The Cairo bulletin., 1909-08-30
hurley POOLERS
ARE TO Be SUED
LIFE OF SOCIETY AT STAKE
MAY MEAN REoPENiNG
TOBACCO WAR.
FORTY THOUSAND men
In Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio Who
Pooled Burnley Tobacco in the
Society Are involved
in the Suit.

Cincinnati O., Aug 29.-Afore thar
| 10000 farmers of Kentucky, Indiana
and Ohio who raised hurley tobacco
and pooled il with the Burnley To
bacco Society in the 1906 and 1901
crops are drawn into a suit that will
be fled in the federal courts in Gov
ington, KY, Monday or Tuesday. AT
torney Rickenloper announced this
today. The proceedings, to be brought
under the Sherman antitrust act.
will directly involve alleged damages
of $130,52S.48, and if the suit is sue
cessful, approximately s4.000.000 and
the life of the tobacco society are at
stake. 1t may mean also reopening
OF the great tobacco war.
Clark & Scott Company Of Scran,
ton. Pa, tobacco manufacturers, are
to bring the suit through their brok
ers, w. D. Collins & Bros, Louisville
and Cincinnati, represented by AT
torneys Outcalt and Rickenloper
The direct charge in the suit to be
filed is that the Burley Tobacco So
ciety is combination in restraint of
trade. The proceedings are the most
vital and far-reaching that have been
filed in this sort of alleged violation
of the law since the far famed s29,-
000, coo fine administered to the
Standard Oil Company by Federal
Judge Lands and reversed.
Pool Involved.
In the pooled crop of 1906 and 1907
thcre was an estimated amount of at
least 115000,000 pounds of hurley to-
bacco. Following this pool the night
rider depredations came on. The
storm broke over Kentucky and strife
and bloodshed were continued for a
long .ime
Gradually the price of tobacco ad-
vanced. Sales were made at Win
chester and the Burley Society, i'll
was conceded, controlled the future
of the great crop, Inl
1903, there were S0,000,009
pounds of tobacco stflI in the ware
houses The American Tobacco Com
pany, known as the tobacco trust,
bought IL per cent Of this amount,
The remainder was to be taken over
by the independents. 1t was directly
a result of this sale at Winchester
that the suit of Clark and Scott is to
be brought
1t is alleged that $40, 506.S0 in ex-
cess OF a reasonable price was
charged by the Burnley Society for the
tobacco shipped to the Scranton con
Germ. The manufacturer, under the |
terms Of the antitrust act. has a |
right to sue for three times the |
amount of damages and attorneys |
ices. This sale and others were
negotiated by contracts with the Bur.
ey society similar to the ones by
which the tobacco trust got its big
share.
W5nuIdCtuFeTS FoFCen.
The independent manufacturers say
hat they were forced to buy this
asst of the 100000 pounds of to.
)acco or else shut down. 1t is al
eyed the Independents were forced
o pay as high as II cents per pound
or scrap tobacco that formerly sold
It about or 4 cents per pound.
The majority of the growers OF
are involved. If the suit is
Won by the manufacturers the mat,
er will be presented to the United
States district attorn>y for pro,
'edure against the Burley Society to
ease further operations. In addition
hould the suit be successful all of
he independents will no doubt fol.
ow in sthe path OF the Scranton. Pa,
men.
This will involve the sum OF at
east $4000,00O in damages.