The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-24
THE PRICE OF TOBACCO.

| THE PRICE OF TOBACCO.
| Those who arc advising the farmers
of the bright tobacco districts of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina to reduce
their crops In order that tho price may
be held artifcally ut Its present high
level are not friends OF tho tobacco
growers. The harm they may work
will be In proportion to the extent that
their advice is followed.
| The high prices brought by bright
| tobacco arc not due primarily to the
dissolution of tho tobacco trust into
its component parts. It is not true,
rs alleged by those advocating reduced
crops. thnt the various branches of the
trust have offered good prices with
the purpose in view of inducing grow
ers to produce largo crops next year.
which they will be compelled to soil
at lower figures, Prices are high be-
cause tho demand Is gront Tho price Of
bright tobacco began to mount before
the dissolution of tho tobacco trust,
and has continued since that dissolu-
ton began. It has not yet reached
tafnly thcro is to BIO no recession OF
the tide for years to come Those who
advise short crops do so on the ground
that high prices are artificial now, and
that tho way to keep them so Is to
reduce the supply. They would make
the law OF supply and demand work in
tho interests OF tho growers by re-
ducing the supply, and thus increase
the price; but that law is working now
In tho interest OF tho growers. and
working because the demand Is grow
ing. There is no need to decrease
the supply. The increased demand in
foreign countries has boon tho cause
of the rise Of price, and those who re-
duce their crops Will merely deny
themselves tho opportunity to take ad-
vantage OF prices that will continue to
rise or which at tho very least will re-
main stationary
This Increased demand, which is still
growing. Is due to the, increased and
increasing consumption OF cigarettes,
made chiefly from bright tobacco. The
Increased consumption in this country
Is not inconsidorablo, but II is In the
Far East that 1t is most notable. In
China, japan. tho Philippines, and
throughout all that vast area known
rs tho Orient, with It's millions of peo-
pie, the cigarette Is growing in favor
apie. In Japan It's uso is rapidly be-
coming universal, and In China, where
tho Importation and use OF opium has
been forbidden, it is being used rs n
substitute. It's cheapness and its con-
venience mako 1t popular with erst-
while opium smokers and with hun
dreds OF thousands OF others.
The tobacco trust realized these facts
years ago, and soon had tobacco fac
tories and agencies established In MANY
points in the Far East The action
OF tho Japanese government in taking
over these factories has not affected
the growers They alo in opera
ton. and IN this country japanese
government buyers who arc purchas-
ms great supplies of tobacco from tho
bright tobacco districts.
But while this newly created demand
is largo and has proven n great factor
in increasing the price, that demand
has not yet reached its limit. 1t is
growing yearly. and there is still an
enormous field for Its growth.
This is why the advice being given
in somc quarters that crops DO reduced
| is bad advice, and this is why the
prosperous people Of the bright to-
| bacco regions Of Virginia and Caro-
lima next year Will be those who grow
bright tobacco and grow all OF 1t tho
size OF their farms and the supply
OF labor make possible