The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-13
MR.. JORDAN's PLAN.

1t is to be hoped that the tobacco farm
tobacco will hold large meetings to send
delegates to the Tobacco Growers Con-
vention to be held i'm Raleigh ON the
18th of january The steady decline
in the price of bright tobacco, reduced
by the tobacco trust from 30 cents to II
cents and less per pound for the best
grade, has brought the farmers face to
face with crisis that threatens their
existence as tobacco planters. No plan
that can be agreed upon will be easily
carried to a successful issue against the
power of the trusts, but the very fact
that the TRUST has had the power to cut
off two-thirds of the price of tobacco,
maIld, ought to nerve the farmers to he
role measures to register their protest
and determination to end their system
attic undoing.
Much interest has been manifested i'll
a plan suggested at the meeting held IN
Raleigh last week by Mr.. J. T. Jordan,
of Greensboro. In brief, as stated by
Mr. Jordan, this is the outline Of his
plan:
My plan contemplates the organization
of a company to buy the entire crop of
bright tobacco grown IN the States of
North Carolina, South Carolina Virgin
ia and Tennessee, and all the tanners VIII
have to do is no enter into an iron-clad
agreement, refusing to allow the Amer-i-
can Tobacco Company to have the chance
to purchase a single leaf of their pro-
duct for five years. Instead of selling
ut public auction in warehouses, as they
now do, they will bring their tobacco to
the warehouses in the several markets
and it will be priced by a committee ccilr
sisting of two farmers elected by them
selves and two leaf men, to be selected
ny the new organization, and every
farmer is to receive the same price for
the same grade. After being priced in
this way it is to be apportioned out to
the various dealers on each market, who
have facilities for rehamdling it and put
ting it in thorough keeping order. and
then stored in storage warehouses. Thus
all the, markets, including warehouse
men, leaf dealers. independent factories
and storage houses, can be kept intact:
and nobody will suffer save a few sal
aried buyers now ON the markets for the
trusts. And even they. can have en-
ployment if they desire it.
Commenting on this plan tile Charlotte
Observer says:
District conventions are to be held the
first Of the year to serll delegates from
the entire tobacco belt to a general con-
yention at Raleigh on January 18th, in
which the adoption of Mr.. Jordan's plan
will be urged. The Observer fully en-
dorses it. Nothing but heroic treatment
can avail to bring the enormously pow
erful tobacco trust to terms. Fire must
be fought with fire. We hope that Mr..
Jortlan's enthusiasm will be contagious
in the Raleigh convention and that the
tobacco interests may successfully COM
bine against the trust"
The Southern Tobacco Journal does
not look favoraby on Mr.. Jordan's
plans, concluding an editorial by say
ing:
MIR Jordan frankly proposes fighting
the devil with fire. hut for our part we
dislike the idea of fighting one trust
with another trust. The convention, we
notice, was unanimous in placing the
blame for the low prices of leaf tobacco
upon the American Tobacco Company.
just where it belongs
When asked in the convention il the
money could be raised, Mr.. Jordan re-
piled that raising the money was the cas-
lest part of the plan, the most diff
cltlt being to get the farmers to coop
crate cordially and unitedly In saving
themselves from the gouging of the trust.