The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-05-04
TOBACCO AND POLITICS.

The Leaf Tobacco Association at its an
nual meeting on Monday reelected its
| former board of directors and unanimous
| ly adopted the annual report of the direc-
tors, which was read by Secretary Charles
A. Martin.
The report severely criticised the politi-
cal administration of the State tobacco
warehouses, and suggested that they be
taken out Of politics and the appointment
of employees of the warehouses be vested
in the association. In discussing this sub
ject the report states:
with every change in the State Admin
istration new set of employees comes into
the State tobacco warehouses, even if the
new incoming Administration is of the
same political party as its predecessor,
and these periodically recurring changes
are an unmixed evil to the tobacco trade
When the last change in the State Admin
iStration took place, in 1896, new and
inexperienced force was installed and for
three years the result was many complaints
as to their faulty sampling. In the fourth
year of these incumbents the experience
they had gained, assisted by the constant
efforts and watchfulness of the Leaf To.
bacco Association, produced an improve
ment in pleasing contrast with the three
previous years.
'It is with great encouragement that we
contemplate the sweeping changes in the
personnel of the warehouse employees now
being made by the recently inaugufated
State Administration, and we feel that it
is time that the disturbance of the machin-
cry which handles our great State product
should cease The Maryland tobacco crop
annually draws from foreign consumers
81 ,250,0 to S1,500,000, which is distrib-
uted among the tobacco growers of South
ern Maryland. When our samples merit
the confidence of the European buyers the
trade prospers; when, through faulty in
spection, the samples do not fairly repre-
sent the hogsheads the trade suffers, and
the first to feel this are the farmers them
selves.
Experience has shown us that so long
as positions in the State tobacco ware
houses are treated as other political pat
ronage it is impossible to have the per-
manency in office which is so essential to
the intelligent performance of his duties
by the employee, and we would urge radi
cal change in the method of appointing
these officials to whom is intrusted the
handling and samplng of our great staple.
We carr estly recommend that the men
who draw the samples be elected by the
Leaf Tobacco Association, as is done in
many tobacco markets in this country.
The Leaf Tobacco Association has the
psf stake in the welfare of the to-
bacco trade; it is in close touch with the
tobacco growers and the tobacco consum-
ers and it is better informed as to the
qualifications and fitness of the various
applicants for the above offices than the
State Executive can hope to be. Why,
therefore, should not the selection of
these men be left to the Leaf Tobacco
Associations
The report also staae the Mary
land tobacco crop okls MOUNTED to
81 ,4s4 hogsheads, aboat 1000 hogsheads
less than for the year before, and greatly
inferior to it in general character, much
being rough and coarse and mixed with
green. France contracted for a smaller
quantity than the previous year, but later
increased ner demands, SO that shipments
reached Is, $50 hogsheads, being the lar
gest quantity ever shipped to that country
in any one year. Considering the un-
desirable character of much of the crop,
it sold wellkRgices ranging from to 10
cents. Thu # groundleaves was
about 1900 No ids, but, owing to their
lack of color, sales were slow. Upper
county tobacco was of poor quality and
color, making sales difficult: The quaint
ty was small, about 1000 hogsheads, of
which some 300 or 400 hogsheads were
air cured.
The directors announced that they had
arranged for full selection of all types
of tobacco grown in Maryland at the
Paris Exposition, the exhibit being made
in the name of the Leaf Tobacco Associa-
ton Of Maryland by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
1t was announced that the French
Government will give out a contract dur
ing the month of May for about 5000
hogsheads of Maryland tobacco. This
purchase by France will be one of the
largest shipments ever made.
Senator Allen rebuked Senator Chand-
Ter for his apparent anxiety to railroad the
resolution reported from the Election
Committee, declaring Senator Clark, of
Montana, not entitled to his seat, through
the Senate when he said: Every man
must realize that it is asking good deal
of any one who occupies place in this
chamber to take the mere conclusions OF
a committee without an opportunity of
reading the evidence upon which those
conclusions are based. | am not inter-
ested in this case one way or the other,
but the Senate cannot expect to dispose
of it in two or three days when it has
taken the Committee three months to hear
witnesses and reach a judgment. That
would be ridiculous in any tribunal" 1t
is strongly believed that the resi- gnation
of Senator Clark will make vote unnec-
essary on this resolution, although he still
declines to talk for publication.
lG y