Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-03-11
THE THORNE BILL.
A Measure That viii Ruin The
Tobacco Business,
Passed The House and Goes to The
Senate.

Passed The House and Goes to The
Senate.
The tobacco men of the city were
considerably stirred up last Saturday
on learning that the Thorne bill, reg
ulating the sale of the weed by the
warehousemen ofthe State, had passed
the lower house Of the Legislature the
day before. The bill was introduced
by Representative Thorne, of Henry
county, and though it may have been
intended by the originator OF the bill
for the exclusive benefit of the farmer,
il II becomes a law, it will prove as
detrimental TO the grower of tobacco
as any one else, il not more so. This
may seem broad assertion to the
mover of the bill, who probably knows
nothing whatever about the way in
which the tobacco business is carried
on, and whose sole object in introduce
ing the bill was to help the planter
get rid OF his crop at less expense
than he has heretofore been required
to pay. M
As the bill will be acted on in the
Senate to-day, we will not publish it
in full. II it becomes a law our read
ers may look for it in full in our next
issue.
As one Of our warehousemen re-
marked yesterday, the farmer is the
most oppressed class of our popula-
ton, and any legislation calculated
to Tighten his burden of taxation is
watched with the most intense inter
est, not only by the newspapers, but
by everybody. The bill introduced
by Representative Thorne is incapa-
BILE of working any good to anyone.
THIS bill will require the warehouse
men TO charge only 81 for selling a
hogshead OF tobacco. Our warehouse
men tell us that hogshead OF tobac-
co cannot be put ON the market and
sold for less than $3.50. Quite a num-
Der of persons besides the warehouse
men must get their living out of the
one dollar over and above expenses OF
selling. 1t is asserted in most posi-
tive terms by all the warehousemen
and many of the buyers of the Louis
vile market that the effect Of the
Thorne bill will he TO close the ware
houses Of the city. They have taken
steps to. defeat its passage in the Sen
ate, and their unanimous opposition,
together with that Of Paducah and
Hopkinsville, may prevent its becom-
ing law. One of our warehousemen
is of the opinion that should it pass
the Senate it will be vetoed by the
Governor, as he cannot fail to see how
destructive it would prove to the best
interests of the most important bust
ness interest of the State
Our local buyers and sellers are
strongly opposed to it, and last Satur-
day, at meeting of the Tobacco
Board Of Trade, it was condemned in
the strongest terms and a most posi-
tive protest was drawn up and sent TO
the Senate.
The bill was to have come up for
action In the Senate yesterday, but
Senator Lunsford photographed to one
Of our local buyers that he would have
action delayed until to-day, SO that
the Board of Trade could be heard
from.
The bill in all its provisions, so say
the men of the trade with whom we
have talked, would be utterly ruinous.
One of them said that Louisville
would go to Cincinnati, Hopkinsville
TO Evansville, and Paducah to Cairo.
Another says that our own tobacco
growers would be at the mercy OF the
loose buyers, who would be sent into
our midst from states that have not
such unwise, injudicious laws. An
other is Of the opinion that the farmer
would be the greatest loser of all, as
he would practically have no market
He would sell his tobacco for the
highest price hs was offered, while his
neighbor might sell crop not as good
as his own for less money. Now he
has the competition of the whole to,
bacco board Of trade, and thus has
the chance of getting fair price fol
his crop. Needing money at certain
time, when tobacco might be low, ne
would be compelled to sell at the price
offered. Under the present plan he
can get an advance on his crop anc
hold it until he can get a reasonable
price for 1t. Another warehousemal
would remind the grower of the leai
that he is now given four months stor
age free; he can insure his tobacco
against loss by fire, and also that
hogshead of tobacco put up in thi'
district weighs from L6OO to 2OOC
pounds, while the Burnley tobacco
grown in Henry county and the Bur
10y district, which is usually sold OF
the Louisville market, brings abou
$l5 per hundred, while-well, on
farmers know what their tobacco
brings here To make it plain, thu
same number Of pounds Of Burley to
bacco is packed in twice the numbe
Of hogsheads that ours is, and bring
at least one hundred per cent. bette
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