The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
The Farmer and His Tobacco.

\ Z. :
The Farmer and His Tobacco. /
Editor OF Tho Times Dispatch:
Dear sir,--l writo this simply because ]
have seen many items III your columns,
as we'll ns others, us TO sales Of tobacco
made by Dark Tobacco Association OF
Virginia Of slioh nature as to misead
tho farmers and cnuso them loss, Instead
Of benefiting them MS the association
wishes, no doubt to do. The farmer
ought to be candldly given to understand
what will be tho not outcome Of these
putting his tobacco In tho hands Of others
to handle and soil by extrnvagant aid OK
citing statements which ho when too
late, may find out were entirely mtslcnd-
ing and caused him loss. The statements
we make below arc vouohed for by state
monts Of accounts given by association
to some Of thor customers and shown us,
and Gun be produced az vouchers for our
basis Of calculation OF net outcome on
customers tobacco.
In your ISSUE OF recent dato tho writer
for tho association says: "The crop Is
fully 80 per cent. short in pounds, and
poor in quality, and this fully justifles the
association III holding for fnir prices"
Now, Mr.. Editor, wo have been, In a
btlcco for over twenty years, and this Is
the first time I hnve ever heard It would
pay to hold over bud crop till It would
come in competition with your own hold
ing of q better crop. We have boon.
seeing statements Of cxtrnvagnntly fine
sulcs Of tobacco by tho association ever
since their tobacco WAS ready (August,
1006,) to be on tho market, and hore say
that II tho money from these flno salos
went into the farmers pockets, the sales
would be really good But arc the farm
ers profitcd by these sales, or are they
losing money by putting their tobacco In
tho hands OF the association, when we
discount tho expense attending tho hand
ling and selling this tobacco7 Let us
see.
100 pounds Tugs, when redried, yield
cd 50 pounds, sold ut 8c............. IS 40
Deduct handling at 1hc, and scll-
ing 15c per pound ................ ! 36
Farmer gets for what he delivered
(100 pounds) Observation-Disclosures. IS o.
We bought small lot OF this grade.
! and for such MS wo bought we paid farm
crs In winter order $3.50 per 100 pounds,
and would have been glad to get OF that
price, 1000 hogsheads or 100000 pounds
OF it.
Now as to tho better grades. Their
short leaf tobacco was offered US at 9hc
and best leaf at 12hc per pound. What
| would this net the farmer?
100 pounds short leaf redrled. yield
4 ed IS pounds, at $40 ............ 81 07
i Deduct handling ut NC; selling, 15c, 40
Farmer would get for 100 pounds
delivered 50 81
100 pounds good leaf, redricd. yield
cd IS pounds at 1910 ........... $40 8;
i Deduct handling at ING and sells
4 Ing at 1-5o OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Al
Farmer would get for 100 pounds
IL delivered Observation-Disclosures. 50 II
Now, while we did not buy OF these two
grades OF association, We did buy o
farmers direct about 100000 pounds o
similar tobacco at net average to then
of at least one dollar per 100 pound!
above results as above shown.
Wc admit there were some wrapper
tobaccos In tho association lots which
sold Mt moro than tho above figures
and on which we have no data: but tn
amount OF wrappers Is never large enough
to Increase average net results very ma
; terlally-Just about enough to give one
something to talk about
For several years dark Virginia Tobacco
has sold 50 well. It will not profit tn
farmer to pay oil tho expense Of hand
ling ana selling. which is necessary I
get the work properly done, unless In
J stead of selling at market value the as
: | ISOLATION could make price OF their owl
? to cover these extra charges as we'll a
). the market value OF tho original weight
4 delivered to tho prizeries. We handler
Of tobacco, as dealers, would be tickle
& to death" II they could do this, MS "
could come right in and get O good prof
!. on our stocks by selling little belo
their made values.
q Why cannot tho association sell II
: enough to cover these charges? 3
y Because they must pay those who
d the work living price, or they wou
:, . not DO able to work for them, and the:
r, n several profits count in the end.
Q In the above estimates we took J
account at all OF any pay for the maj
ayers OF tho association. such as seer
tary treasurer. etc.; but surely the
u good servants should not be required t
=. q and doubtless would not work for notl
q Ing. and their pay, whatever 1t may b
If will only take that much moro from Il
o net outcome to the farmer.
y JOHN J. ALLEN.
q Amelia c. IT,. Va.
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