The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-04-10
Report Of the Leaf Tobacco Association.

The following is Il portion of the
report of the Roard of Directors of Leaf
| Tobacco Association of Baltimore city:
To Me.Membr'x Of the Ley Tobacco AsSor1
alton Of B"bimore city. GENTLEMEN
During the past year the general trade OF
this country has continued to suffer under
the depression that had marked the two
previous ones, and nearly all the great
staples have recorded the loves prices
known in years. in this depression the
lower grades of tobacco have fully SYM
pathiZed, while medium and better grades
have brought satisfactory remuneration
to the grower.
The wear opened with stock of 1O,064
Hhds Md Tobacco in the State Ware
houses of which ), 124 Hhds. were in sell
ers' hands nearly all of which were COM
mon; the net receipts, while about % per
cent. smaller than those Of the previous
year were % OS5 Hhds--about the avera &c
| of recent years-and contained an enor-
nous portion of common grades, which,
coming upon a market already overstock-
ed with SUCH caused further decline to
the lowest point reached within the mem
ory of the oldest members of the trade
Sound common sold at &c. and occa
sionally still lower at &c. and 1c.
This weakness was further increased by
direct shipments by growers to European
markets, where the tobacco was forced for
sale and often sacriticed prices in those
foreign markets were thus broken down,
and caused consumers there to reduce
their limits upon such or ders as they had
placed in this market, or to withdraw their
orders altogether.
Better grades of tabacco were relatively
scarce and gradually advanced during the
season to the extent of &c. per ID; the
outlook now is for continued good prices
for all really ripe, well assorted, and well
conditioned tobacco.
small crop of nearly 200 Hhds. of
Groundleaves contained few desirable
Hhds; and the bulk was with difficulty
disposed of at low prices.
On December 31st there remained in the
State Warehouses II ,397 Hhds. Nd tobac-
co, of which j, 7S4 Hhds were in sellers
hands
The Ohio was about 1000 Hhds. of fair
quality, but very deficient in good Color
and in fine grades, with also surplus OF
common. This quantity Was about the ex-
tent of the consumptive demand, and the
stock at close of the year of 4,OS6 Hhds.
varied little from that on hand at the open
ing.
The insuffciency of the three State To-
bacco Warehouses to properly accommo-
date the Maryland Tobacco crop was a
gain cause of much expense, inconven-
fence, and risk to the trade.
AS early as June, Warehouses Nos. l
and III were overcrowded, and it became
necessary for Governor Brown to provide
additional storage room, for which pur
pose he was compelled to use no less than
ten different Warehouses.
During the season there were stored out
by Warehouses, No. l, 4,417 Hhds. Dur
ing the season there were stored out by
Warehouse, No 3, 2,942 Hhds, making a
total of S,4l9 Hhds.
The storing out by Warehouse No. be-
gan on June Sd, and by Warehouse No.
III on June Goth, and continued by both
Warehouses until December 3lst, when
about 1000 Hhds. were taken back from
storage.
Not only was the State of Maryland
thus caused heavy expenses for storage,
drayage, labor and fire insurance, and the
tobacco trade injured by delays in samp
ling, examining, and Shipping, but every
owner of tobacco thus stored out was eX-
posed to the risk of having his property
unprotected against loss by fire.
Urged by these causes, this Association
had bill repealiug the law authorizing the
Governor to lease the State Tobacco
Warehouse introduced into the State Sen
ate during the recent session of the Legis-
lature; Committee of Five, specially APP
pointed at a general meeting of the Asso-
citation to further the passage of this bill
visited Annapolis a number of times, ap-
pearing before the Inspection Committees
of both the Senate and the House of Dele
gates, and also comforting with the gov
ernor A part eff the committee of Inspec-
tions of the House Of Delegates, visited
Baltimore and made a personal examina-
ton into the present condition of the State
Tobacco Warehouses and the needs of the
Trade, and were SO impressed with the
necessity of all the Warehouses to prop
erly accommodate the Maryland tobacco
crop that they succeeded in having a bill
pass the House accomplishing this return.
The Senate. however, had meanwhile a
mended our bill so that while Warehouse
No " was restored to the use of the To-
taccn Trade, the Governor was authorized
To- continue to lease Warehouse No. II.
Conference Committees of the Senate and
House of Delegates were appointed, but
we regret to say that they agreed upon
the bill as amended in the Senate and the
bill in that shape became law.
Warehouse No " thus restored to the
Tobacco Trade is leased to the American
Tobacco Co., the lease expiring January ;,
1897. and conseque tlv We will have no re-
lief this year from its return.
Tho old Sugar Warehouses in the rear
of Warehouse, No. l. is at present leased
for storage purposes, but the Governor
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