The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-12-16
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

1t is not often the case that SO large
a percentage of any crop has been sold
in the fields or hanging on the poles as
the present one, which the best posted
judges place close to so per cent of the
entire acreage. And this is what makes
the absence of casing weather an en-
barrassing condition, for if the crop
was ready for delivery growers might
be able to get this work off their hands
during the winter months while there is
little else to claim their attention on the
farm. 1t would prove rather unfor-
tunate if winter continues without the
needed tobacco damp to bring the hang
ing leaf out of the sheds. The laboring
class in the packing centers depend
largely upon warehouse work for en-
ployment during the winter and the in
convenience would be a severe one to
them also. So it is not alone the re-
leasing of the money the crop will bring
but the employment that is needed to
help along business throughout the to-
bacco growing sections.
80
As much of the tobacco grown in this
state, as well as elsewhere, is raised
by sharemen, the usual contract be-
tween land owner and cropper in Penn
sylvania may be of interest and is as
follows: The contract with the tenant
farmer commonly requires that he fur
nlsh all labor, manure, teams, cultlvat-
ing and harvesting implements, and all
materials necessary for stripping, while
the land owner furnishes the curing
shed and sometimes the lath on which
the tobacco is hung while curing. The
owner receives for his pay share of
the crop, commonly one half, and the
tenant or owner may sell his share
without reference to the other party.
Under the crepper's contract the owner
commonly prepares the land, furnishes
the manure upon the ground, and sup
plies teams and implements for cultlva-
ton and harvesting, in addition to
maintaining the curing shed, with its
necessary supply of laths, and provid-
ing team for the delivery of the crop
after it's sale. The cropper, on the
other hand, spreads the manure, pro-
vides all labor necessary for growing,
curing and stripping, and provides one
half of the fuel, twine and paper used
in the stripping operation. The crop is
shared equally by the two parties to
the contract, each of whom may sell
his share independently of the other.
H
Secretary of War Dickinson, in his
report to the president on his recent
trip of inspection to the Philippine
Islands, says that the foreign business
of the islands has greatly increased,
due to the operation of the Payne bill,
granting the islands free trade. The
prices for tobacco have largely in
creased" he says, and the industry is
in s'hourishing condition. He says
the prices of labor has also increased.
The Philippine government is willing to
go the limit to impress the American
smoker with the quality of the Philip
pine product and the sanitary and gen
orally satisfactory conditions under
which it is produced, for on every box
of Philippine cigars sold in this country
the government of the United States
collects an internal revenue tax and
hands it over to the Philippine govern
ment, SO that the interests of the Fill
pino cigar manufacturers and the Phil
more such cigars are sold in this coun-
try the better off they both are. On
the other hand our benevolent govern
known to prate of protection to the
one and the same time by removing the
duty, takes away from the American
manufacturer market for one hun
- II 10.
the Filipinos, and simultaneously i'm
poses upon the American consumer a
tax, aggregating S265, ,071.80, which it
used, if desired, in further encourage
ipino cigar manufacturer.
~
Judge Cochran's action in dismissing
the damage suit brought against the
Burley trust, was closely followed by
Judge Walter Evans, at Paducah, KY,
who has dismissed damage suits against
125 alleged ''night-riders. The two
decisions coming so closely together led
to the belief in some quarters that the
escape of the promoters of the Burley
trust was to be followed by that of the
HlgHC-TiueTS, anu tIldC IHc uoCIaiie was
to be established that hereafter the
Kentucky tobacco growers could not
only establish a monopoly in defiance
of the Sherman Act, but in promoting
such undertaking could resort to whip
pings, arson and murder, unrestrained
by federal authority. 1t is therefore
cheering intelligence. that the criminal
prosecution of the gangs of night-riders
by the Department of Justice has not
been halted or interfered with by the
latest decisions of the federal judges.
It appears that the suits dismissed were
merely damage suits with the prosecu-
tion of which the federal authorities
had nothing to do, and that the suits
were dismissed for lack of evidence.
Similar suits have been successful and
heavy damages recovered. AS for the