The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-24
MR. JORDAN'S PLAN.

\ correspondent, who is interested in
the Tobacco Growers Convention, called
to meet in Raleigh on the 18th of Jan
uary Ito be composed of five delegates
to be chosen by a meeting in every
county seat on the first Monday in Jam
uary) requests us to publish IN detail
the plan presented by Mr.. j. f. Jordan
in the meeting held at Raleigh on the
Sth of December. The best way to
present Mr.. Jordan's plan is to print 1T
in full as stated in recent interview
as follows
Il am more firmly convinced than
ever, after ten years close study of the
situation" said Mr.. Jordan, that the
remedy can only come through the farm
ers themselves. 1t can never come
through legislation, because politicians,
and not business men, legislate. Ny
plan contemplates the organization OF n
company to buy the entire crop of bright
tobacco grown III the States OF North
Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and
Tennessee, and all the farmers will
have to do is to enter into an ironclad
agreement, refusing to allow the
American Tobacco Company - have Il
chance to purchase Il single ieat OF
their product for five years Ins.ea1 Of
selling i'll warehouses at public auction,
as they now do, they will bring their
tobacco to the warehouses in the several
markets, and it will be priced by 4 com
mittee consisting of two farmers ecct-
ed by themselves and two leaf men to
be selected by the new organization, and
every farmer is to receive tle same
price for the same grade. After being
priced in this way it is to be appor-
toned out to the various dealers on each
market, who have facilities for rehanl-
ling and putting the tobacco in thorough
keeping order, and then stored in storage
warehouses. Thus all the macEe-s, III
Guiding warehousemen, leaf dealers, IN
dependent factories and storage louses.
can be kept intact and nobody viii SUI
fer save a few salaried buyers now Oh
the market for the trusts. And even
they can have employment if they &C.
sire it,
What is the present supply of the
trust and how will your plan operate
with regard to the American Tobacco
Company" was asked.
ITO get the best results Leaf tobacco
must be at least one year Old before
it is manufactured, and Therefore they
usually have about one years supply
on hand, so they could only run for
about one year after being cut off from
the supply of raw. material. At the
end OF this time we would have ore
crop stored away and ready for Tse
We would then be in a position to say
to the American Tobacco Company that
we have absolute control OF the Leaf
tobacco used in their business, aud that
il they will pay us n Legitimate Profit
Oh the same they can get any tobacco or
as much tobacco as they want to con
tinue i'll business. Should they refuse
to buy from us, we would take all in
dependent factories outside of the com
bine building others, il necessary, ana
manufacture the entire production, al
lowing all farmers to participate in any
profits arising therefrom."
Would it not require Il considerable
sum of money to buy the entire crop Of
tobacco i'll the States you allude to, and
do you believe this money could be Sc
curedT"
Taking the last five years prices as
"A basis, it would require about $4,000
900, dollars annually to pay for the
entire crop, but we propose to give un-
der this plan to producers at least 81
100000 annually more for the crop than
they have received in the last five years.
Thus it would require in the neighbor-
hood OF S7,000.000 annually; and | hon
estly believe that il we had 80 per cent
Of the tobacco producers pledged to this
plan and it should be understood thar
the company is TO be managed by capa-
BILE executive ability, then the applca-
| tons for stock would be so large that
| YOU would have to turn down millions
| Of dollars in subscriptions, just as this
government did when it sold its WAY
| bonds. because this would be an open
and shut game, and there are millions
| Of money in the country seeking just
such investments. Besides, tobacco
| when properly ordered and stored, has
money value just as staple as gold
| value"