Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1904-09-27
And Organize TO Fight the Great
Trust.
congressman Stanley and James.
of Kentucky, and Congress
man Gaines. of Tennes
see, Make Speeches.

tobacco growing counties, met here
today to organize against the to
bacco trust and IN behalf of better
prices for the weed. Chas. H. Fort,
of Robinson county, Tennessee,
president OF the GAINESVILLE District
Tobacco Growers Association, pre-.
sided
He explained the purposes of the
meeting and stated that the last
crop of dark tobacco was produced
at a cost of six cents per pound,
100000 on the crop, and sold at
an average of four cents per pound,
Sc, 750, 600, as a result OF the trusts.
The following committee on plan
of organization, one member from
each county represented at the
meeting, was upon motion of S. A.
Champion, of Nashville, appointed,
with F. G. Ewing, of Robinson
county, as chairman:
Tennessee-Stewart county, w
b Hall; Robinson, f G Edwards;
Montgomery, Polk Prince; Cheat
ham, ] E Hodgins, Obion, D G.
Reeves; Houston, John Sargent;
Dickson, Marshall Cunningham.
Observation-Disclosures county, A
H Garden; Trigg, T E Crenshaw;
Todd, Frank Walton; Christian, J
d Clardy: Simpson, r Claypoo'e;
Weakley, r e Holiday; Caldwell, ]
H Mcconnell; Graves, John Palmer;
Logan, Henry Thurman. - -
While this committee was out
speeches were made by the Hon.
Joel B. Fort, of Robinson county,
Tennessee; Congressman Ollie
James, of the First Kentucky dis
trict, and Congressman John Yves
ley Gaines, of the Sixth Tennessee
district, each of whom explained
the operations of the tobacco trusts.
Congressman Gaines offered a
resolution providing that whereas
the existence of a tobacco trust is
apparent to the tobacco growers, in
convention assembled, said trusts
being operated in open violation of
the law, and to the great detriment
OF tobacco growers; be it resolved,
that the several United States dis
trict judges, in Tennessee or Ken
lucky, be urged to charge their
grand juries % investigate these
trusts.
This resolution was adopted
unanimously. The committee on
plan of organization here reported
recommending that the name of the
organization be the GAINESVILLE
Dark District Tobacco Planters
Association.
The object is to assist each mem
Der 10 grading and selling bis to-
bacco. The government is vested
in a president, vice-president and
secretary-treasurer, who shall be
ex-oficio members of the executive
committee. This board shall have
power to make and amend the by
laws and transact all business not
delegated to committees. There
shall be an executive committee
consisting of one representative
from each dark tobacco county,
who shall be the chairman of their
county organization. The execu-
tive committee shall investigate the
prices and the best markets for
selling tobacco, To sell to the best
advantages the tobacco crops of all
members, either in the barn, ware
house or to brokers. The commit
tee shall have general supervision
over the tobacco of all members, and
inspect same, if necessary to pre-
vent fraud; to sell to such persons
or corporations as may be deemed
best, the proceeds to 60 direct to
the owner of the tobacco. No sala-
ries are to be paid any members
and these rules shall not be opera
tive until 70 per cent of the crop
has been secured. This report
was adopted unanimously.
Alter. speeches by Congressman
A. o. Stanley, of the Second Ken
lucky district, and ex.Gov. Benton