The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-05-31
Meeting of the A. $. of E. at Rio.

n .. IA.
More than one hundred farmers from
vicinity of Rio met in Rio in Annas hall,
Saturday, May 18th. President Botwell
called the meeting to order, and Secre-
tary Burgstead read the call. A num-
Der of new members were enrolled.
Mr.. G. w. Mccarthy of Edgerton was
called on and spoke of the necessity of
organization and cooperation That the
spirit and condition of the times through
reform and progression are changing
many methods and causing new results,
and the farmers by organizing and CO.
operating can compel fair dealing, or
equity, in all business transactions. The
present financial good times is that the
consumption of all agricultural products
is up with production and the demand
is greater than the supply of many arti
cles. There are many causes why our
tobacco declines in price, due to dam
age, quality, overproductiop, inorganic
ed tobacco growers, and selling the crop
before it is suffiently cured down enough
on the poles to determine texture, quail
ity, pole rot and shed burn. We must
pledge our tobacco to the Tobacco
Growers State Union, to not sell until
after specified time, and not sell for
less than the minimum price, and if we
deem it necessary we may pool our crop
in order to obtain the minimum price.
The growers position would then be as
though one individual tobacco grower
had all the O7 crop to sell, and the buy
ers would all be after the one grower
and that grower would have no competi-
tion to lower the selling price.
The wheel of fortune invites us all, at
least once in our life, to get on ard drive
it, and it has now invited all to drive it
in the plan of the A. s. of e. It we in
crease the Wisconsin acreage of tobacco
from forty thousand to fifty thousand
acres, that extra ten thousand acres will
more than supply the demand and that
oversupply will reduce the selling price
of the whole crop. Why should farmer
grow an extra acre of tobacco when he
can get as much money for five acres as
he could for six acres, as the extra acre
is the speculators club. We must con
slider that growing more acreage this
year than last year means less profit for
the growers The buyers will buy short
on tobacco if it is high prices, and when
they have bought enough to supply their
demand they will buy the balance at low
figures in order to cut down the average
price You will see in course of time
that the A. S. of E. is contagious, ever
lasting disease. and the majority of farm
ers will take it, and the more you study
it's plans the clearer it will look to you
that it will benefit all industry, except
the speculator's, and their position will
be case where live men go to their own
funeral and nom union farmers will be
the mourners. Is it not clear to think
ing men that your enemies in business
are the nom union farmers of the present
day? They are the enemies of self in
terest and friends of the speculator.
Calling your attention to mail orde~
houses, you should abandon that b.
ness; you should buy your goods of h.
merchants. because the beautiful ,e'
prosperous towns and cities are 80
fruits of your industry. Do you wal
see them go out of existence? The pre- }
on local merchants goods are usually
small, and why do you send that prS IS
away off to the men that do not help TO
pay your taxes or increase the valu- Of
your farm?
[ thank you for your kind attention
and wish you all bountifnl crop.
G. w. MCCARTHY Organizer,