The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-05-10
What France Pays For Crop

Dr. Richard S. Hill, special State agent
for investigating Maryland tobacco mar
kets, has resolved valuable information
as to the prices paid by the French Gov
eminent for the Maryland crop.
The news came from the Department
of Agriculture at W ashington, through
Secretary Wilson 1t ends the impression
that the French Government was payin z
20 cents or more pound for the Mary
land product, while the producers were
receiving fr,m 4 to II cents pound
Tho report of Secretary Wilson covers
the years from 1900 to 1904 inclusive. He
states that he has been unable to obtain
figures for 1905 and 1906, but intimates
that from the general uniformity in price
for the years covered, which came from
official sources, there is no reason to be-
lieve that prices materially advanced in
the two years for which data are not now
obtainable.
The average price paid In 1900 per
pound was 1917 cents; in 1901 it was 10 8
cents; in 1902 it was 1914 cents; in 1908 it
was 1913 cents, and in 1904 it was 90
cents.
The best price paid by France during
this period for the highest grade of to
bacco was 81 cents. Of this quality it
took in 1900 about $780, The lowest
price paid for the same grade was 10
ho
2,129, 694 pounds; The best price paid
for low grades was also in 1900, when z
cents was the limit. In 1904 these same
grades brought an average of 6 cents.
Congressman Mudd made a statement
that the French paid more than the Mary
landers ever got. Local tobacco buyers
denied this. 1t was pointed out by them
that France had its own representatives
here looking over the market.
Their view of the absurdity of the
original statement is borne out by the
figures from the Agricultural Department.
In making his statemet to DR.. Hill,
Secretary Wilson points to the fact that
in each of the years covered France took
practically the same amounts of each
grade of Maryland tobacco, known as
"A ""B" and &C." The greatest guam
tity was always of the best grade and the
least of the lowest
DR.. Hill has also had compiled the
prices paid for Kentucky, Ohio and Vir-
GINA tobacco sent to France. Kentucky
and Ohio sold on about the same basis as
Maryland, while Virginia stock was in
variably from 2 to 3 cents lower. The
reason for this was not explained 1t is
believed to have resulted from the grea-
ter crop in that State.
The State agent thinks that men selling
the Maryland product might help the
producer if they would hold out for high
er prices at times. That France is par
tial to the Maryland product is admitted;
that the buyers for that country set the
price largely in this market is also aa-
mitted. But needing the stock and be-
ing unable to obtain satisfactory sub
stitute, it is thought that if the sellers
would maintain a frmer position as to
price higher figure could frequently be
secured.
In the prosecution of his work DR.
Hill is endeavoring to create wider
domestic demand TO the Maryland crop.
He is in constant communication with
cigar manufacturers in an effort to get
them to experiment with Maryland
tobacco in their trade. By creating a
diversified and broader market he thinks