The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-15


 renceburg. Indiana, Iats week. and similar Invasion of Southern Ohio. That the knights of the firebrand nave planned no mean crusade Is at once patent.
 There are i've separate and distinct organizations of tobacco growers m Kentucky. There are about 30,VVo members in the burley pool and at least 45,000 In the other socieues. These numbers do not include the thousands of tenants and women ana children who earn their living by work in the fields. The revolt of the plant CTS as individuals against the Amerl- can Tobacco Company was the first step in the making of these organiza- tions; as units they have since con- tinued the light
 The organization of the growers in the burley tobacco district. Western Kentucky, Is known as the Burley Tobacco Society, which is branch of the American Society of Equity. but Is entirely independent as far as the control of the burley crop is concerned. The society has now representation | in thirty-three counties in the State. | Each member must pledge his crop | of tobacco to the control of the main organization.
 
 corporation, having been authorized under the special act of the general assembly of Kentucky. The tobacco which is controlled by the society is handled by boards of control in the re- spective counties. and is usually stored 1 in warehouses in these counties. Crop Now Ready.
 The 1906 crop Is now ready for the market and if there is any prolonged delay in It's disposition. this condition will be calculated to disrupt the organ ization and defeat the purposes Of the Burley Society. Of the 1906 crop, it is claimed that sixty per cent was pledged to the pool and forty per cent remained in Independent hands. The crop of that year was estimated at about 125.Go0. 900 pounds. Of the 1907 crop the society claims to have about eighty per cent pledged. This Is a pretty fair evidence of the growth of sentiment In the past twelve months against the trust.
 The purpose of the members not to raise any tobacco in 1908, if the 1908 son next spring, Is becoming stronger each day. To hundreds of planters this will be a serious step to take, inasmuch as their all ts wrapped up, year by year. in their tobacco crop. The matter of waiting three years to make sales Is not to be idly regarded. Such is their determination to wrest what is considered 8 fair price from the American Tobacco Company, how ever, that with few exceptions, they are pledging themselves to this course. And this is a pretty fair evidence Of the depth of their sentiment against the trust. &t[.
 In the dark tobacco district in Gen. tral and Northwestern Kentucky, are rx Patch, the Henderson Scanning Dis trict, the Green River Scanning Dis trict and the Bowling Green District. The plan of campaign of the growers In these districts Is practically the same as that of the Burley Society.
 The rules of the Society of Equity. which is largely represented here, pro- hibit the selling of one crop until the previous crops have been sold. The 1907 crop is far superior to the 1905. eS crops but. while there is certain l market for the new crop, 1t cannot be sold until the other two crops are out of tia way. And here is the rub.
 Contract of the Trust.
 The entire 1907 holdings have been | contracted for by the trust, so far as | the independent growers are concern ed. and as soon as they undertake to | deliver to the trust 1t is expected that | trouble of the most serious nature will | follow. The independents are already | clamoring for protection against the | alleged lawlessness of the society men, | and feeling Is at a high pitch.
 Regarding the pools of the inde- pendents. the trust Is open in it's bids | for everything fin sight. Regarding the pools of the organization. the trust | has not committed itself. It may buy | when the growers are ready to sell. and | it may refuse to pay the price. Some | of its representatives are claiming that | as good tobacco as the Kentucky | diana and West Virginia, but this claim | is generally laughed to scorn. Exper- | iment after experim ent, 1t is claimed | by the growers. has proven this inn possible. The elements in the soil of | the Blue Grass State give ingredients | to the leaf that cannot be duplicated | in any other part of the world.
 This. then. is the situation. The | trust needs the product of the Ken lucky tobacco growers; if some re- | ports are to be believed, their ware houses are now almost empty of this | high grade article. The growers, de- | termined that the trust shall not make | an arbitrary price for their crops, are | organized and are organizing to force 1 the issue in their favor by withhold | ing their product from the market un- l til their ends are gained. lawless l element among the planters. imbued l with the spirit of right by might Is | abroad using the torch and the revol- | yer as an argument to bring independ- ents into their ranks.
 Without the Night Riders. the situ- ation would only call for the interest | of the economist or the socialist. With | them. and rumors of them and bitter | memories of them, hum drum marts | are illumned with the glare of burn ing buildings and blood marks appear on the articles of trade. That their part in the final solution of the con- troversy is to be no minor one, has been demonstrated.
 CHRISTMAS SUGGESTIONS.
 Our own mixed nuts. ... ... 20cEbs