The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-02-20
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Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edgerton, Wisconsin.
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NOTE Rn0K SKETCHES.

There was paid out for labor in the to-
bacco warehouses of Edgerton on Mon
day last S10,O01. .16, which is probably the
high water mark for weekly pay rolls of
the packing season. The distribution of
so large a sum among class of people
who are liberal spenders of their earn
ings is a fair illustration of what the to-
bacco industry means to the warehouse
points in the state. Every department
of business feels the effect of throwing
into the channels of trade large sums of
money each week. and there is hardly
citizen in any of these towns but is ben
Gifted by the additional impulse quick
ening the circulation of ready money.
At low estimate there are at present
1000 people employed in the various
warehouses in the state who will draw
in wages during the packing season close
to S050,000. An industry that will fur
nish the laboring classes employment
with wages aggregating so large an
amount is certainly an important one.
It shows that it is not alone the amount
of money paid the grower for the raw
product that measures the value of this
industry to the people of the tobacco
growing sections.
*x*
TOBACCO GROWERS AND DEALERS OF THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN:
[ beg to call your attention to the i'm
portance of attending the Second Annual
meeting of the Tobacco Growers and
Dealers Association of the State of Wis
consin. This meeting will be held at
Madison in the Historical rooms Of the
Capitol building, February 25th, 1908.
Bills have been introduced in both
houses asking for an appropriation of
SIS 600 to be used exclusively for growing
pure Havana tobacco seed, for free dis
tribution to the growers of the state, and
$5, 600 to be given to the Agriculture Ex-
pertinent Station for experimental pur-
poses in growing and curing tobacco
We also beg to call your attention to
the liberal prizes offered for the annual
exhibit of tobacco grown in the state.
Meeting will call to order at 10 o'clock
a. m.
You are earnestly requested to be pres
ent and use your influence in fostering
this growing industry of the state.
A. l.. FISHER, Secy.
***
The text of the proposed bill is as fol-
lows:
A bill making appropriation to the Wis
cOnSin Agricultural Experiment Station.
The people of the State of Wisconsin, repre-
sented in the Senate and Assembly, do enact
as follows .
Section l. There is here by appropriated to
the Agricultural Experiment Station of Wis
consin out of the money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropri ated the sum of ten thOus-
and dollars OF this money the sum of five
Thousand dollars shall be used for importing.
growing and originating suitable varieties of
Havana and other tobacco seeds for free distri-
button to the tobacco growers of the State, and
the sum of five thousand dollars shall be used
for experimental purposes in growing and cur
ing tobacco
Section 2 This act shall take effect and be
in force from and after it's passage and publ
cation.
Xxx
Secretary Fisher has addressed com
munication to the committee on agricul-
ture urging the appropriation, in which
he says:
We ask your attention to the great i'm
portance Of the tobacco industry of the
state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is pre-
eminently the cigar leaf producing state
of the Union. We are growing $4,000
acres of tobacco, producing 100000
pounds of cigar leaf The farmers
are receiving annually an average of
Sc per pound for this product, Or about
S3,360,00O. 1t costs the packers of the
state at least S4 $4,000 to purchase and
pack the annual product.
In order to maintain the prestige al
ready established, the Wisconsin grower
must be provided with pure and uni
form quality of the best Havana tobacco
seed obtainable, and in order to foster
| this growing industry we urgently re-
quest that the enclosed bill be permitted
| to become law, and that five thousand
dollars be appropriated for the specific
purpose of growing pure Havana tobac-
co seed for free distribution to the grow
ers of the state.
We further beg leave to call your at
tention to the Importance of appropriate
ing five thousand dollars to the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station for expert
mental purposes in growing and curing
tobacco.
The n E. Homestead urges the tobac-
co growers of New England to form
corporation for the purpose of handling,
packing and selling the crop. The plan
is to incorporate with at least $4,000 !
capital under the direction of the most |
experienced tobacco growers. The grow
ers' company could do business in sew |
eral ways. The best plan, in which the |
larger and more businesslike growers |
would probably be willing to participate, !
would be for the company to receive GER
tain crops, assert them into established |
market grades, and then case the leaf |
accordingly. Another plan would be to
arrange to receive the leaf from certain
farmers in the bundle, though of course
in the latter form tobacco is not SO avail |
able as collateral for advances of money. !
In these and other ways, the crops in a
given section could be brought together
IN some existing warehouse or building, |
and warehouse receipts could be issued
thereon in a form that makes attractive
security for the banks. Many modifca-
tions of this idea are possible, to adapt |
If RI fha varvinu noodc af ip1iuid11alc