The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-27
avored ones, whose tobacco stock

awhile. They then dropped these
middle men and made the prices
with the planter alone, and de-
clined all trading for any cutters
with any one from whom they
could not buy at strictly first hands
;I-namely, the planter. There is
but one construction to put on
this; the planter having but one
Ipatron, the latter, OF course, was
the sole dictator and arbiter ofthe
prices, be they high or low, or
satisfactory or otherwise. 1t seems
to us that the American Tooacco
Company admits this as a part Of
the object OF the formation of the
trust to prevent competition in
prices, to reduce expenses, both as
relates to the separate companies
and firms before the combine and
as relates to the lowering of prices
and expenses after its operatives,
1t is a selfconfessed matter there.
For ourselves, We see very little
force in proof of the fact, if either
be established, that cutters were
higher or lower after the trust for
nation. 1t accomplished little,
because the enormously increased
output of cigarettes, foreshadowed
by the earlier separate firms, was
a natural cause for the stimulated
activity and higher prices paid
planters for cutters. Cutters had
to be grown to keep pace, with the
cigarette demand, and it was.com.
paratively easy to satisfy the
planter in price, but this very cry
against the cutter trust by the
planter and the threat to make no
more cutters or to mix this grade
with other grades for a time kept
up cutter prices. But 1T matters
not how about this. Competitors
We're cut off necessarily; no rival
dared buy cutters with hope ofre-
sales, and those who did so had
to sell at great sacrifice. Some
shipped abroad and thus begot a
taste and sale for them in England
and continued the business since.
England and Canada became
small competitors of the trust; so
did Australia.
When wrappers were scarce the
wrapper buyers bid on the best
grades Of cutters, and put prices
up higher. Excepting the trust
factories, in consequence, no other
cigarette factories of note were
known in Virginia and North
Carolina till lately. There was
monopoly of machinery also and
threats against all who essayed
to invent such. This is history.
If cutters again were relatively
high, with the trust buyiny only,
what would they have been If
others had been allowed to CON-
pete for them, can only be argued
in favor Of higher prices.
Planters made cutters because
they we're always ready and sure
Of sale and some they had to cure
and assert that way. Il was a
natural grade of curing. No one
will deny but that cutters would
he higher If they were as free
for all other grades of tobacco
We have no doubt but that 9th.
er plug and smoking grades
would be monopoIized by one
sort of a trust or another If the
machinery could be monoplized
TO do the work, and there is Just
that difference between. these
tobaccos. II might be perth.
emily asked, Why are other than
cutter grades so lower now and
heretofore 50? The reply Is
over.production in these kinds
The cutter, proper, is made in
limited area and in limited
quantities, and hence is the
more easily monopolized and
throws ell other buyers on thu
less profitable grades and
throws spectators out altogeth.
er. The new bright belt plant
ersaye known no other thar
1 a-..-u 4 ---- L -