The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-11-02
For Tobacco Warehouses.

DR.. Richard s. Hill, special State agent
for investigating Maryland tobacco mar
kets, in discussing the opposition which
it is said has developed to the proposed
expenditure by the State through the To-
| bacco Warehouse Commission Of any
further sums for the construction of new
tobacco warehouses, said recently:
After having started in de bt to the
State in 1925 and paying wrongfully into
the State Sinking Fund in 1884 $53 $50 10.
there is now in the tobacco fund.- the
property of the tobacco growers, nearly,
if not fully 100000, as shown by reports
filed in the Comptroller's Office at Annap
oils.
where any opposition arises to the
building Of new warehouses on the sites
of the present warehouses l can hardly
understand. Certainly neither the To-
bacco Growers Association nor the To-
bacco Leaf Association can do so, for
they both Endorsed the measure, and l
must say that fear the opposition springs
entirely frem interests very close to the
Locust Point warehouse, owned and con
trolled entirely by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. There is no one to oppose the
carrying out of this law except these in
| terests, and l must say hardly think the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad will under
| take to do so, even if it is anxious to
break down the State warehouse and
have full monopoly Of inspecting and
storing the growers tobacco.
"The wisdom and policy of the act GER.
tainly cannot be challenged, for it is alb
solu,ely the wisdom of the grower to see
as closely as possible to the selling, stor
ing and inspecting of his crop. Too little
attention has been paid to this in the past,
hence the present financial condition OF
the tobacco growers Of Maryland.
The condition of the present houses is
poor and the capacity is certainly LOT
sufficient A fine new house, which would
be credit to the State, the city and the
growers, is need which should be NO
longer postponed, now that the funds are
al hand. On January l, 1897, there were
III the warehouses IS, 433 hogsheads at
one tlme-this being an off season, what
must 1t have been about August 1st, when
the total crop of that year was 34,o7o
hogsheaus? Then lattI, Id 1904, there
was maxi eted 1926 hossheads vi Mary :
lauu cop. This proves that unless we
waut to give up and bow 10 Locust Point
and the monopoly thai We must be up
AMI doing at once.
| Again as to the assertion that the
| State houses have been operated at d loss.
The law says explicitly that they must be
self sustaining. The Comptroller's re,
port Ut September 80, 1914, shows net
receipts from five warehouses Of $3, 1856. l
ana lent OF wharves $2,S25.69, anu again
| September 80, 1906, shows net receipts
from three warehouses of $1,o7l.S7, rent
OF wnarves $5,636.02. THIS does not Iook
| like loss.
Il am going to take this opportunity to
| express NY personal view alter having
| MADE Investigations Slice taking office,
July l, 1906, and that is that the growers,
Though Lhe Tobacco Growers Assocla-
ii on, sh ould by all means take possession
Of the warehouses themselves. l know
| this will require an act Of the Legislature,
but preparations can and believe will be
maze for this during the coming season.
| This is mere business.
The tobacco farmers have too long
neg ected their own interests, and this as
sociatio n in the first year of its existence
has done much good work and has accom-
plished far more than had ever hoped
for. IL has certainly been the means of
higher prices for the crop. want to say
hat those who have waited and insisted
upon association prices have got them.
l name Messrs. F. Snowden Hill, F,
Weems, II. 81. Talbot, Perrie & Gibbons
and many others. I know these gentle
men have got an increase of from l to 8
cents during the last 10 days over what
was offered in June and July. This is
only good beginning, but the work will
go on, and mark my prediction that after
the meeting of the association in December
they will be more united than ever.
Much tobacco is now being sold to local
dealers and dealers from Pennsyl vania
and New York, and our domestic market
is fast increasing"