The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-18
Col. J. Bryan Grimes to the
Tobacco Growers.

! called a meeting OF the North Carolina
Tobacco Growers Association at Rocky
| Mount on the 18th, and not only growers
| but warehousemen, manufacturers and
| buyers are invited to come together and
discuss the tobacco situation; for in the
fact of the present crisis the interest of
one is the concern of all.
The American Tobacco Company has
absorbed the Imperial Tobacco Company,
it's chief competitor, and in the past
sixty days prices have fallen about 25 or
90 per cent and will probably go lower.
The tobacco farmer is at the mercy
of the trust and will be impoverished
the towns in Eastern North Carolina
that have prospered so greatly for the
| last year or two are in the hands of the
combination and may be blighted-the
independent buyers and spectators who
| bought heavily before the consolidation
of the trusts, are now in their power
and will be ruined, and the warehouse
men can live only in their favor or at
| their sufferance.
To have a conference of these interests
is the purpose OF this meeting called at
| Rocky Mount.
1t is not supposed that scheme or
plan will be devised that will be
| panacea for present conditions or give
| relief in one year or several years. 1t
is not to be hoped that young organi-
cation, without capital can successfully
combat a powerful organization firmly
| entrenched in both the old and the new
world, with millions at its command.
1t is hardly probable that the price of
tobacco for the coming year will be
forced below the cost of production, as
such a course by the trust, followed
Immediately upon the high prices we
have Just received, and lowered for no
apparent reason except the arbitrary Will
of the trust, might force the growers in
the small area growing bright tobacco
(Which is limited to Virginia, North
Carolina, East Tennessee and South
Cardinal in desperation, to combine for
| self preservation. That combination II
made, compactly organized and con-
| trolled, would doubtless determine the
| price of a product of which they nave
| a monopoly in growing-monopoly against
monopoly. North Carolina alone, it is
estimated, grows seventy-fiVe per cent.
| of the bright tobacco made. Such
| combination of farmers for even that
small territory may be ridicuied' but
it is a possibility, and necessity may
force them to it. The tobacco crops or
1900 and 1901 We're short, so 1T was
| seasonabIe to hope that with world wide
prosperity, expanding markets, increased
demand, and an average crop THIS year
| profitable prices would prevail.
At Rocky Mount it is desired to have
a full and free discussion of the situation
in all it's phases, especially in relation TO
production, consumption, local co-opera-
ton, factories, markets, ETC. steps
| should be taken to curtail the acreage,
| if possible and endcavor to restrain, the
| great planting which it appears will be
| made in 1908, and which must have a
| depressing if not destroying, effect upon
| prices Some system should be devised
bv which accurate information can be
obtained from the various counties as to
| area planted, yield per acre, proportion
| of crop marketed, class of tobacco
raised, the amount of and kind OF tertlh-
| ger used. etc
There are no accurate statistics OBJ
tainable and such as we have are merely
| guess-work; the farmers and dealers are
| in the dark as to the real situation, and
prices are left to the pleasure OF the
trust or to chance to fix - .
Some of the estimates of yield for
North Carolina seem ridiculously high
| and doubtless much tobacco is counted
| several times, as it is sold and re-sold
| on the several markets in this State and
| Virginia, before it is exported.
| These statistics can be gathered by
| legislation, supported by the hearty CO.
operation of the State and National De
| partmcnts of Agriculture and with the
| aid of farmers associations BY being
| we'll organized and informed as to true
| conditions we can act intelligently and
| control acreage and production, and in
cdentally prices.
| With the increased demand for to-
| bacco and higher prices for manutac-
| tured tobacco, and with a short supply,
| no combination or combinations, can be
sufficiently strong to absolutely control
| prices.
There is a growing sentiment against
trusts and a tendency to patroniZe anti
| trust goods, as has been so handsomely
! illustrated in the magnificent support
given the Wells Whitehead Tobacco
| Company, and | hope in the next year
| or two to see many cigarette factories
and other tobacco factories established
| in our tobacco towns, as it seems they
| could be operated proftably.
Farmers associations should DE or
ganized in every township. These asso-
! Citations, besides gathering and dissent
mating information, would serve as agri-
cultural schools, and the experience and
superior intelligence OF one FARMER
| would teach an inexperienced or less
gifted neighbor What is said OF the
tobacco farmer applies with equal force
| to the cotton, groin, stock, truck or
| general farmer. The practical oene1lts
| to be derived from farmers associations
are too many to enumerate' but wish
| to illustrate one item alone Where by
intelligence ard cooperation the farm
| ers of Eastern North Carolina WOULD
save hundreds of thousand OF dollars.
Until the Legislature of 1901 changed
if. the law in reference to fertilizers,
REQUIRED that brands sold IN the State
whenever any of the following i'll
gradients were asserted to be present
should contain "soluable and preclpltate
nhosphoric acid, which shall not be less
than per cent. soluble potassa, which
shall not be less than one per cent; am
| monia which shall not be less than two