The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-11-20
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


Ii much Christmas money is to be de-
rived from the tobacco crop this year,
casing weather should come very soon
now. Enough OF the '08 crop has been
sold to be delivered at local packing
points to distribute a good deal of holi-
day money and growers might devote
their attention to preparing the crop for
market now il the much wished for cas-
ing weather should come. The long con-
tinued dry fall, however, has left the
hanging tobacco in such condition that
something more than the ordinary cas-
ing damp will be required to put the
leaf into the proper shape for stripping.
Unless rains come before the winter gets
we'll established it is not likely that
warm enough temperature will accom-
pany the damp spell to bring the tobac-
CO into the desired case. What interests
the working class of the packing points
most is an early opening of the handling
season which cannot take place without
fall rains that bring down the hanging
tobacco in the country. The presint
outlook, therefore, is not encouraging.
*4*
From q circular issued by j. A. Ever
| lit, president OF the new Farmers So
ciety of Equity and founder of the origi-
| nal Society of Equity, we are led to be-
lieve that the factionsl fight within the
farmers organization has badly dis
rupted the society and plunged it hope
lessly in debt. The reports OF the Mil
waukee convention show the old Equity
Society which threw Mr.. Everitt over
board, had a total indebtedness of
$4,000. The official newspaper venture
which suspended in July had debt OF
$7543 and the cash IN hand in the treas
ury Oct 1st was less than $500. 10
further complicate matters in the A. s.
of e. it appears, from the Wisconsin
Equity News, that Secretary Pauley will
not turn the Office over TO Secretary
elect Kump until he properly qualities
As the convention that elected Kump
was illegal it is hard to see how he can
qualify and in the meantime there are
two secretaries, the one at $4,000 a year,
the other at $1,000, and, the same paper
says, not a cent in the treasury. Such
|factional fights over the spoils of Office
can only lead to disruption and injury to
the objects sought. Cooperation when
under right leadership can be made the
means of great good. but in the hands OF
designing men looking. for official posi-
ton with salary attachment only mis-
leads and decieves innocent people. The
society faces an unfortunate condition
| to say the least.
The opinions of the tobacco trade pa
| pers regarding the decision of the fed
eral court in declaring the big tobacco
trust operating in violation of theeSher-
man law, are by no means unanimous
that serious offense has been com
mitted. The N. Y. Tobacco Journal
says: "The gist of the decision seems
| to be that to eliminate any competition
| no matter by how fair means it is
/ brought about or what adverse circum-
stances might have forced the offer to
be eliminated, it is an illegal act in re-
| straint OF trade. OF course a law OF such
perversity cannot survive. Under the
/ forced construction of this revolutionary
statute any combination of two indiyid
! ual mercantile concerns doing an inter
state business would be an illegal com
! bination in restraint of trade and would
have to be dissolved And we could
name any plumber of leaf firms and cigar
manufacturing concerns which would
be liable Just as much as the trust tC
dissolution under the construction by
this court. 1t is on this proposition
which would turn topsy-turvy not only
tie entire trade and commerce of the
United States, but would force thouG
ands of concerns into voluntary liquida-
tion if not downright bankruptcy that
the Injunction is based against the
| American Tobacco Co."
*.@
| The proposition of the Leaf Dealers
| association for reduction of tariff du-
4
much support either from the growers
or manufacturing industries at the hear
| ing before the Ways and Means com
| mittee on the tobacco schedules on Fri
/ day last. 1t met with quite vigorous
opposition from the Florida and New
| England growers and the clear Havana
manufacturers as we'll. It became very
evident before the hearing was finished
| that there is general satisfaction with
the present duties on tobacco and to-
| bacco manufactures. The democrats
tappear satisfied with the present high
tariff on the ground that tobacco is a
product on which the government should
derive revenue, while the republicans
favor the present rates because they Of
fer the protection desired by the Ameri-
can tobacco interests. While M. l..
Floyd, chairman of the tobacco board
of trade of the Connecticut valley, was
| IL. oa f<>r, a n