The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-18
THE TOBACCO CONVENTION To-
MORROW AT ROCKY MOUNT.

The Tobacco Convention called by Col
John S. Cunningham, president of the To-
bacco Growers Association, to meet in
Rocky Mount tomorrow (Friday) is a
gathering of great Importance to all
North Carolina and of vital Importance
to the twenty-five counties that depend
chiefly upon the cultivation and sale Of
bright tobacco.
The merger of the two great trusts
thirty three and third per cent within
six weeks. This is but the beginning of
what many fear will follow the merger.
Only last week the British American To-
bacco Company was organized by the
merged trusts, with J. B. Duke at it's
head, to absorb the entire export trade
Of both trusts. Of its object and its pow
er, the Southern Tobacco Journal says:
1.-THE company will absorb all the ex-
port factories, those where goods for
home consumption are manufactured re-
naming under control of the trusts in
their respective countries. AS will be
judged from the above facts, the new con-
ecrn is an unusually powerful one and is
destined to hold a commanding position
i'll the industrial world
1t develops all the time that it is the
purpose of the trust to absolutely control
the tobacco from the field to the con-
sumer. They own nearly all the factories,
they now take over the export business,
they are dominating the retail business,
they may soon control the warehouses
or compel them to go out of business.
Then the farmer is absolutely and with
out remedy at their mercy, which, of
course, means that they will pay just
enough to secure the planting of enough
tobacco to meet their needs, leaving the
farmer no legitimate margin of profits.
In view of the wiping out of one
third of the price of tobacco in the short
SPACE of six weeks, and the future peril
to tobacco growers and independent to-
meeting called at Rocky Mount shall be
largely attended. The wisest men who
grow and handle the weed should ex
change views and try to agree upon
plan to save themselves from the certain
heavy losses that will come to them if
they make no attempt to thwart the high
handed plans which the trust has de-
termined to carry into execution
prominent tobacco man said yesterday
that even If agreement upon the best
plan could not be reached at the Fri
day meeting, it would do good to let the
trust know that their cool taking of SO Ia
per cent out of the pockets of farmers
and dealers could rot be carried out
without a protest. He added THE
News and Observers vigorous and ringing
editorial on Sunday morning has already
done good, and forced the trust to make
slight increase in the price of tobacco.
The Rocky Mount meeting if it shows that
North Carolina tobacco growers and deal
ers are in earnest, will do good"
BY request of this paper, Col. J. Bryan
Grimes, the first president of the State
Tobacco Growers Association, con-
tributes thoughtful and sensible article
outlining the need of organized effort,
and pointing out measures that he thinks
ought to be adopted by the farmers.
These suggestions are commended to
the consideration of the convention. Col.
Grimes is a practical and successful to-
bacco grower. a sensible and honest man,
and whatever he recommends is entitled
TO the greatest weight.
Col. Grimes recommends that the farm
ers meet organization with organization.
If the tobacco farmers of only twenty
five counties would secure perfect or
ganization to prevent the arbitrary re-
duction of the price of their product, they
would do much to hold up the price. If,
cooperating with them, small capitalists
in the tobacco section in every strong
tobacco town would invest few
thousand dollars in manufacturing cigars
and smoking tobacco and conduct small
business, appealing first to home con-
sumption for antitrust goods, that would
also help in the fight that must be waged
If the tobacco farmers are not reduced
to vassals of the tobacco trust. The
success of the Wells Whitehead Tobacco
Company and few other independent