The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-04
TOBACCO
A STATEMENT BY THE AMERI-
CAN TOBACCO COMPANY IN
RELATION TO THE TOBACCO
SITUATION IN KENTUCKY.

&efAN lODASSo AoMA AN IA
RELATION TO THE TOBACCO
SITUATION IN KENTUCKY.
New York, Feb. 3.-Relative to tn
recent disturbances in Kentucky, tn
American Tobacco Company has is
sued the following statement:--li
Kentucky there are several distinc
types Of tobacco grown-burley to
bacco, Green River tobacco and darl
fred tobacco. The American To
bacco Company is large buyer o.
hurley tobacco, using approximate,
sixty per cent. of the total production
1t uses also large quantities OF Greer
River tobacco, taking, perhaps, 3
third of the total production. OF the
dark fired tobacco, The American To
bacco Company uses substantially
none, but American Snuff Company
IN which company The American To-
bacco Company owns stock, uses
about fifteen per cent. of the total
production.
There has been no disorder in Ken
tucky in the hurley tobacco growing
section; there has been very little dis
order in the Green River section; but
the disorder has been in the dark
fired section of Kentucky and Ten
nessee at Hopkinsville, Russellville,
Ciarksville, and other points This
dark fired tobacco is bought princi-
paIly by buyers representing The To
bacco Manufacturing Government
Monopolies of Italy, France and
Spain, but to some extent by Ameri-
can Snuff Company. and to some ex-
tent by The Imperial Tobacco Com
pany of Great Britain. The affairs oi
the American Tobacco Company
the Imperial Tobacco Company and
Am rican Snuff Company have been
under Government investigation for
more than two years. The Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor has
had access to all the books and papers
of these companies; employees and Of
ficers of these companies have been
before numerous grand juries and
equity examiners. The fullest pos
sihle examination has been made by
all of these agencies into all (includ-
ing the most private) letter books
and other papers OF these companies
and there has been the most thorough
sxamanation and cross-examlnation
of their officers and employees. 1t is
inconceivable that if there exists or
had ever existed any combination OF
buying interests it should not have
ben disclosed. The fact is that there
exists no such combination. No IN
ferest in any way connected or allied
with the American Tobacco Com
pany is in combination with any other
buying interest; no understanding,
agreement, arrangement or combina-
tion exists between the American
Tobacco Company or American Snuff
Company and the Imperial Tobacco
Company, or between any Of these
companies and any Government or
other purchaser.
1t is simple and wholly untrue that
there is any contest between the TO-
bacco growers, or tobacco dealers in
Kentucky, and the so-called tobacco
trust. Where disorder has occured
1fie so-called tobacco trust is the
smallest factor in the purchase of to-
bacco Where the so-called tobacco
trust is the largest purchaser of TO-
bacco there has been no disorder nor
lawlessness.
As matter Of fact also, the prices
now being paid for leaf tobacco
grown in Kentucky and elsewhere are
Fery much higher than they were ten
years ago, and their trend has been
constantly upward since the so-called
tobacco trust was organized.
The land on which 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 lands well
adapted to the growth of cotton. 1t
IS inconceivable that the so-called to-
tacco trust (even if it had monopoly
in the purchase of tobacco, which it
has not, not being the purchaser di-
Tectly or indirectly of half the tobacco
produced in the United States) would
attempt to depress the price Of leaf