Evening star., 1909-05-12
TO AID THE PLANTER
Proposed Free Sale of To-
bacco in Natural Leaf.
SENATOR PAYNTER'S PLEA
Urges Senate to Amend the Tariff
Bill.
DEPRESSION AMONG GROWERS
Presents the Demands Of One and
Half Million People Who
Seek a Market.
SENATOR PAYNTER'S PLEA
DEPRESSION AMONG GROWERS


| Pleading for an amendment to the tar
/ ff bill to permit the producer of tobacco
to sell hand-twist tobacco without the
payment of duty of 8 cents per pound.
Senator Paynter Of Kentucky today laid
| before the Senate history of the tobacco
industry in this country.
What the tobacco grower DESIRES.
said Mr.. Paynter, "is the privilege Of SELL
ing his tobacco in the natural leaf to
the consumers; that this privilege may be
exercised by selling it to tobacco dealers
and they be permitted to sell 1t to the
consumers without the payment of tax.
IF the tobacco growers and their ten
ants had been prosperous there would
have been no demand for q change in the
| law. 1t was the unfortunate condition in
which they found themselves that caused
them to begin to investigate what had
caused the condition which confronted
them. and they demanded q change which
would enable them to find markets for
tition among those who desired to pur-
chase.
The Industry Depressed.
THE evidence conduces to show that
the tobacco growers business has not
ben prosperous: that when 1t cost cents
a pound to produce tobacco. 1t was bring
ing and 3,a cents per pound: that the
competitive market had been destroyed; !;
that there was practically only one pur-
chaser for their tobacco. At any rate,
only one purchaser fixed the price. 1t
shows that the competitive markets in
Italy, Spain France and the Netherlands
had been destroyed by the action OF the
governments Of ffnSp nnnnfrspQ In raf1tg.
ing to admit any tobacco except that
which was purchased by them: that the
same agent purchased for what is called
the Reggie contractors and for the
American Tobacco Company: that the
Bremen market was the remaining hope
for the sale Of part of their CROP But
when some tobacco dealers sought to en-
JOY it's supposed benefits, and ship their
tobacco there, then the American Tobacco
Company began to sell it's tobacco at the
prices at which it purchased 1t in Ken
lucky"
Mr.. Paynter declared that the tobacco
growers believe they are In the grasp
OF constituencies monopoly" and gave
history of the so-called tobacco trust.
He adverted to the tobacco troubles in
Kentucky and expressed the hope that
the enactment of the proposed law would
remove the causes which have provoked
these troubles. Continuing he said:
Contention of Manufacturers.
Some manufacturers are contending
that it would not be right to enact the
law which is sought. because it would
be unfair to them The farmers would
not be permitted to sell manufactured to-
bacco. They would not put upon the mar
ket tobacco in the same form into which
the manufacturers convert it: Hence.
there would be no direct competition with
them in the sale of the tobacco
THE manufacturers have no right to
demand. as a matter of protection to
them, that the farmer should not be per-
mitted to sell his tobacco in the natural
leaf to whomsoever he pleases. When
the internal revenue laws were enacted
the government was not placed under OBJ
legation never to change the system. It
made no promise to manufacturers that
the farmers should not be permitted to
sell their tobacco i'm tine natural leaf to
the consumers through the instrumentali-
ties OF their venders. The government, in
enacting the internal revenue laws did
not surrender it's right to protect the citi-
zens of the country who might subse-
quently need It, 1t did not surrender any
of its power to do justice to the people
| engaged in any industry in this country
In his closing appeal to the Senate for
ton he said:
Bounty Not Asked For.
This great government OF ours, be-
cause of the loss of a paltry sum in
| revenues, cannot afford to disregard the
demand of one and a han million people
who are dependent upon the success of to-
bacco growing for livelihood. You i'm
pose duties upon imports and collect
large sums of money. 1t is confessed by
the chairman Of the finance committee
that such duties are imposed not alone
for revenues but for protection. If you
compel the people of this country to con-
tribute large sums to make an enterprise
profitable to those who engage in 1t, then
is it unreasonable for million and a
half people of this country to demand
that the laws be so made that they might
have a fair chance to carry on success
fully an important industry? They do
not ask that money be paid into their
pockets as profits. but they simply ask
that a grinding corporation shall not be
permitted. by reason OF the laws of the
| land. to reduce the market value of their
products below reasonable price thus
| forcing the poor topacco tenants to labor
| for almost starvation wages