
“CASCARETS WORK WHILE YOU SLEEP.”
J. M. High Co.’s
CHARMING FALL SUITS
rc those in tomorrow’s great
showing. Suits from America’s
foremost manufacturers,and every (
style shown here will be noted as
somewhat out of the ordinary and fSWvWI
vWw greatly different from most suits ,
seen and shown here abouts.
Max Schwartz Famous Suits JrKKK
in an assortment of high grade man-
wfw r ish cloths and in every correct cut W 1 ’
■ and finish. MM
Suits From Luntz and Kashowitz, E||®
/MWy Suits From Neugass and Lublang
■ and Beck.
Absolutely the best and most
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.
• ’ - i... i - n
In addition to these regular styles and
> kinds we are making a specialty of
?Mourning and Extra Size Suits W
MMMbi A department which is sure to meet
ns^ant avor - The large woman who
is so hard to fit will find suit buying a f
pleasure here, for every right material
, in best models and in largest sizes is
now rea<J y f° r y° ur inspection. j J -
T Come Tomorrow If Convenient W: j
WWwl an d P erm it 113 t° gi ve y° u a first view WS
ie season s smartest garments, jffl
IHi which represent a full range of prices Tjl S' w
from $67.50, $59.75, $47.50,
U $43.75, $39.75, $37.50, $35.00, Hr O'
Company.
bous. he was building east cf town, saw
a. coyote about 50 feet away running off
with a hen in Its jaws. Although the an
imal was on the run, Corcoran threw a
hammer so effectively that he killed the
animal and liberated the chicken, which
was still alive and uninjured.
T ® The Security
~~ .i; t ~ Offered by our
> rl* Safe Deposit
Vaults
fl • fl We give to patrom the
H £] advantages of new and
..." . **....J 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.
Every box In our vault h protected by a special guard mechanism and a dcrubte set of
tumblers. Entrust your valuables to us,— they will be from fire as well as theft.
ATLANTA TRUST CO.,
Henry Hillyer, President. Capital, $500.00000
DR. WOOLLEY’S SANITARIUM
SHI OPIUM and WHISKY
aMW kt. csnbU. Psttmt. aUo treated at their hemes. Coo.
■S- T ’dy*eultation ronfldentUL A book on the subject frr? DR. B. M
VOOXJUKT ■ SOS. >•. t-A Vlci« Sultaxtm. AttasU. Os.
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
Ik
POUND
Better Than
Ever
ROGERS’
36
PURE FOOD
STORES