The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-03
MR. GAINES GETS BUSY
THE TENNESSEE CONGRESSMAN
 FoREGoEs CHRISTMAS FUN.
Has e Plan to Aid the Small Growers of Tobacco-Charles o'Neil the n Sailor Who Becomes e
 an Admiral.
Advertiser Bureau. Colorado Building.

Colorado Building,
 Washington, Jan. 2. The Honorable John Wesley Gaines, of Tennessee. comes pretty nearly being the MT. Dooly of many an emergency. In other words when the Hermitage district congressman goes after thing he knows no such thing as letting go. until 1t is found to be either accom- plIshed or impossible of achievement.
 MT. Gaines might have gone home and taken turkey and reveled in Christ mas gIees and feasting with congental constituents, for while excessively se- riotls at times, there are occasions when the Honorable John Wesley Is as full of fun and antic-spirit as yearling colt let into field of blue grass in Mid dle Tennessee.
 MT. Gaines just now has one of his se- rious spells and something is bound to come of 1t. In his district arc considera- ble tobacco interests He has introduced bill for the tobacco farmers of his dis trict which equally fits the needs of to- bacco growers all over the country, es- pecially the small growers who want to do @ little trading or swapping or giving away among their neighbors. in which inherently righteous occupation they are blocked by a senseless law. By continuous pounding away and little ln- structive talks where it will do the most good, MT. Gaines is awakening material interest in his bill.
 It repeals all taxes and restrictions on free and unlimited trade in leaf tobac- co and permits anybody to buy and sell 1t in any quantity. It provides that a grower may stem and twist and sell his own crop without tax or license, and allows him to sell or deliver 1t to another person to sell for him. The heavy tax Nnh ali and inc rigid law regulating its manufacture have giv- en the tobacco trust complete control and growers are everywhere complaining they are not allowed living price. Mir. Gaines has carefully gone over the his- tory of the incumbent tobacco statute and finds that at it's inception 1t was dis tinctly stated that it was only war measure and would be remitted when war necessities subsided. All other war measures of taxation have been repealed except this tobacco tax. Under the law as 1t is. the Treasury Department rigidly holds that the least change in the form of ra wtobacco, as 1t comes out of the barn. is manufacturing If a farmer stems a hand or twists or presses 1t, or in any way alters It's shape. he be- comes a manufacturer and must either take out a license, conforming to one rous exactions, or be subjected to hne and In1DT1SOuII1cIt u ANAOh AAO 10 hON permitted to prepare his own product for market. nor to participate in the profits. The law simply hands him over to the trusts. Tobacco growers are earn estIy backing the Tennessee congress- man in his timely efforts.
 The scientific farmers of the Depart ment of Agriculture have had much to say recently intended to be encouraging to the tobacco growers of the South ern States As an earnest of this good word, the department will. with the New Year, make a liberal distribution of to- baccO seed through congressman and ex- pertinent stations and agricultural col ieges. Bnt before any substantial pro- gress can be made in the advancement of the smaller domestic. tobacco indus. tries especially in the experimental stage of cultlvating special varieties, 1t is evi- dent that the bill advocated by Repre- sentative Gaines ought to become a law relieving the farmers and small growers of the burdensome six cents tax on the so-caIled manufactured product
 The last census showed that there were fin Alabama in 1899 a total of L14l acres in tobacco. which yielded 311. .95C pounds. In the sixty-two counties oi the State. Houston not then having beer formed. every county in the State. ex- cept Bullock. produced some tobacco. Montgomery. Mobile. Macon. Conecuh Greene and Washington planted less than an acre each. The leading county