The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-02-03
TOBACCO SITUATION
AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY
ISSUES THE FOLLOW.
ING STATEMENT.
Ardmoreite Special.

recent disturbances in Kentucky the /
American Tobacco company has is.
sued the following statement: In
Kentucky there are several distinct
types Of tobacco grown hurley to-
bacco. Green River tobacco and dark /
fired tobacco. The American To |
bacco company is large buyer of !
hurley tobacco, using approximately |
sixty per cent Of the total production
1t uses also large quantities Of
Green River tobacco, taking, perhaps.
a third Of the total production.
There has been no disorder IN Ken
lucky IN the hurley growing sec
ton; there has been very little dis
order I'm he Green River section, but
the disorder has been in the darl,
fired section of Kentucky and Ten.
nessee Hopkiu'ville, Russellyillc. .
Clarksvlle and other points. The
dark fired tobacco is bought princi-
pally by buyers representing the To
bacco Manufacturing Government Mo
nopolics of Italy, France and Spain,
Snun company and to some extent
by the Imperial Tobacco company of
Great Britain. The affairs Of The
American Tobacco company. the I'm
perial Tobacco company and Amer
lean Snuff company have been under
government investigation for more
commerce and labor has had &C.
cess to all the books and papers
of these companies; employees and
officers of these companies have
been before numerous grand iuries
and equity examiners. The fullest
possible examination has been made
/ by all of these agencies into all
Gucluding the most priyatcl letter
books and other papers of these com
pauies, and there has been the
most thorough examination and
cross-examination OF their officers
and employees. II is inconcoivable that
If there exists or had ever existed
any combination Of buying inter
ests IT should not have been dis
closed. The fact is that there eN-
lists no such combination. No inter
est in any way connected or allied
with the American Tobacco com
pany is in combination with any
other buying interest. No under
standing, agreement, arrangement or
combination exists between the
/ American Tobacco company or Amer
| lean Snuff company and the Imperial
| Tobacco company, or between any
Of these companies and the gov
ernment or other purchaser.
II is simply and wholly untrue,
that there is any contest between
! the tobacco growers, or tobacco
dealers in Kentucky and the so
called tobacco trust Where disorder
! has occurred rhe so-called tobacco
/ llNSl - lllf HuldllfSl liNNbl III NV
purchase of tobacco Where the so
called tobacco trust is the largest
purchaser of tobacco there has been
no disorder or lawlessness.
As a matter of fact also, the prices
now being paid for leaf tobacco
grown in Kentucky and elsewhere
are very much higher than they
were ten years ago. and their trend
has been constantly upward since
the so-called tobacco trust was or
ganized.
The land on which the tobacco is
grown can be used to grow other
crops, hurley tobacco Is grown on
the famous blue grass lands, the
Virginia leaf is largely grown on
land well adapted TO the growth of
cotton II Is inconceiyable that the so
called tobacco trust (eyen If 1t had
a monopoly in the purchase of tobac-
co, which IL has not, not being the
purchaser directly or indirectly of
half the tobacco produced in the
United States) would attempt to
depress the price of leaf and thus
drive the farmers to these other
crops.
The so-called tobacco trust Is con
stantly buying tobacco in Kentucky
and elsewhere and Is always ready
to purchase tobacco from anyone,
whether an individual or association,
that has It for sale 1t has never
thrown any obstacle in the way Of
the organization or success OF any
OF the so-called farmers associations.