The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-01-28
TO TOBACCO GROWERS.
Mr.. J. d. Kings Views on Pro-
posed Legislation.

has been (or will be at an early date)
a bill introduced in the State Legis-
lature to force or compel the farm
ers of South Carolina to grade and
tie up their tobacco before they can
sell same.
Being a warehouseman of the State
for the past twelve years | am fully
acquainted with the tobacco situa-
ton both from the standpoint OF the
farmer and the buyer, and knowing
what do along this line, | feel it
my duty, in justice to the tobacco
growers of South Carolina, to re-
quest that this bill be held up until
the masses of the tobacco growers
can be heard from, as / am positive
that the larger proportion IF the to-
bacco growers are against such a
movement, especially when the true
facts are put before them.
The communication from Mr. N A
Mcmillan, appearing in The Enter
prise of the 14th inst is in a large
measure misleading. No doubt Mr.
Mcmillan is honest in his assertions,
but evidently he has based his con-
clusions from information obtained
from a small number of the tobacco
growers and very few warehouse
men. / feel that Mr. Mcmillan
should not push this bill until he has
heard from the majority of the to-
bacco growers.
Below | will give you few of the
misleading points in Mr. McMillan's
communication:
First amend the law regu-
lating warehouse charges so they
will be reduced to the North Caro-
lima SCALE" This word reduce
used in this connection leaves the
impression with the farmer that he
would sell his tobacco for less ware
house charges, which is not true.
| After his tobacco is graded into sew
eral piles and sold as on the North
Carolina basis of charges, the charges
will be more per thousand pounds
instead of less than they are today
in South Carolina.
Second-In the comparison OF
prices it is unfair for Mr. Mcmillan
to quote the prices on one particular
market. He should have quoted the
average prices for the entire States
of North and South Carolina, and
not take out the Wilson market
from the hundred or more markets
North Carolina. Wilson is located
in the heart of an exceptional to-
bacco territory-a territory that
grows the finest cigarette and smok-
ing tobacco and the finest wrappers
in the world, and has long been
noted for this type of tobacco. In
a general average the old Palmetto
States average is right up with any
tobacco producing State. The actual
loss in weight and cost in grading
and tieing is over two dollars per
hundred pounds, which claim almost
every farmer will agree is true. All
tobacco sections have their own true
value and eastern Carolina stands
first and has for many years. The
Winston-Salem market, the leading
market in the State of North Caro-
lima and the biggest manufacturing
point in the world for tobacco, is
now averaging less for its tobacco
than the State of South Carolina
averaged for the past season.
And about all the re-drying plants
in South Carolina are equipped for
handling South Carolina tobacco nthe
leaves and it would cost hundred
thousand dollars or more to make
this change, and very likely could
not be done in time to take care OF
the coming crop, which would be a
great drawback to the situation.
Every tobacco grower in the State
of South Carolina is we'll aware that
when the middle of September comes
.L,4 sa,4 &c +Lo b,,,ors looyo FOR