Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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 aches, how miserable and uncomfortable you are from constipation, indiges tion, biliousness and sluggish Intestines—you always get the desired results with Cascarets. They end the headache, biliousness, dizziness, nervousness, sick, sour, gassy stomach. They cleanse your LI ver and Bowels of all the sour bile, fgul gases and constipated matter which 13 producing the misery. A Cascaret tonight will straighten you out by mom ing—a 10-cent box from your druggist will keep your head clear, stomach sw eet, liver and bowels regular and make 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