The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-03-11
gov. WILSON'S
VETO DIDN'T GO
Tobacco Bill Does Not Meet
Executive Approval.
States His Reasons in Commune
cation to House Of Rep
resentatives.

in his veto to the Klair Tobcaco Bill
which provides for registering or
pooling tobacco and also provides pen
ally for buying or attempting TO buy
tobacco SO pooled. This msasure is
intended to assist tobacco growers
to co-opcrate in their effort to wiring
from the Tobacco Trust fair prices
for their product. We give herewith
in full reasons assigned by the COVER
nor for his veto of this measure.
To the House of Representatives:
| return House Bill No. 81, an act to
authorize and rregulate the recOrdeI-
ton of agreements for pooling farm
products, which | feel it my duty to
disapprove and with 1t l have the
honor 10 transmit to the House my
objections to it.
So much of this bill as provides for
recording a list of the persons pool
ing or pledging any arScle of farm
products seems 10 me TO be a
logical sequence to the purposes of
what is generally called the "Crecelius
Bill" and | should not hesirate to
approve that part of this measure,
but Section 8 provides that
Amy person buying or soliciting
pooled Or pledged property the lists
Of which have been recorded as here
In provided, shall, upon conviction, be
fined not less than $40 nor more than
81, 900 or imprisoned not less than
fifteen nor more than ndnty days, or
both 50 fined and imprisoned"
The Crecelius bill provides punish
ment for the seller and also provides
punishment for the buyer who know
ingly buys The pooled or pledged prop
enty. This section proposes to extend
that punishment to those who have
constructive notice, by the recording
Of ls.s, whethsr they know 1t or not,
and | cannot approve the law with
this seciion in 1T, but return 1t with
my disapproval as a measure injui-
GUS to business interests and in
furious 10 the farmer and which can
be made equally injurious to the as
sociations OF the farmers on any Of
them.
The bill taken literally ,foybids any
one to even ask the association to
sell this property, for the association
If property is pledged OF pooled to
it will record the lists, and this sec-
tion provides that anybody buying the
property lit does not say of the or
igiqal grower(, but any person buying
Y. is subject to these penalties, and,
therefore, 1t herally includes those
buying or even offering to buy of
the association. The argument ds made
that the tobacco being commingled,
it would be impossible TO prove that
the tobacco was pooled OF pledged by
any given individual mentioned in
the list, but the tobacco in rhe pos
session OF the association would be
pooled, pledged and listed by overy-
body would have constructive notices
that it was pooled, pledged and list
ed and this does not except those
who buy from the association, but
Furnishes everybody, and at the best
would leave 1t alt the option of the
managers OF the association TO pick
out anybody whom they might wish
to punish because of becouiing dis
satisfied afterward with such paHaicu-
lar person OF persons. A purchaser
of a large amount of tobacco from the
association could, If the market fail
ed materially. plead that the comtnact
evade the performance of 1T.
Ordinarily, people advertise for pur-
chasers and do all they can TO get
people to come to them to buy and
to compete with each other SO as to
raise the price and it was, assume
the purpose OF the rorgandzers Of the
pools Originally to end the monopoly
Of one purchaser, which was a very
proper and commendaible purpose; but
this section forbids anybody TO pur-
chase, and OF course covers those
who would compete.
I could not approve law that
makes II risky to buy Kentucky fam
products or to offer to buy them. l