The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-23
GROWER HAS RIGHT TO Determine
FAIR PRICE FOR PRODUCT ANB0RN

grower has as much right to deter
mine what is fair and honest price
for his product as have the packer
or manufacturer. This can not in
all fairness be denied. Once sold the
farmer ia done; he has made or lost
money for good and all. The manufac-
turer is differently situated. He can
and does arbitrarily set price on his
wares which will insure a profit and
the consumer pays the price, and, as
a matter OF fact, as all retailers admit,
he pays uncomplainingly.
He does Of course, and we all know
It, We can all recall the time when
the cigar stamp tax was reduced to
$500 per 1000 cigars, for ALL Ameri-
revenue stamp costs under the latest
Federal law:
On all cigars retailing up to 5 cents,
81 per 1000; at cents to cents, Sc
per 1000; at 9 cents to Is cents, 50
per 1000; at 16 cents to 20 cents, So
per 1000, and all cigars retailing at
over 20 cents each are now taxed SIS
per thousand, as shown by stamps al
fixed to the boxes. On top OF this
revenue stamp cost comes all the gov
eminent restrictions and taxes incl
dent to the conduct Of the cigar manu-
featuring industry 1t is true. too, that
the same rule applies as to manufac'
tured tobacco in all it's forms.
Have you heard anyone kick; you
have not-all consumers are patriot
cally and cheerfully paying the freight
for they realize that Uncle Sam needs
the money.
Leaf Growers Need the Money
And unless times and conditions
also change materially the tobacco
grower is going to continue to need
the money. If he does not consider
that he is getting what rightfully be
longs to him as his share as the basic
producer upon which the entire indus
try rests, he will automatically de
crease his acreage and still further
diversity his crops. This is inevitable
| The reduced acreage actually promis
| ed for 1919, and the discomfort in sc
many cigar leaf sections, as Is proved
| by the constant growth of tobacco
growers associations and the increase
| in membership Of cooperative organi
cations, all point the way to what is
coming quickly, if prices are cut te
| the quick.
Time will then come when the far
/ mer will pack and store and market
| and many are going to do this with
the 1918 crop, regardless. Unless al
signs fail many more will do this il
| the disposal of the 1919 and Of future
tobacco crops, this being the trend, a!
our observation confirms.
The Packers Viewpoint
| 1t may as well be frankly stated
that the majority of packers think i
Is time they had an inning. The,
claim that the tobacco farmers have
had three years of increasingly higl
prices and that the packers, many o
them, have been unable to realize OF
the speculative prices paid to growers
especially as to those who paid thu
i top On the 1917 crop; and frequentl,
Gin the field" at that. Some of thes
have it in" for the growers as on
may readily discover in a five minut
talk
| There can be no doubt whatever, a
to this truth, and many so state. Bacl
of this again stands the manufacture
whose own buyers are in the field
competing with the leaf packer AM
Spectator. So long as the manufac
turer is fairly we'll supplied with suit
ably aged leaf and knows where
supply can be secured for later storag
and ageing, he can patiently wait TO
a break in the ranks, not only as t.
the farmers, but also as to the pack
ers of the leaf he needs.
But there will come a time som
day." gentlemen, when the manufat
turer must buy or go out of business
and he must buy the leaf that neares
meets his requirements, both as t
age and quality.
In many instances that time is clos
at hand; in others it is still in tn
distance, depending on the deman
for cigars and increase of consumptio
to normal.
We were informed during this tri
that one leaf concern stood to los
about 100000 to $4,000 on 5000 case
of 1917 cigar leaf. bought on tn
bulge" mostly. If this be true, an
our informant ought to be able t
make a pretty close guess, it is littl
wonder that so many packers. cas-
and west, haven't put up pound {
the 1918 crop of Ohio or Pennsylvani
leaf. To lose $12 to SIS per case o
THAT size lot means a whole lot, eve
to large concern.
!. Quality Of Ohio Crop
While it seemed to be- the "rfgf
thing" in Pennsylvania to cast refe;
tons on the quality of the 1918 Obi
crop, do not find that to be true {
Cincinnati cigar manufacturers, so ia
talked with. One large buyer for hi
own cigar plant said today that h
was satisfied that Ohio had raised
whole lot of good tobacco last yea
regardless of the early cut to avoi
frost, and of all other detriment;
effects in curing and handling.
. Ito Be Continued)