The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-14


To The Editor of The Times.
Sir-Yours of the 18th instant, enci9--
ing accommodation from Mr. X. =.
Hardaway of selma. Ma, lo e,.rS Of
The Times" and saying For the sehc Yl
vour country readers and others VINO 40
not live under the shadow oil tie iH-
hacco Exchange, viii you not occasion" lls
report the tobacco market as ~" 'e
port the grain market. t ,.o,,
I'm reply TO MI Hardaway send vow
herewith enclosed copy oi we w..
circular of Mcssrs. W. 9. iriu'- a.
90 which will appear in The Iimts OF
tomorrow, Friday, February ~ lsoo'. !
Duhlish a similar circular from one or
other Of our tobacco commission me-
chants on each and every frlday i h"i
day being the day on when sa,n cii
cufars are issutlJ. / take circulars OF
differenf tobacco commission merchanl7
each successive week, In order 10 CIV
variety of matter as well as authori'lf ioi
the prices current. ,. ,
ON Tuesaav OF each and every week
pnblish weekly reports Of the Petersburg
ana / vuchhure Wal. Louisville ana HOP
kinsyiilc (Kyl. and Clafksville 'IcpN-l
tobacco markets. giving prices current.
Now II Mr. Hardaway KNOWS any lhlH5
.Io,t, tobacco. and ] infer that he does,
he must know that tobacco is not a
homogeneous staple, like cotton or gram
thar its value Is dependent on many
other contingencies. as well as that ni
enrnly and demand such as it, condi-
tom or ORDER g., whether cut green
or when fully ripe and matufed whether
frost or not: whether I'm soft ofcer
or in unsafe keeping order. or wneihel
~. tobacco has been hung up and dried
out " and ~ In safe keeping order
mon the uses 10 which ~ s. Adaptable
e. whether for manufacturing or strlp-
ping. or shipping, ..
Inst at this moment manufacturers are
paving for black wrappers on me ioose
breaks what they admit are very hfn
prices. but they say they must nave
Them" and this grade being scarce, they
run each other. paying as high as slt ~
week before last. Sl7 last week. ana so
il me highest price this current week.
All of this Information | give IN my
weekly reports In The Times.
II Won will remember. some one wrote
ia vou about quotations. think IL was
about June or July. ls95-and, al your
request | wrote YOU letter. when was
published I'm The Times, showing the
futility OF attempting TO ascertain ana
ronort ''P T." (private terms) sales. /
would be clad 90 publish each and every
day the crops or tobacco sold. what KINDS
of tObaccos they were-i. e., manhiactuI-
ing stemmine, shipping, etc. bright OF
dark. whether wrappers, cutters. nllcrs,
smokers scrap, etc. etc. the names or
The owners their residences, etc. names
of commission merchants making sales
but sellers will not give ms iniorma-
ton and buyers often make IL condl
tion precedent that not even the grade
or number OF packages purchased by
them. much less the prices shall be re-
ported -,. -,
A tobacco commission merchant told
me that a tobacco planter expressly Tor
bade the giving OF Information as 10 his
crop sales because. he said. he didn't
want anybody 10 know what he was
doing" IL might be interesting 10 his
neighbors and others. but he was doing
well. and he didn't care 10 have COM
petition. .
same suppression OF Information occurs
under the symbols "P. T." all of which /
explained fully in my communication
above referred 10. published In The Times
some time last summer, the exact date |
don't remember.
Between you and me, | don't think that
prices current quo al tobacco are
worth the paper tney are written upon,
for the quotations az published never CO.
inciie with actual transactions, for which
"P T. D." Is the symbol
| would like Mr. Hardaway TO compare
tho report and prices current OF Messrs
w c. Bentley a Co. and suggest further
i'm movements. N any he has. or can
show. Yours truly,
p. S.-~If Mr.. Hardaway Will clip ana
file report pari pas "a the reports OF one
wear he can make comparisons the next.
but for me 10 give comparative quota
tions would take up too much space. and
would not be worth the cost Of setting
UP the type.