The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-23
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
he Sllv alton of the Toba eco Grower
is ORGANIZATION.

I'm OCTOBER 18TH, 1879, 4 nlftillS OF
tobacco farmers WAS held in this city
and formed 4 temporary organization,
electing he as its president. lii ac-
cordance with the wishes OF that or
gaEization. | issued a call for L tooavco
planters convention, to be held here De-
cember 9th. The purpose of calling
that convention was to perfect q per-
manent organization. To this convcn-
ton planters from Virginia and South
Carolina were invited, and representa-
tives of the tobacco journals, manufat-
turerS and W~arehOusemen OF the State
were asked to he present and furnish
such data AMI nfOrmatiOn rs they had
which would aid us in ascertaining the
true cause of the present depression in
the prices Of leaf tobacco. / also asked
Il number Of gentlemen. prominent III
the manufacturing, industrial, agricul-
tural and political life of the State, to
BE- with US and to make addresses. The
continually diminishing prices are so
keeniy felt by every planter that | hoped
the convention 0 nthe sixth would be
largely attended, not only by the farm
crS themselves. but also by those who
are directly or indirectly affected by the
tobacco interests. From many of those
whom / invited to address YOU re-
c,'ived no reply. l was also ~disappoint-
cd by the Indifference of many Of our
growers, to this movement. While they
recognized the fact that tobacco was
too low for profitable cultivation and
hoped that some remedy might be found
10 relieve this deplorable condition, they
believed that all efforts for relief would
be impotent. The meeting on the sixth,
while strong i'll its personnel. was not
sufficiently representative Of all the va
rlous tobacco sections to satisfactorily
perfect our organization. SO it was de-
clded that another convention be held
here at this time, and that all tobacco
growing counties of Virginia. South Car
DINA. Tennessee and North Carolina
be urged to send delegates. In respons
to this resolution you have now ASSEM-
bled. We invite at this convention the
fullest and frcest discussion OF the to-
bacco business in all its phases, espe-
clally Ill relation to production, con-
sumption, local cooperative factories,
markets. etc. We also wish to ascer-
tain as accurately as possible the acreage
for the various counties represented
yield per acre, proportion of crop mar
keted, class of tobacco raised. prices,
etc. and i'll regard to this last data |
would suggest that the county delegates
prepare a tabulated report for the sec
rotary of the convention. We would
also like to hear from the various dele
cations as to any plans that they may
have to offer to this convention. rene
dial of present distressed conditions.
| trust our deliberations will be calm.
conservative and business-hke without
prejudice or passion and befit in dignity
and counsel the great work upon which
we are about to ngage In admitting
that prices are too low and continually
diminishing, it is our first duty to seek
the cause; that satisfactorily determined,
find a remedy, or attempt to make one.
We arc informed that the markets are
continually expanding and developing
and that the price of manufactured to
bacco is rising. The governments,
statistics show us that since 800 there
has been i decline of about twenty Der
cent i'll production and a decline Of about
forty-three per cent i'll total value. The
large crop of 1890 averaged over eight
cents Ter pound. while the small error,
of 1896 brought only six cents per pound
IL believe the average for 1890 will
be considerably lower. The question
naturally arises, why the price of the
raw article should decrease. as the price
of the manufactured product increases
The margin between the raw material
and the manufactured article should
not be so great as TO forbid profit to the
grower. The profits from the former
should not he in inverse. ratio to the
! prohts of the latter. Is this unnatural