The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-19

- other words. one nllihoii
ar more pounds brought apout 49,
rilion fewer dollars to tne piouuN.i
who sold his tobacco on tHd1 -
axactlv S2.SO per undred pouhu,,
,harafore in the last fifteen years
thasn ~ rmrrs who have sold thclf 70.
hacco on the DanNillc market tn'it
OF whom live in North Carollna) iool
as with the years uhuNi
connective markets. the - -"
eun Of S~o3.S2O.947.02. 1t Is adniiltIo
49, nrires elsewhere are practically
the same. and hence n losses cl9e
where are relatively the same. II y
conservative Stinat TO say 'Ha'
American Tobacco Company mas TO-
bed the North Carolina farmers y
$4,000. 600 during the laSl ~
wears. The State raises apoul lVV,
900. 0 pounds 4 year, and the fedu-
pr can make his own calculation. Icl
rs DO that half Of THIS sum y
the correct amount to charge up 70 =
what thanks are due to its
ers for the pittancc they nave return.
ed in the form Of philanthropy -
these figures are correct isn't 1t a ply
nat if found defenders in the leSls-
latlre? one can excuse those ware
houses. men and towns who 1eaf Oh
loss of trade are ready to cry OUT.
Great is Diana of the Epheslans.
but those who represent the trust
ridden from other parts OF
the State must have had access TO
some information denied to the RESI-
of US, to find reasons for a vote ad-
mittedly in favor of the American To-
bacco Company.
Decline in the Force of Prosperity.
IN view Of this / cannot see Why
Col Webb did not answer my first
question no without lrcumloCu
ton. Let it be remembered too, that
for ten years Of this last period, there
has been such a marvellous era of
prosperity as has never before been
known in human history, n most
other products of the farm have risen
in price 80 per cent. or 40 per cent,
While tobacco has declined 81 per
cent. Al the same time it has cost
more and more each year to produce
the crop. till at present the small
farmer in the piedmont belt cannot
afford to raise a with hired
labor at all. 1t is necessary to coin
the sweat and blood of his wife and
children, thereby depriving the chill
dren of their opportunity to get an
education, and to have such other
opportunities as their situation and
condition in this country entitle them
to. The great body of poor men who
rent land on which to make their
crops have very little left after pay
ing rents and mortgages for fertilizer
bills. The $500 extra per hundred
pounds would have been thro'
all these years q God-send to them.
1t was practically their profit and has
never reached their pockets. Mr.. ]. NJ.
Barker, Of AXton, Va. said to be the
largest tobacco raiser in Virginia,
writes me that up to twelve years ago
NV { hjSA aNnr1p pc llpS Nrnra 81 Z 20
for the last twelve years they have
been about $3.50" Mr.. Barker raises
q quality of tobacco above the aver
age. He is n Of the Commissioners
OF Agriculture in Virginia. is a careful,
methGdlcaI man, preserving records of
his farm products, and his testimony
bears out the Danvine figures. that
the loss to the grower under the Trust
reglme has been about $500 per hun-
drcd.
TWenty-four million dollars scat
tered among sthe farmers
around one market. whether
that be Danville, Winston, Greenyile.
Durham, oxford, or Henderson. would
DO much to help those farmers to edu-
cate their children. and to secure for
themselves a taste Of those uxuries
which are common in the everyday
life of the Trust magnates. They tell
me that Stree the Legislature began to
a9itatc these things prices have been
e'Ns $500 = q bEClJ :
i trust Will be borne out. that for the
next TWO years at least, the tobacco
farmer will find prices ruling higher.
The Tobacco Trust will scarccIy de-
sire to face another Legislature with
out having done something meanwhile
TO bolster itself up with the farmers.
IL VIII pay it better than to maintain
such a lobby as it had sixty days in
isaici@il the past winter. IL lobby which,
its friends arc reported TO have said
cost II nIhy. "a half ,aA:II:n., IIn
indcDendcntS Eroze Out.
Colonel Webb practically admits in
ms answer to my second question that
the Trust has run his INDEPENDENT to-
hacco manufacturer ont of business.
He could hardly have said less. living
IN a county that formerly had fifty or
sixty factories and now only has five
or SIN There are no longer any in
dependent manufacturers who dare to
be really independent. They are afraid
TO offend the Trust. / have it direct
from some of the largest, that they
he awake at night studying how to
keep up their business against such
odds without offence. | have letters
from warehouse men who say that TIN /
Trust has their hands tied" Towns
are in g hat ii will desert them |
politicians are afraid; all are afraid al
the power Il has in reserve. Thoe |
VINO have given me information hatr
requested in many instances that th9-l
names be not mentioned, because thy- \
have dealings with the American T-l
Tobacco ,c Trust in po,iue1F I
Inc statement was openly made in
the senate this winter that tho Trust
Hon. G. 3. Watson for United T
States Senator on account Of the part
he took in the trial in the suit against
Mr., Duke and others. If that is true.
he IS not alone and others may expect
to fee! the point Of its S%tilcttO.
The praGi64nt of the TTajt4l cta tnc |