The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-05
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 8, 1891.
ruv rou.cco QUESTION AGAIN.

THE TOBACCO QUESTION AGAIN.
Our esteemed correspondent, "Tobacco-
mist /" has been trying to make en- issue
with The Times. but has thoroughly failed
in his attempt. so far as we have been
able to discover The Times has not an
ta0onized any branch Of the tobacco in
dustry I'm Richmond, but in all the arti-
Giles II has written has had in view the
one single idea Of building up the tobacco
industry OF Richmond and helping every
branch Of the industry by enlarging the
loose tobacco market. Our correspondent
nj one time referred TO the great manu-
fact, ring branch. and spoke words of
rraise concerning Il, which The Times
heartily approved Now he speaks OF
"our splendid system Of inspection
which we also approve most cordially.
our correspondent tells us how this system
was built up. and tells rs how Louisville
maintains its supremacy as tobacco
market all Of which Is interesting, and
all of which but emphasizes the fact that
the one thing lacking I'm Richmond is
a greater supply Of loose tobacco shipped
direct from the fields Of the planter and
sold In the open on the warehouse floors
Our correspondent even goes so far as
to say:
Tho remedy We would suggest for the
falling CT in our receipts from first hands
would ~ the establishment of joint stock
warehouses and let each of our citizens
take an interest in them TO n greater or
lesser extent as his purse can buy. At
first tobacco would practically have 10
be bought 10 bring It here. but once the
market here established, II would flow by
gravity, and no efforts 10 the contrary
could stem the tide.
We think that we may take this as an
earnest OF our correspondents belief in
tho loose market, and that we may fairly
conclude from this admirable suggestion
that ne and The Times are entirely agreed
as TO Richmonds need. There IS no is
sue.
It is not our purpose to make war upon
any class OF tobacco dealers. nor TO in
lure anybody's trade, but we state a
simple fact when we say that the dis
position OF this age is to do away with
the middle man, the manufacturer pre-
ferring to buy his supplies from first
hands. The American Tobacco Company
and other large manufacturers Of the
weed have their buyers on the loose mar
kets and buy their supplies on the ware
house floors.
Our correspondent says that the inte-
rior markets have been built up and
maintained largely by Richmond capital
and we contend that this same capital
might have been utilized in building up a
large loose market In Richmond We re-
peat that there Is a large demand here
for leaf tobacco, and we can see no sufi-
cient reason why that demand should
not be supplied by Richmond warehouses
with goods shipped direct from the plan
ters' barns
A good loose market is the very life
OF the tobacco industry, and we believe
that good loose market is necessary to
the maintenance OF Richmond's prestige
a. a tobacco market. 1t did not begin as
a package market, or as a manufacturing
cen;rc. but az a loose market, and the other
branches OF the industry have grown up
therefrom.
We throw out another suggestion. A
large number OF New England cotton
manufacturers have recently made a tour
through the Southern states 20 see how
the cotton industry Is getting along in
\ that section. just before making this trip
they held meeting at the North during
which the president of the association
confessed that the outlook for the cotton
industry in the South was bright. while
the outlook for the cotton industry in
New England was gloomy. simply because
the disposition was to place the manu.
featuring plant in the heart OF the cotton
growing sections.
rsrhere not q hint "a Richmond In this?
III we propose TO abandon our loose mar
ket entirely and permit all raw material
from irst hands to be sold on the interior
markets. may II not happen that our fac
tories will finally pack up and move TO
ahe interior markets whore their supplies
can be bought each day at public auction
upon the warehouse floors? We sincerely
hone that this will not come TO pass. but
NO say, and say It earnestly and ON
pAatleally, that the tendency OF the times