The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-08-05

upon land owner or tenant In add
ton to grading, the time consumed
in the selling OF years crop is a
big factor and could be more ad
v-rtaceously arranged. The seller is
gt q great disadvantage, and frequent.
" sells at great sacrifice. in rush.
ing the years output on the brakes
in few months and accepting what
is hurriedly offered him on a con.
gested. not to say glutted market.
Any manufacturer who auctioned OF
without reserve his entire yearly out.
put to the highest bidder in a limited
! number OF days would soon 20 broke
! The Executive Committee would indi.
/ cate the exact quantity that would
! be brought up each day from the va
rious counties or districts. each man
could unload his crop on schedule
time and return promptly to his home,
| thus avoiding expense and tedious
delays and OF remaining in the city
over night. One such saving alone
would more than pay his annual as
sessment.
The manner OF the election OF your
president and his executive board
(which should have the smallest pos
sible membership consistent with eff
ficiency) should be thoroughly aud en-
tirely democratic. Every farm grow
ing a crop should have a full oppor-
tunity to express its opinion and sat
isfactorily voice that opinion with
its vote. The growers of each coun.
ty should hold a convention and by
individual vote decide among them
selves who they wanted for presi-
dent and executive members. They
could then select and instruct their
delegates for the general convention
which would represent the entire bur
ley district. At that mass convention
the man receiving the largest number
of votes for president would be elect
ed-the same thing applying to the
members OF the executive board. In
order to have the president and board
quickly responsive to your control.
they could be elected for one year,
subject to recall upon a signed re-
quest of IS per cent of the members
of the organization. or 81 per cent. If
you deem 1t better.
Another feature to be considered by
your Executive Board is the estab-
lishment of Farmers Cooperative
Warehouses. Quite a block of stock
in most of the warehouses is held
by the farmers. | am a stakeholder
myself and would willingly vote my
stock in that company for a board
of directors who would favor the pol
icy of making II a growers co-opera-
tive warehouse. II would be the job
of your executive committee to see
all OF the farmers who are stockhold-
ers in warehouses. TO get their proxies
and to vote In a board who were IA
vorable to that policy. l do not feel
that II Is necessary to dwell at
length or In detail to you upon the
advantages to the grower OF having
warehouses controlled by yourselves
and you receiving first consideration.
II it were not for you and your crops
there would be no warehouses, and
where you are also a stakeholder in
addition you should certainly make
your wishes and needs felt.
Now. my friends. l am coming TO a |
feature that should be approached and |
handled with the utmost prudence and |
wisdom. I think ii essential that you
consider the control OF the
acreage OF tobacco to be grown. To
my mind that will prove your most
difficult problem. and should not be at
tempted until you have demonstrated
to yourselves that you are capable as
a body Of cohesion and OF carrying out
certain definite and fixed policies. II
you first succeed in that, then the con,
idence and faith and trust in each 9th
pr. born Of that triumph. will enable
you to travel this long step forward.
which IL successful will prove a great
blessing. but If it fails or miscarries
Mil be a curse.
In reviewing the general and aver
age prices that have prevailed upon
he tobacco market for the past If
zen years, think it is a safe state
nent to say that as a whole We to-
1acco growers have not made more
han wages or a living price. II we
exclude the three years Immediately
following the cut-out. That is the
only movement on the part of the
farmers that the tobacco trust really
Tears and breads, but II is to be
equally dreaded by US unless We first
prepare ourselves by the self-disci-
pline of successful organization to
lake 1t up in an enlightened, self-con-
lrollsd and lawful manner. In this /,
and at this point, ! can I
not refrain from saying that | think
he land owners of the Blue Grass
region have FILTERED away their birth
right for a mess Of pottage in direct
ing their efforts and attention almost
or at least SO extensively.
10 the growing of tobacco. will
state something that you all know,
but that you seem to have forgotten
hat this little spot or section OF
is the most favored and pc
,uliarly adapted for the most perfect
growth and development Of all breeds
If live stock by reason Of soil condi'
ions and climate OF any section on
his entire continent. Friends and fell
ow farmers, believe that God
Almighty intended these few blessed
OF the Blue Grass to be the
nursery from which to supply all the
'est OF the continent with all pedi-
creed live stock. This is the spot,
he fountainhead. so to speak, where
zach breed Of all the domesticated