The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-02-22
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY %, 1907.
Farmers Meeting.

hall on Saturday afternoon.
G. w. Mccarthy was made chairman
and Chas. Murray secretary pro tenn.
Chairman Mccarthy read the call for
the meeting. A number of nominal
members we're enrolled. G. w. McCar-
thy then spoke of the necessity of organ
ization and CO operation OF farmers, urg-
ing all to join the A. S. OF Equity. What
is the IT. S. government but an organiza-
ton governed by the people in theory
and corporation in practice! Congress
taxes farmers for the benefit OF the cap
italist and he does not complain. The
representative will talk of the sturdy,
honest farmer and make him believe the
account is square. And as farmers are
individuals not organized, the represent
alive knows he is dealing with lone
man, and when capitalist or labor
leader calls on him at the capitol he has
back Of him a great and powerful organ
ization that is able and ready to punish
a foe and reward friend. La these days
men do not get things unless they go
after them. The farmers do not go after
them and SO they do not get them. 1t is
not my intention to array the farmer
against the capitalist and labor classes.
All desire is that the farmer should
profit by the example set by other classes.
Our demand is for equity, and equity for
one is equity for all. TIE farmer cannot
be prosperous without benefting the
whole country. The country cannot be
prosperous without the farmer is pros
perons. Keep the rmer prosperous
and we cannot have hard times. So the
cause Of the farmer is the cause OF the
nation: prosperity begins and ends 90
the farm. And in the matter Of trade
the unorganized farmer will lose, as he
sells products at a price fixed by others
and buys at price fixed by others liz
it equity for farmers to sell and buy at a
price made by Others? Ii it is right for
those who sell to farmers to fix the sell
ing price, is it not right for farmers to
fix the selling price 90 what they sell?
It is evident to all that the selling price
of farm products bears little or no rela-
tion to the cost of production. Tobacco
may range in price from sc to 15c
pound, and yet it costs as much to raise
it in years Of low as in years of high
price. Is not the consumption of farm
products reasonably uniform year after
year? And there is seldom any great
decline in consumption that would &C
count for low selling price. There is lit
tie or no fiuctuation ia demand, no real
surplus, and yet prices have wide
range. We are informed that supply
and demand govern the market. What
does it mean? as supply and demand are
seemingly the same thing as they are the
two factors of the same fact. 1t is
money in the hands Of the man wanting
tobacco that is supply, while tobacco is
what be demands; and it is tobacco in
the hands Of the man wanting money
that is supply, while money is what he
demands Ii there was no money then
all goods in the world would be both
supply and demand. And when we turn
money for goods, then money is demand
and goods are supply. The Spectator,
trusts, middlemen and many others
whose name is legion, stand between the
agricultural producer of this free coun
try and the consumer of his product and
build up mountains of wealth. The.
farmers are so numerous and the COM
petition among them in the disposal Of
their crop so fierce that they are iney-
itably at the mercy of buyers 1t is not
good price and good crops of last year
that are making good times, but it is
that consumption is up with production.
The tendency is now downward in the
tobacco market as the speculator is 10
control Of the situation. The operator
gets the rakeoff. This manipulation can
make more on the farm product in fifteen
minutes than the farmer can on the
same product in five months. The farm
ers are the only people unorganized ex
cept the insane, the Indian and the
pauper. There is over 100000 worth
TO tobacco still in the hands of growers
Buyers say we have enough for our de-
mand at past figures, and you must &C
cept less for your crop. 1t is certain that
growers should not let lac or 15c pass
them, as it is profitable price. Farm
ers cannot be spectators and laborers.
1t is trying to bite off more than we can
swallow, and oversupply not swallo we'd
will pull down the selling price. Many
farmers would not sell unless 10 bundle,
as they conclude it would be more salts.
factory to contracting parties. However,
the quality is the same as last fall, and
If figures were right last fall they are
right now. There is now a temporary +!
supply of 100000 pounds and an in
crease of supply would refuge prices and
leave the grower practically at the mercy
of the market.
| must say word to the Wisconsin
beet growers. The proper way to market
'beets is to contract the crop by the yield !
per acre. Suppose you grow % tons per
acre, the contract price should be 81 per
ton, and if 20 tons the contract price
81 80 a ton, if Is tons $3.50 ton, and if
10 tons or less 81 ton. And If the Weld
should be between the above figures the
selling price should be governed by the
greatest yield We must not discontinue
growing beets. The farmer should buy
his goods and groceries of his local mer-
chants as every dollar you send off
makes the wealth of your county or city
a dollar less and it reduces the value Of
your farm. Do you want to see our
beautiful towns or cities laid waste and
desolate? The cities are the fruits of
your industry. Do you want to see that
fruit put out of existence?
c. W. MCCARTHY.
The death Of Gen. Geo. Z. Bryant at
Madison Saturday removes from active
life a soldier and politician who has
been in public view for nearly half a
century. Few men in this state have
held office so continuously or been more
y. ~