The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-06-26
Tobacco Department.
1o1.nno eROwERs SHOULD ORGANIzE.

Carolina:
meeting of the Executive Com
,,ittee in the city of Raleigh, May
94th. the Secretary of the North
carolina Tobacco Growers Associa-
ZION was requested to issue an adj
arass to the tobacco growers in the
bright tobacco belt, calling their at
tention to the Association, its scope
.nd purposes. The necessity of an
o~roanization of the tobacco growers
IF he State was discussed at some
Of the agricultural meetings during
the State Fair in Raleigh, October,
1899 From this a call was issued by
Mr.. J. Bryan Grimes who had been
chosen President of the temporary
examination, for a tobacco growers
convention to meet in the city of
Raleigh, December 9th, 1899, and
another convention was held at Raj
eigh. January 18th, 1900.
This convention in January was
well attended by growers, warehouse
men and others interested in tobacco
from this State and Virginia. At
this meeting a permanent organiza-
+ion was effected, and the North
Carolina Tobacco Growers AssOcia-
ton sprang into existence with we'll
defined purposes not a rival, but an
ally to the other farmers organiza-
tions in the State.
The tobacco growers were ably
represented and the personnel of the
convention was strong. The griev-
ances of the tobacco growers were
set before the convention, and with
singular unanimity it was agreed
that they could be remedied. The
consensus of opinion was: That
there are no influences set in motion
bv man, that cannot be met and
remedied by men. The present low
prices of tobacco and their causes
we're discussed. 1t was shown that
while the acreage had materially in
creased during the last decade that
the consumption also of tobacco had
kept apace with the increase, and in
fact if such a thing were possible,
that the next few years would e
the consumption Outstrip the in
crease in yield. New territory has
been invaded and manufactured
North Carolina bright tobacco is no
longer a stranger in the Orient, nor
in the islands of the Pacific ocean,
while South Africa and other new
territory are asking for our golden
leaf. With the increased demand;
and the limited area that grows
bright tobacco, the growers could see
no just cause for the present low
prices. In fact, could see no cause at
all, except such as has been brought
about by the American Tobacco
Company.
It is alleged that this company gets
as much per pound or per 1000, for
its products now as it did ten years
age. when they paid two or three
times as much for the raw material
as they now pay. This has been
made possible with them by organi-
Aron and controlling the situation.
They saw the necessity of controll-
mg the output of manufactured to-
bacco, as we'll as the raw material.
10 this effect they have purchased
Or otherwise silenCed nearly all
strong competition. By this means
they have taken buyers off the ware
house floors, as we'll as sellers of
manufactured tobacco from out of
the markets. In this way they have
shown us the power and effective
ness Of organization. They have
given the growers an object lesson
that they should not be slow to
profit by. The interest that was
eV1nced at the January meeting of
NE tobacco growers showed their
zeal and determination in the mat
Ter. They have been working for
JAe enrichment of the trusts, and to
The lmpoverishment of their own
farms and families, until they have
Neclded to make a change-to find a
remedy for the low prices or make
one, as President Grimes so we'll said
III his address before that body.
some insist that if the remedy lies
I'll organization, we will never get it,
d. the organization of the farmers is
III lmpossibility.
o-d army officers laughed in scorn
q, Tie idea of Napoleon crossing the