The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-04-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

timely. Growers are finding out that a
good deal of the seed they anticipate
using for the coming crop will not ger
inmate and they must look elsewhere
for their supply Those who have not
already tested out their seed should lose
10 time in doing So The successful to-
bacco grower is the one who looks care
fully after all these details and is not
caught, as many will be this season,
without tested seed when the plant beds
are to be laid It looks as if the dealers
ia seed would find it difficult to fill all
their orders this season.
*x*
A most surprising thing to the unin-
formed is the great disparity between
the prices at which the present crop is
now selling and those which prevailed a
year ago for the 1906 crop. Then the
theory on which was based the high fig
ures was prospective shortage of cigar
leaf which failed to materialize, but buy
Just the same. This year when prices
sagged to the lowest ebb buyers seemed
afraid even to invest. The mistakes of a
year ago have been costly ones but now
that more courage has been injected in
to the market, there seems to be an op-
portunity at the bargain counter to re-
plenish some of the losses sustained,
which many are improving.
~
Sparta.is soon to have tobacco stem
merry which will employ from 300 to 800
people the year around. G. A. AmbOld
of Richmond, Va, was sent there by the
American company to supervise the op-
Grafton OF the stemmery, machinery for
which was installed during the summer
in connection with the sorting plant.
This department will be in operation in
about two weeks This will be the first
plant of the kind operated in northern
state, and the Sparta warehouse will be
the only one in the country where the
tobacco is taken direct from the grower
and prepared for the manufacture OF CT
gars. Heretofore the leaf after being
sizssz has been shipped to various points
in the south for stemming and curing,
AS the tobacco runs on an average of 20
per cent to stem, the company believes
that the saving OF freight will offset the
higher wages that it will be necessary to
pay here The process consists of taking
the leaf after it comes from the sizing
room, removing the stem and tying the
divided leaf into fiat packages for curing
and packing.
~
| President Roosevelt has at last been
appealed to to invoke the strong arm of
| the national government to quell the
riotous demonstrations in central Ken
| lucky committed by might riders" The
| petition of citizens of the tobacco grow
| ing districts is as follows: "Your petit
| TONERS, all of whom are citizens and res
| idents of Kentucky, respectfully repre-
sent to you the turbulent condition of
| civil affairs in this State. The condi-
tions in this community have been set
out in the newspapers, and the fact that
those farmers who desire to grow tobac-
co are prevented from doing so on &C
count of force and violence and the de-
| struction of plant beds and burning of
| barns has grown into the burning OF
dwelling houses, to which has been
added murder. We desire to further
represent TO Your Excellency the fact
that the Government is totally incapable
Of handling the situation, which be-
comes graver every day. The Grand
Juries refuse to find indictments and the
courts are unable to punish those guilty
of crimes already committed Under the
circumstances We believe the national
government must take such steps as may
be necessary to bring about the safety
of life and property in the State OF Ken
lucky, thus guaranteeing to each citizen
the right of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness under the law, and to this
end we respectfully but earnestly solicit
your assistance and CO operation" 1t is
| incon ceiv able that people of that state
will long submit to have the price of to
bacco regulated by the shotgun.
~
! Is it not tine that something we're
done to stamp out the night rider evil
in Kentucky? Is it not time to cry
Hold! Enough?" When q band of law
less marauders can go through state
reputed to be civilized community, and
destroy pooperty at will when they cal
forth defenseless farmer and assassin
ate him before the very eyes OF his fam
ily-there must be something radically
! wrong with the government Of the state
or with the purpose of its officials to
| faithfully discharge their sworn duties
Ii the Kentucky state authorities are
not able to cope with the situation as it
exists in the tobacco growing counties
within it's borders today. let it be ack-
nowledged. Let the federal government
be asked for aid in putting an end to
this modern reign of terror" and bring
ing order out of chaos, and peace and
prosperity to- land now terrorized by
cowardly law breakers. Even one human
life is too great price to pay for the &c
complishment of the obscure purposes
of the organized Kentucky tobacco
growers. Public sentiment, which at
/ the start was with them, is now against
them. The sooner the troubles are
| ended, with show of force on the part
of the United States government, the
better, not only for Kentucky, but for
the country at large. which is disgraced
in the eyes of the world by such deeds
deeds which, even in the dark ages,