The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-25
TUESDAY, AUGUST II.
THE LOW PRICE OF TOBACCO.

The low price of tobacco has greatly
excited the m in the tobacco
growing section of the state, as well II
might, for it has been a ~death-blow to
their hopes. The results of last years
sales caused many to increase their to-
bacco planting this year, in the belief
that there was a fortune to them IN this
crop. They expected prices to keep up
and there was no reason why they
should not. Between seasons, though,
the tobacco trust has been formed, and
the consequence is hat there is but
one buyer on the market, excepting a
small demand from a few Independent
concerns which do not take enough of
the product to effect the market
The farmers cannO raise tobacco at
present prices. The question then is:
What are they going to do about it?
hi question is important, not only as
to future crops, but as TO the product
of this years planting now on hand
and ready or soon to be ready for mar
ket.
The proper solution of this question
is worth thousands of dollars to the
people of North Carolina. But what
that solution shall be is the trouble.
How can the farmer so manage as to
force the buyers to pay him the real
value of his tobacco? Several plans
nave been suggested.
The boycott of the trusts manufaC-
tured goods we deem impracticable for
several reasons. The chief among them
Is that il would be almost impossible
to make it sufficiently extensive to a
any effect on the finances of h trust.
Another plan is the establishment Of
independence factories. Now these two
together would work if the people-the
of tObaCcO-would stick up
10 the MISUNDERSTANDING refuse to
buy trust made goods and would pat
ICnize the others. In that case the lat
Ter could live, Notwithstanding any cut
in prices the trust might make. In
several towns of this state companies
are being formed for manufacturing to-
baccO. If they will put their goods on
the market at a fairly remuneratiye
price and the people will agree to pat
rOnize none other, SO that these indie
pendent factories sales will be suffi-
CIent for them to keep aflOat, then will
the trust be headed off-nOt broken up,
OF Course. for that is an impossibility,
In- i,,IlnoDIap+ f,c+pciaS will ha ~
ab:ed 10 conduct their business on a
paying basis and will be in position to
pay the farmers better prices for the
raw product.
Another plan is for the farmers to
hold their tobacco for higher prices.
Whether this will nave much effect or
not depends upon what stock the trust
has on hand 1t would be an impossi-
bility to stop entirely the sale of to-
b&cco. Some Will necessarily be put
on the market every day, which the
trust will pick up at its own figures
unless the will ~patronize the
independent factories to the extent Of
making it worth the while Of the latter
~ l AL AIS HAINSS up Oh IN trust. f1OIO-
ing the tobacco back will not alone,
necessarily, advance the price. The trust
may be in condition to stay off the
market for months. As We say, it de-
ponds upon the amount of its stock on
hand, and as to this no outsider knows.
Another suggestion TO the farmers
is TO hold this crop TO higher prices
and plant no tobacco at all next year.
OF course it is an impossibiIity TO carry
out this latter idea. There will be a
big crop planted, no matter what the
pIice is this year. Start the idea that
there will be a very small crop next
yea and every farmer Will undertake
to get in on the blind side OF all the
other farmers with a big crop of MS
Owl which ne expects will bring fabu-
Ious prices because he will be the only
II an who will have any tobacco to sell.
That has, been tried too often with cot
to-.
In our opinion the best solution Of the
difficulty is the building of independent
factories and the determination OF the
consumers 10 patronize these in pref
eIence to the trusts products. Let the
American Tobacco Company manufac-
tuce all the tobacco it chooses and sell
at whatever price it pleases. but let the
cheWer and the smoker pay the indie
perdent factories fair prices for their
product and the all will be indepen-
Cent of the trust-both the producer OF
the raw material and the consumer of
the ma~nufactured product. This plan