The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-07
THE TOBACCO GROWERS.

That was an earnest body of honest
and patriotic men who met in Raleigh
to confer together with reference TO bet
tering the condition of the tobacco grow
er. In year Of rising prices, heralded
far and wide as the most prosperous
year in our national life, the tobacco
grower-this man with "A hoe-finds that
though the demand for the product of his
held is greater than ever before, he has
been forced to sell his tobacco for the
lowest price since the manufacture Of
tobacco and cigarettes became great
industry He asks himself the question,
Why is it that the cotton farmer, be-
cause Of small crop, gets a higher
price for his staple, While supply and de-
mand have no effect in regulating the
price Of t01accoy And he is naturally
FESTIVE that while iron and tin plate and
all manufactured goods have largely adj
vanced in pr.ce, tobacco is the only
product that has been going steadily
down in prices while rising prices have
Deen the rule for everything else. He
goes to Il store to buy manufactured to-
oacco and finds that manufactured tobac
90 which cost HIM 81 to 81 cents last
year has been increased to A. to 40 cents.
I1e takes his bill of sale from the ware
house and finds that the price he has
received for the weed is less this fall
than at any time since he has been grow
ing tobacco.
The farmer knows the answer to his
question. He knows that when the To-
Dacco Trust was organized about 1889
he RECEIVED 30 cents per pound for the
d. grade. At that time convention
Of Farmers was called to discuss the
trust and how it would effect the farm
or. Attorneys and agents OF the trust
went into that meeting and told the to-
bacco buyers that the trust would nol
reduce the price of tobacco, but in fact
would pay the farmers the amounts
that the midale-men had been receiving
4 about that time the farmers were enam-
ored Of the idea of getting rid of the
middle-man and when the trust promised
to abolish the middle-man and give the
farmer the commissions heretofore paid
them, some of the farmers bit at the
bait and swallowed it hook and all
How has the trust kept that promise?
By steadily reducing the price received
by the farmer for the high ID" grade
until this fall il has been rare thing
for a farmer TO receive more than l.
cents for the same tobacco they received
81 cents for when the trust was or
ganized. That's the way the promise
was made to the ear and broken to the
hopl That is the way trusts treat
those who put faith in their promises.
The trust could not at once reduce
the price down 10 starvation wages be-
Independent factories and foreign buyers
that made some competition. One By
one the independent factories were made
to .'stand and deliver sell to or be
merged in the trust or be destroyed
and with this competition out Of the
way. the trust sent prices down to Al
point that left little profit TO the farmer
There still remained the foreign buyer
who gave some tronble to the trust.
Within the past year the trust has Sc
cured the withdrawal of the buyers for
Japan, and, except for very small guam
titles Of tobacco, has everything its own
way land its way this year has been
to buy the tobacco crop at the lowest
prices known since the war, a price that
does not pay for the labor employed in
cultivating and curing the tobacco and
other expenses, not counting any returns
On the investment III land, barns and inn
Elements. That is the condition to which
he tobacco trust has brought the tobacco