The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-01
APPEAL GRANTED
 TO TOBACCO MEN !. BY STATE BOARD

Hartford, Feb. 1-The Connecticut State Council of Defense, acting OH presented January 22 at :, hearing given to the tobacco growers of Connecticut, has issued a stateme..t Interpreting it's resolution of Decem- Der 12 in regard to essential and non essential industries to require that no grower increase during 1918 his 1917 acreage of primed tobacco or produce this year shade-grown tobacco on land used last year for primed open grown tobacco. The statement pro- vides, however, for hearings to be given to growers who might lose money already invested through such restrictions and states that no restriction is placed on increases of less than five acres in stalk or "out'' tobacco.
 The Council has appointed a com mittee consisting of John T. Roberts, Frank G. Macomber and Robbins B. Stoeckel to hear appeals from the decision.
 "On December 12, 1917, the Connec- ticut Council of Defense adopted a resolution setting forth the position of the Council "in relation to enter prises and undertakings within the State not essential in the prosecution of the war or the furnishing of the necessaries of life or the maintenance of public interests"
 "In January 22, 1918, the Council. through a special committee, gave an opportunity to the tobacco growers of the state to inform the Council as to the effect of that resolution upon their industry, and to state their views in that connection.
 ''For the guidance of such growers, and to meet their just request for an interpretation of the said resolution so far as it applies to their industry, the Council hereby announces that the said resolution, as applied to the Connecticut industry of producing to- bacco, requires that
 "G) No person, firm or corporation shall, in Connecticut, in the year 1918, increase or cause to be increased the acreage controlled by him or it, of primed tobacco, whether of shade grown Havana seed or broad leaf to- hacco, over the acreage of such to- bacco grown or controlled by him or it in the year 1917 in Connecticut "(2) No person, firm or corpora ton shall, in the year 1918, in Connec- ticut, change from growing Primed Open-Grown tobacco to growing Shade-Grown tobacco, i. e., he or it shall not, in 1918, produce Shade Grown tobacco on land which was used in 1917 to produce open grown Primed tobacco.
 "(3) Provided, however, that the Council, will through an appropriate committee, hear and in it's discretion determine the application of any ! grower for limited exemption from the foregoing restrictions where it is shown that by reason of expenses in- cured or unavoidable liabilities as- sumed in good faith, such restrictions would in fact, cause substantial pe- cuniary loss other than loss of antici- pated profits.
 "(4) Nothing in the foregoing in- structions imposes any restriction , whatever upon the making of small increases in acreage of stalk o1 "cut" tobacco, where the increase 1T the case of any given grower does no1 exceed five acres. Any grower who desires to make a greater increase 1T stalk or cut tobacco should first appl! to the Council for it's approval.
 "The Council obviously cannot giv' any absolute guarantee that no addi tional restrictions or limitation will b' imposed by Federal Authority. Bu the Council will use it's best effort to protect all Connecticut tobacco growers, who in good faith observ'
 the above restrictions, from any fur
 ther restriction in 1918, and will safe
 guard their general interests to tn
 best of it's ability.
 'Tf at any time conditions come t
 the attention of the council Whicl
 might make it wise for such grower
 to reduce in 1918 their acreage 0
 1917, the Council will promptly ad
 wise said growers of such conditions
 The resolution of December F l1s17, referred to in the statement Icontained the following paragraph:
 'sThe Council will view with disfa
 vor, and if need be, will oppose wit
 all the powers available, the furthe
 diversion in this state of capital, labo or resources needed for war work, in to lines which are non-essential
 whether they be manufacturing, com mercial or agricultural, and whethe
 such further diversion be in the na ture of new undertakings or the ex tension of existing enterprises"