The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-07
PLANS TO FURTHER EXTEND
THE ORGANIZATION.
CONVENTION HERE ON JAN. nth
On the First Monday in January County Con-
ventions Win be Held in All the To-
bacco Counties 10 Appoint
Delegates to the State
Convapf;op
Convention.


proverbial worm, at last turned.
For many years they have seen the
price Of the weed steadily declining,
until now it is in many cases, below
the cost of production.
This decline dates from the formation
Of the American Tobacco Company. In
faet. they claim there are plenty of eyi-
dences OF the fact that the trust is di-
rectly responsible for the low price Of
tobacco.
Now, they say the price is so low that
they must either devise some way "a
GET more for it or stop raising it. OF
course, they do not care to do the latter.
if it can be helped. So they have de
cided to do the former.
To-this end the North Carolina Tobac.
co Growers Association was formed
dlmamg Fair week. and yesterday and
last night it held its first convention. Ii
was well attended, something near a
hundred tobacco growers being present
Steps were taken to perfect the or
ganizafion and extend it, the purpose Of
the association was declared, time and
place fixed for another convention and
the number OF delegates To be all0wes:
20 each county was settled. Eveay q.
bacco county was called on to hold a
county convention on the first Monday
II January TO select FIVE delegates each
to the State Convention here on .Ianu-
ary 18th.
During the session some interesting
speeches were made and there was an
exchange Of experience and sentiment
among the delegates that must result
in good and mutual profit. In fact this
first convention was decided success.
1t was held in the hall Of the House
Of Representatives at the Capital.
At 1890 the meeting was called t.
order by Hon. Samuel i. Patterson,
Commissioner of Agriculture for North
Carolina. He stated that Mr.. j. Bryan
Grimes, president of the association,
was unable, ON account of the recent
death of his wife, to be present.
After reading the call for the con-
yention, Mr.. Patterson said, in part:
THE delegates who are present prob
ably all understand the sad cause which
prevents Col. Grimes attendance at
this meeting today, and the affiiction
which he has suffered in the loss Of
his wife. He has requested me there
FORE to call the meeting to order
1T is Il new and umlSUai condition
in trade affairs that has inspired the
call Of this meeting. 4 serious problem
confronts the producers of one Of the
two great money crops of the State.
Interests amounting to from five to SIX
million dollars are inyolved.
Il am not going into any lengthy
argument to show the decline Of prices
Of tobacco. Examine your accounts OF
sales today and compare with like ac-
counts OF six. eight or ten years ago
Put your hands into your pockets and
they will sreak forcibly enough Of the
changes III the values, no not Of values,
but of markets.
But If additional testimony is need
ed from official sources, i wish to pre-
sent statistics from the United Sta.cs
Department Of Agriculture to SLOW the
gradual decline in price. The total crop
Of the United States with its value is
presented below
1890 22,2l5,11G $43,100,532 sAc
1894 .406. .GTS.3 .3S5 27.7G0, ,739 6 4-5c
1896 .403. .004,3 800 24,25S,070 &c
Comparing the figures given for 1890
with those for 1888 tthe last published
l'y the department. the astonishing re-
suit is demonstrated of decline of 20
per cent in production and decline also
Of 43 per cent IN total value Not only
in total value, but in price per pound.
the large crop Of 1890 bringing 8 ii
cents per pound, while the small crop
Of 1896 Erings only Il cents per pound
ION tile other hand the cotton crop
which has not been affected by any
combination such as has obstructed the
tobacco market. shows very different re-
suits in price per pound when a small
crop was made as compared with a
large crop.
The crop of '96'97, OF S,757,964
bales brought 1927. .547. .s54.
'.The crop Of '9T-'9S, of 11,274,S40
babes, brought $500 ,009,4 ,43O or about
S5,540,000 less than the short crop of
the preceding year.
THAT il, under the untrammeled law
Of supply and demand the price per
pound went up as the yield went down
Not so~ with tobacco. There the mar
ket has been so throttled that de-
cline of 20 per cent in production -
marked by a 43 per cent. decline in
value.
Now gentlemen the problem is with
you. 1t is serious one that Is at TINS
ltine affecting, in nearly all lines Of