The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-18
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. NOTES.
Sumtcr's Growing Tobacco Market
The Need OF Another Tobacco
WarchOusc-Suintcr Daily Item and
Other Sumter Papers Endorsed for
Public Enterprise.

About one and a-quarter millions of
pounds of tobacco have been sold on
the Sumter tobacco market up to last
Monday, which is one and a-uuarter
times more tobacco than was sold dur
ing the entire season of 1914
An increase of 125 per cent over the
first year Of the Sumter tobacco mar
ket is gratifying gain indeed, and
there are hundreds of thousands of
pounds OF the yellow weed yet to
come before the 1915 selling season
is over.
Considering that Sumter is q new
market with only one warehouse the
sumter market has done exceedingly
we'll indeed. There can hc no doubt
that Sumter's having only one ware,
house has operated largely against this
market. There are hundreds of to.
bacco growers who can not be made to
believe otherwise than that q tobacco
market with two or more tobacco
warehouses has greater competition
than market with one warehouse.
The Sumter market had as many to-
Dacco buyers representing as many
different wholesale, domestic and ex-
porting, as we'll as large manufacture
ing companies, as any market in South
Carolina this year. and competition
was just as keen, and the prices as
high as any other market, but you
can't make some tobacco growers be-
lieve this
But unless the Sumter market fur
nishes the tobacco in sufficient guam
titles to warrant the sending of a large
corps of buyers here, the numerous
bfg tobacco establishments will not
continue their representation on the
floor of the Sumter warehouse.
Another tobacco warehouse is badly
needed In Sumter. This is the opinion
of Messrs. Pepper and Marion, the les
sees and managers of the present
warehouse, the unanimously expressed
opinion Of the numerous buyers on
this market, and of the officers and di-
rectors Of the Sumter Chamber of
Commerce and Retail Dealers Asso-
citation.
1t Is up to the Sumter business men
to finance another tobacco warehouse
fhe tobacco industry is worth too
much to Sumter's merchants and
bankers to permit the local market to
get smaller instead of getting to be the
largest in South Carolina
There are entirely too many business
concerns IN Sumter whose stockholders
40 not contribute anything towarts !
financing business enterprises. and |
who do nothing towards building up |
the business of Sumter or developing |
Sumter's business interests.
The lack of public spirtedness, pub
lie enterprise, and the sellishness of q |
great many business men in Sumter
was the subject of lengthy discussion |
at the directors meeting of the Cham
Der Of Commerce last Tuesday after
noon.
The directors determined that there |
should be pushed n systematic method |
Of advertising to the world the busi-
ness and professional concerns of
Sumter who have been liberal in sup
porting Chamber of Commerce, and
actively participating in the various
movements to build up Sumter and
Sumter's trade. The directors feel
that those public spirited and progress
sive citizens and business concerns are
entitled to the credit and the adver-
tising which their enterprise have
earned for them. The liberal manner
in which Sumter's newspapers have
supported the commercial organiza-
tiOns was stressed by the managing
secretary, who said that he desired to
take occasion to say that he sincerely
hoped that the special Daily Item An
niversary edition to be published in
October will have the cooperation Of
every business and professional man
and woman in Sumter city and coun-
ty. The directors endorsed the senti-
ments expressed by Secretary Rear
don regarding the loyalty and the en-
terprise and liberalty of the Sumter
newspapers.