Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1907-12-20
TOBACCO GROWERS ASK
GOVERNMENT FOR HELP

WINCHESTER, KY, Dec. l9.-It /;
learned here that the officers of the
Burley Tobacco Society, affiliated witt
the American Society Of Equity, have
made an urgent request of Secretary
of the Treasury Cortelyou to deposit
$5,Oo0,000 Of government funds in the
national banks of Kentucky to aid
the tobacco growers who are holding
to their 1906 and 1907 crops of tobac-
co and are holding out against the
trust. Clarence Lebus, president of
the society, has presented the request
to the secretary by letter and through
representatives, who have called on
Cortslyou.
Lebus proposes to go to Washing
ton to see Cortelyou and President
Roosevelt IL favorable action is not
taken shortly. While the request is
an unusual one, the hurley men give
some strong reasons for asking for
the money. 1t has been known for
some time that one of the chief OBJ
stacles in the way of the growers was
their inability to borrow money on
their tobacco and thus enable them
to hold it indefinitely. Although they
declare they will win their fight, mon
ey, they say, would make the struggle
easier.
Demand to be Shown.
In the first place, the hurley men
say the administration went to the
rescue of New York banks, and IL
there Is a sincere and earnest desire
on the part Of the president or any
of the other federal officials to regu-
late the tobacco trust, the placing of
100000 in national banks in this
state would do more good than all
the investigations of the tobacco trust
that the government is making in
New York and Washington.
The chief arguments used by Le-
bus are that the hurley tobacco grow
ers of Kentucky are responsible for
about s12,O00,O 900 Of the nations reve-
::s:cs y1ssT, asd stIsst th5y arc
the only farmers Il the world whe are
taxed by the government.
THE federal government will not
permit a tobacco grower even to twist
his tobacco" said Lebus. 'Tf the
growers had any freedom whatever
in this respect the conditions today
would be different Uncle Sam tells
us we can't twist our tobacco. He
might as well tell a distiller he can
AiahS WHISKY Out ne can put IL III
A bottle. Jug or barrel in order to sell
L. He tells US we can grow the to- |
oacco. but we must sell it in the leaf |
Dr. pay big tax on II.
Locked in the Senate"
Really, the farmer pays tax indi- |
-ectly whether he twists the leaf or |
lot. The removal Of this tax is al |
Vays blocked in the United States |
senate, although II has been recon-
nended by the commissioner of inter
lal revenue and many others"
Lebus and other leaders IN the to-
)acco pool say that all the trouble be-
ween the growers themselves could
,e prevented IL there was suffcient
money to carry the tobacco. They
i'd that the governments quick and /
adorable action In the request at this
ime would do more to bring about
aw and order where there have been
conflicts between the men in the
'ool and those on the outside than
ny other one thing.
Thus far Secretary Cortelyou has
,iyen the hurley men no satisfaction.
living them to understand that he
vas too deeply engrossed with the
ituation in New York to take no the
kentucky matter. Lebus want TO get
! direct reply from the secretary,
however, and in order to do 50 it may
,e necessary for him and his asso-
.iates to go to Washington and pre-
ent the proposition in person.