The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-01-17
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

The annual convention of the Wiscon-
sin Tobacco Growers and Dealers asso-
citation will probably be held at James
vile about the middle of February in
connection with tobacco institute held
under the auspices of the state depart
ment of farmers institutes. The state
force of lecturers will be drawn upon for
a portion of the program and the asso-
citation officers will cooperate in making
the coming meeting one of especial in
terest to all engaged in this industry.
At a meeting of the directors Saturday
plans were discussed and the program
partly mapped out for the coming con-
vention The usual prizes for the best
samples of last seasons crop will he
hung up for competition. Full particu-
lars OF the dates and program will be
published in due time.
For more than two hours Judge Joel
e. Fort, clever orator from Tennessee,
lambasted the tobacco trust before an
audience of farmers that filed Royal
hall to overfiowing last Friday afternoon.
While the audience cheered at his rail
lery, Judge Fort hammered away at the
trust from all sides until it was down
and out and then danced upon its pros
trate form, and then some people won
dered what it was all about. The Judge
makes mistake when he accuses the
American Tobacco Co. of controlling the
tobacco markets of Wisconsin. He
makes another mistake when he thinks
the tobacco growers need the protection
Of such organizations as he suggests.
The tobacco growers OF Wisconsin are
too intelligent, too prosperous, too con-
tented and too independent to turn their
product over to any pool or organization
to market. He makes fatal mistake
when he attempts to Justify las we fear
ed he would) the mob rule, murder and
,ncendiarism pursued by the kentucky
tobacco growers. Such talk can never
be popular in Wisconsin. 1t isn't going
to he popular long in Kentucky If Gov.
Wilson has his way.
The Reporter would be negligent if it
permitted Judge Fort to get away with
out calling him to account for these
things.
After all, tobacco growers are not
wiser than the rest of mankind-We
mean those in Wisconsin. They have
formed branch of what they call the
Society of Equity, which, separated from
its resounding name, means an attempt
to compel buyers to pay more for their
crops than the latter believe they are
worth Coming, as this attempt does,
after the prices of last year, we cannot
but think the effort very unwise ore.
Meetings have been held all over the
state and many farmers have pledged
that all the tobacco not sold by Jan
uary Is, 1908, will be assorted, cased and
placed in "pool," to be sold for not less
than the prices agreed upon at recent
state convention of tobacco growers. 1t
will be remem bered that during the fall
and winter of 1o06-07 the same condi-
tions that prevailed here in Pennsyl-
vania also prevailed in Wisconsin. In
some way the buyers were swept Oft
their feet in their wild efforts to get
their usual supplies. and the result was
that price much in excess of that or
dinarily prevailing was paid for the crop.
AS the buyers have not turned out this
fall and are not tumbling over each 9th
er to get few cases of Wisconsin bind
ers at prices beyond their worth the
growers have now entered into trust
to compel the manufacturers to pay the
prices demanded. We have no belief,
whatever, that the proposed undertak-
ing will prove successful. Trade IN to-
bacco has never been duller the country
over than it is today. The report of the
Internal Revenue department in Decem
Der last shows that less cigar tobacco
was used up by manufacturers than IN
any month during the past eight years.
That condition of things may continue
Or it may improve, but as things are to-
day what prospect is there thaG the
Wisconsin growers can compel the out
side world to buy their binders at 10
cents and the lower grades that usually
sell at 6 and cents at 121a cents? Ii
they do put their crops into pool and
wait for 15 ceut buyers, we predict that
ii the trust does not bust, as we believe
it will, it will be a very cold and stormy
wait before they get the money for their
crops It is idle to say the manufactur
ers must have it." We heard that song
for the past eighteen months, and it
never came true. TIE 1906 crop is still
on hand, and, as many cigar factories all
over the country are closing for the time
being, the demand will, of necessity, be
even lighter than it has been during the
past six months. The fact is, when any
article, through whatever circumstance.
goes beyond it's real value, there is
bound to come along reaction that will
carry prices just as far in the other di-
rection. And when any set of men set
to work to bid defiance to these natural
laws of supply and demand, and insist
they shall be paid more for their pro-
duets than the situation will warrant,
there will be trouble. So, we believe,
our Wisconsin friends will find it, and
find it when it is too late. Wisconsin