The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-08-09
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


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The most notable thing about the
growing crop of tobacco is the disap
pointment everywhere expressed over
the progress made in the fields OF late.
There was a week or ten days following
the heavy rainfalls when the crop made
scarcely little or no advancement and a
great deal of unevenness was all the
time developing, while the late set fields
for time stood still. Then a cold wave
followed in the wake that seemed to
paralyze vegetation for awhile. The
most reasonable solution of the situation
is that during the wet weather the roots
did not penetrate the soil deeply, but
lying so close to the surface and the soil
being closely packed by the rains, cult
vation could not be had for some time,
so the plants Immediately began to show
| the effects of the dry weather that en-
sued. The result has been to still fur
| ther delay the late fields and put them
where only the best of weather condi-
tions are necessary to bring them into
the reckoning of the present crop. Top
ping of the earlier fields which ought to
! be due this week is put back in conse-
quence. More seasonable weather, how
ever, has prevailed this week and the
| outlook is improving, though at best we
can hardly speak as encouragingly OF
the new crop as we would like. Com
pared with other years at this date there
| is marked disparagement A great deal
depends upon the kind of weather we
shall have the next thirty days. A warm
August with plenty of moisture may i'm
| prove the situation provided we have
immunity from frosts in early Septem-
| Der.
***
| The writer is reminded that this paper
| omitted to mention an important feature
| of the Farmers picnic west Of town last
| week-the address of Mr.. N. G. Crawley,
| lecturer for the Society of Equity. If
| we are correctly informed, Mr.. Crawley
| told the tobacco growers that the deal
ers were making altogether too much
money off their product. He asserted
| that none of them ever sold their hold
| ings for less than "a to 40 cents per
pound. Such statements are prompted
either by gross ignorance of the tobacco
business or by deliberate disposition to
foster class prejudices and make the
farmer dissatisfied with his condition.
| In either event we very much doubt if
the Society of Equity can be strength
ened by such methods. And to think
| the picnic association was charged $40
for such talk!
The outcome of the election in the
Philippines to their first Legislature is
as sore disappointment to the Admin
istration's Imperialistic policy as it is
the most confirmatory proof of the cor
rect position of those who opposed ab-
lsolute free trade with our Malayan
islands. For the result of the election
was a victory of the Philippine party
which demands absolute Independence,
that is complete severing of it's politi-
cal ties with this country. And il the
Philippines become independent they
are as little entitled to free trade with
the United States as Cuba or any other
foreign country On the other hand if
we had granted them our free markets,
| they would have become economically so
bound up with us as to defer forever
their political independence. Nolens
volens we would have been compelled in
time to incorporate them into our politi-
cal system too. Just that goal the Ad-
ministration had in view with it's bait of
free trade. But it was a goal contrary
to the aspirations of the Filipinos and to
accomplish it would have led to insur-
rections and reconquest of the islands.
Thanks to the political wisdom and
moral courage of our Senate, inspired
by the protestations of the trade against
granting free trade, the country has been
spared another campaign of cAtirpation
in the Philippines and F'ilipinos have
gained their first foothold to political
Independence. S. Tobacco Journal.
*
In an article on tobacco growing in
the United States, Frederick j. Haskn,
ia reciting the various benefits of the in
/ dustry, incidentally remarks that it sup
plies the federal government with as
! much revenue as the growers receive for
the crop In other words, the govern
ment tax approKimates the cost of the
raw product. For every pound of to-
bacco that the farmer raises; the gov
ernment steps in and exacts a tax that
| is equal to the price paid to the grower.
| The tax that the government places up
on tobacco-equal to the price paid to
the grower-is illuminating. The users
of tobacco very few of them, at least
| realize that they are paying as much to
the government on every pound of to-
bacco that they use as they are paying
to the farmer that grew it.