The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-07-29

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Entered at the Postohice at Manning as Sec
ond Class matter
TOBACCO MARKET AT MERCY OF TRUST.
Mullins, July 26.-The tobacco
season has fully opened in all
the markets in eastern South
Carolina, but the planters and
warehousemen are brought face
to face with a serious problem
Tor they realize that they are
completely at the mercy of the
tobacco trust commonly known
as the American Tobacco Com
pany. Prices are just about half
what they were last season, but
about the same as two years ago.
The common grades such as
:ssand lugs" are selling from to
6 cents a pound and some as low
as 9 cents. The American To-
bacco company is the only buyer
on the market and hence dictates
the prices.
It will be remembered that the
Imperial was their strongest com
petitor, besides a number of inde-
pendent spectators who ran
prices up to almost fictitious val
ues. but a consolidation between
the American and imperial was
perfected at the close Of the sea-
Son and the gigantic trust now
has the market at it's mercy.
The daily scenes in the ware,
houses are in marked contrast to
those of former seasons. The
farmers are dissatisfied and dc
not hesitate to shoW-iissrbut know
full well that they have no re-
dress. Thiseondition of affairs
is said toa&ist all over the tobac,
CO sseSon in South Carolina,
North Carolina and Virginia.
The tobacco belt in South Car,
olina embraces only that section
of the State watered by the Great
Pee Dee river and it is estimated
that the crop of 1902 aggregated
81, 900, 900 pounds at an average
price Of 8 cents which brought
into the State 50, 100000. Oh
this amount it is estimated that
Marion county handled a, 900, 00C
pounds.
It is further estimated that
100000 is invested in this coun-
ty in warehouses, stemmeries
and prizehouses, which repre-.
sents bouthalf the invested cap
ital in this enterprise alone in
the Pee Dee section.
The majority of this capital
was brought into this State by a
rep1 sentative class of men from
Virginia and North Carolina who
have made their homes here, and
constitute a class Of citizenship
Of which any State might be
proud-men who have gone tc
work and built up the waste plac
es and thereby brought a degree
of prosperity heretofore IN
known in this section of the
State.
The question is will the cultiva
tion Of tobacco be discontinued
now that the price is below the
cost of production, or will the
crop be curtailed another year
IS per cent? Many farmers de-
clare that they will not plant an.
other stalk, but will devote thei1
lands to the cultivation of cotton
which bids fair to bring remune.
rative prices this year, and the
outlook in this section for boun.
tiful harvests was never more
promising.
The South Carolina tobacco
acreage this year is from 20 to q
per cent. more than last year
and the labor in this section is
inadequate to gather it all, hence
thousands of dollars is daily go,
ing to waste in the fields, yet
what is gathered constitutes the
golden egg" laid by the tobacco
goose which the American To.
bacco company is strangling to
death. But the farmers have the
consolation that high prospect
i've prices for cotton will even up
affairs at the end of the year.
The American Tobacco com
pany did not come into the mar
ket until the Goth inst, hence
this was the opening day at all
the markets and not until then
were prices fixed. True, the
quality so far has been inferior
and carelessly prepared for mar.
ket. On account Of the rains the
lower leaves of the plant were
covered with sand which was
meyer removed, hence while it
increased the weight, greatly re
duced the price, for the keen
eyes and delicate touch Of the
buyers readily detect it's pres,
ence, but as one farmer declared,
he would rather sell his land at
two cents a pound than at s10C
per acre.
TIE LABOR PROBLEM.
Owing to the diversified indus.
tries in this section the question
of labor is the most serious