The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-03-01
&ofal asoo 4ersonal.
Work of the Tobacco Growers
Association.

+. fralhllu w ccIub, SCCiOIoAy VI viz
MARYLAND Tobacco Growers Association,
discussing the f ght being made by plant
ers TO secure control.ef the market for
the State crop says.
lit is interesting to note the lines OF
connection between the Tobacco Trust
and the different factors that control the
distribution of Maryland tobacco. The
American Tobacco Company is branch
of the great Standard Oil system. that
group of money kings in which Messrs
Duke and Hartman and Frick are shin
ing lights and partners. Mr.. Duke is the
head of the Tobacco Trust, Mr.. Harrl-
man controls the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. and Mr.. Friek dominates the
Pennsylvania Railroad, which in turn
owns the only steamboat line which can
carry any tobacco from Maryland farms
to the Baltimore market.
"Abolish the State toba eco warehouses
and what would be the result? The
French Government has bought and
speculator has sold all the French type
tobacco that can be raised in Maryland
for more than two years to come right
over the heads of the growers and at
prices that will force them to use every
effort to bear the market. The French
buyer and the trust buyer today ominate
the Baltimore market.
''It is only the fact that the g lower can
hold his tobacco while he cultivates the
trade with Independent domestic manu-.
facturers that prevents the actual abso-
Lutte control of the market by theses two
men. The French buyer is the agent of
big foreign steamship lines, and who can
say that the Standard Oil millions do not
today control not only the French con-
tract, but every means of transportation
of tobac from the farm to Baltimore by
rail or steamboat; every means Of ware
no using and inspecting outside of the
State warehouses and every foreign
shipment from the Baltimore market?
I'm view of such possibility, is it not,
then, most important that the EMaryland
tobacco growers should to man support
the only big thing connected with their
crop that is not controlled by outside
parties; the only thing that can protect
- them from being squeezed to death by the
octopus which is even now moving heav
en- and earth in the endeavor to control
abs olutely the entire retail cigar trade of
the country, and also to control the leaf
supply in orderto cripple its competitors,
the independent manufacturers and deal
ers?
THAT this is not an overdrawn state
ment, let us note the cards as they fall,
one by one, from the long suit of trumps
in the hand of the Tobacco Trust.
Unlike other crops, such as corn and
wheat, which may be used up on the farm
or sold to neighber for feeding pur-
poses, tobacco, like cotton, must pass
through the hands of the manufacturer
before being consumed.
when properly cured and packed it
does not deteriorate. Like the wampum
of the Indian, it was the money of the
early settler in Colonial times. At the
absolute beginning of representative gov
eminent in America the very first act
passed by the first General Assembly of
Virginia on July 81, 1919, was one which
fixed the price of tobacco at 3 shillings a
pound for hrst and 10 pence pound for
second quality.
"When, nearly 100 years ago, it was
Maryland leaf tobacco in Baltimore, the
State advanced the money to build and
operate the necessary storage W warehouses,
and it set specific charge or tax on each
hogshead sufficient to enable the tobacco
growers in time to wipe out this debt to
the State. This money was kept separate
from other moneys in the State Treasury
and is known as the tobacco fund. Every
dollar advanced by the State has been
paid back, with interest, out of that fund,
which. now amounts to about f270, 900 in
cash. to which may be added the value of
the old, well-built, but inconvenient and
somewhat dilapidated warehouses on
South Charles street and the ground on
which they stand, together with part OF
the water front and wharf property on
Light street.
But the Tobacco Trust says No, if
the growers succeed in concentrating
their crop in the hands of strong agents
of their own selection and of others who
accord with them; if they can eliminate
politics from the administration of their
warehouse system and reduce the insur-
aLct and carrying and handling costs to
aIroper point, they will be in position
to resist our Establishments and defy our
attempts to dictate to them-therefore
We will endeavor to create public sen.
timent in favor Of abolishing the State
tobacco warehouse S ystem and of selling
the property and turning the proceeds
into the public treasury.
while this process Of molding public
opinion is going on, We will undermine
the support Of the State warehouse sys
tenn among the growers by ressrting tc
every means possible to induce them te
patronize our Locust Point storage ane
inspection warehouse. We will prevent
the intentions of the State Legislatur.
from being carried out by suit and injunc
ton. We will break the spirit Of the to
bacco growers in Maryland and wear