The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-04-14
President Berry Urges
Wage Reduction.
REMARKS ON TOBACCO MATTER
Says MOreTObaccO Canvas has
Been Purchased Than
Ever Before.
70 the Tobacco Growers Of
Green River District:

and let common sense guide you, or
are you willing to act like mad men
and destroy the work OF five years Of
organization?
Just what each Of you will do In
dividua1ly. all OF you will do col
lectively. VIII you, individually
plant q big crop OF Tobacco. hoping
that your neighbors will plant a
small crop? We all think pretty
much alike, so just what YOU do,
you can depend upon your neighbor
doing also. Does any sensible man
think we can maintain the maximum
price OF 50, 50, 50, in the face Of
an overwhelming surplus, such We
will surely have Il we only carry
out the proposed plans that have al
ready been made for the crop?
Let us not deceive ourselves and
look for Providence to help us out
of a bad fix, II we, with our eyes
open, get into one, for Providence
helps those who nelp thmselves.
There is not any doubt that there
is an effort being made for a big crop
of tobacco. II there is. Just look ct
the empty houses in Owensboro, the
number of wagon loads of furniture
and people moving to the country.
See the hillside and fence rows COW
erde with white canvas. See tce
number of people coming to town
hunting for more canvas. Every
merchant will tell you t1at more can
vas has been sold than ever before.
Will you, in spite of all this pre-
paration for a tobacco crop, and the
certain consequences of a big crop
plant such in the face OF what You
must know we'll to be the result? 1t
is not yet too late. Will you turn
back and plant a moderate crop and
let us maintain TIE present prices, or
will you madly rush to certain de-
struction?
You have again honored me 10
lead you, but l am only human, and
all tie efforts of mine and those VINO
have been chosen to assist me will
be for naught if you do not act ra-
tionally and cut down the contem-
plated crop.
/ tell you frankly that no organiza-
ton can live in the face of the con-
templated crop and the surplus.
Surplus, that great bugaboo of low
prices, wno is to carry it? Tie buy
ers will, if they can get the price
low enough. Certainly, our present
plan OF selling is an admirable one,
but the plan that We Rave in the be-
ginning of organization was an un-
popular one, for it made us carry our
own surplus, (or least a part OF us
had to carry it, and we could not
to-day get people to pledge TO plan
other tran for fun pay on delivery.
The sentiment for 10000 hills, less
tobacco and profitable price is
overwhelming in the Green River dis
trict. Ire little farmer back on
the Mills may not be as smart on ev-
cry proposition as his brother farm
er on the rich level lands, but zee has
tasted more keenly tire effect of low
prices and is smart enough to know
that a big crop by everybody will AL
so mean a small price to everybody.
You, on your rich level farms do
not have to depend on tobacco, but
can compete with the great West, in
the growing of wheat, corn, grass,
hill farm can get a modest living
out of a small patch of tobacco, but
If ne had to compete with the West
in the growing of wheat, corn and
other crops, re would soon be driven
to starvation.
The little farmer is not asking
that the big farmer quit entirely
growing tobacco, but he is begging
nis more fortunate brother to limit
ais crop and do his share OF keeping
down the crop so that tie price will
remain profitable.
Looking over the prices Of farm
crops, we see ttat all are good with
the exception of tobacco. They
promise to remain good because
there is no extraordinary effort to
overplant any crop but Tobacco.
Tobacco is not the only crop that
will pay. Is that true?
If So then let us cut down our
contemplated tobacco acreage and
pay more attention 10 other crops.
/ wish also 10 sound a word OF
warning in regard to the growing
OF the one sucker type of tobacco.
In 1908 the demand for tobacco wns
such that there was little objection