The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-06
Tobacco Growers AssOCia-
ton to Start Two.
STOCK is SUBSCRIBE
A Description Of Tobacco Situation BY
One Who Knows. The One Thing
NeedfuI TO Take Advantage of
1t the Enforcement of Anti
Trust Laws.
Trust Laws.

Especial to News and Observer
Greensboro, N. c., May 5.-The
executive committee of the North
Carolina Tobacco Growers Associa-
ton this evening decided to establish
tobacco factories at Madison and
Rocky Mount subscription books
fora 100000 factory at Madison were
opened and nearly half of the amount
was subscribed in less than an hour.
More Money in Tobacco Now.
Speaking Of the matter of establish
ing independent factories prolhl-
nent member of the Executive Com
mittee of the Tobacco Growers As
ISOLATION said:
There is more money made In
manufacturing tobacco now than
ever before Tobacco for which the
farmer gets an average of five cents
pound is being worked up In mixed
lots, far different from the old-time
way of choice selected leaf for high
priced quality of finished product
and ii is sold to the consumer at five
cents an ounce.
THE tobacco manufacturing trust
having run almost all the independ-
ent manufacturers out by purchase
or sandbagging, completely broke To a
large extent independent dealers IN
leaf from buying at the loose leaf
the price of the farmers crops, while
cutting profits of warehousemen in
half. Having gotten he dealers, the
warehousemen and the farmers in its
clutch, this same trust went TO work
and for several years has been run
ming out Of business all independent
retail dealers who handled any but
their goods. by cut-throat competition
until the small dealer was forced TO
go broke or sell out. In this way al
most every merchant has been made
to bow TO the yoke of the trust, and
i'm some cities North there is not
single retail tobacco or cigar dealer
who is not really an agent of the
trust, handling their goods on COM
mission
Grip on Cigar Men.
This is no so bad on cigars, be-
cause Italians and others make cigars
by hand OF such superior quality the
trust cannot stop that trade entirely.
But II is even doing that in several
towns i'm Virginia and within the last
six months has opened up regular
agencies in at least four North Caro-
lima towns. If this scheme succeeds
South as It has North it will not be
long before every cigar dealer and eV-
cry tobacco and snuff dealer will be
as absolutely IN the hands of the
trust as are the farmers and ware
houscmen and leaf dealers.
"'In the manufactured tobacco, es-
pclally i'm plug goods, the principal as
set of a new business Is the skill and
experience OF the manager and super
intendcnt and bosses i'm the different
departments from the warehouse
where the leaf is bought at auction
20 the drummer i'm the merchants Of
flee ten thousand miles away where
the solicited customer may be-
"In all old tobacco manufacturing
| towns, whore the trust has bought
out or knockd out Independent facto-
ries, there are numbers of splendid
business men and experts in the to-
! bacco manufacturing and selling bus
mess who are either idle or at work
on wages at other callings yielding a
bare existence. You can go 10 Green's
boro, Winston, ReidsNille, Durham.
Raleigh. or any of the Virginia to-
bacco towns, and get your pick Of
first-class men. acquainted with every
detail Of the tobacco business who
would be glad to return TO 1t. BY a
concentration OF efforts OF such ex-
perts joined with surplus capital
which many of them have. II is
thought to be perfectly feasible to es-
tablish several large independent
manufacturing plants, SO that farm
ers consumers, retailers. brokers. leaf
uGdieGS ana Wdfen0uSEueW can get
back something Of the liberties Of the
past to turn their experience and
skill and labor and capital to ac-
count
The Only Thing Needed.
''Thc only thing In the world need
ed now is TO have the provisions OF
the Sherman antitrust law outlawing
monopolies which restrain trade en-
forced. There are mos e ncouragfng
signs now that President Roosevelt
viii have this long neglected and
openly violated law brought to life
and executed. and IA twenty-four
hours after IL becomes known that he
really means business there viii be as
tine an opportunity for independent
manufacturers and dealers In tobacco
20 make money as there has ever
been I'm the history of the tobacco
trade. Prices will be stimulated by
competition IN the warehouse and the
Gifts. the selling price can be greatly
reduced 10 the consumer. or the quail
ity raised, and they will be benefited
while the local tobacco country viii
prosper more because the immense
profits piled up BY the trusts which
are taken from this section out OF
the manufacturing industry and spent
In luxurious living or outside invest
menfs North by the princely mag
mates. viii be- distributed here among
independent workers and pr0priet0rs
as ii the cd days.
Continued on Page SKI