The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-07-24
TOBACCO GROWERS.
MEET IN FLORENCE.
CONFERENCE CALLED TO BOL-
STER PRICES.

upon Cne request VI lopaSSo Sio"
ers and business men and bankers OF
the Pee Dee section, Governor Coop
er on Saturday called for a confer
ence to be held in Florence Friday,
July 25, to discuss measures to boil
ster tobacco prices.
South Carolina last year produced
62,173,631 pounds which sold at an
average figure of 31.06 cents pound.
The total revenue derived from last
years crop was S19,311 1886, or
one fifth the value Of the cotton crop
of the State.
Governor Cooper Saturday receiv-
ed the following kilograms summar-
izing the conditions facing the tobac-
CO growers:
w. C. Hemingway of Hemingway,
said. "Prices OF production have fall
len off. Buyers are off the market.
Conditions very much depressed.
Suggest you call convention OF to-
bacco growers, merchants, bankers,
at Florence Friday, July 25, at II
o'clock for the purpose Of effecting
plans to relieve state of affairs"
The Bank Of Hemingway wired:
"As a result of the tremendous slump
of tobacco prices, suggest you call
meeting of bankers, merchants and
tobacco growers at Florence, July
25, to work out plans to relieve Sit
uation."
F. Rhem & Sons Of RHEIMS, tele-
graphed:" Owing to the demoralized
condition of the tobacco industry, we
beg you to call meeting of farmers,
bankers, merchants and others in
sympathy for July % at Florence,
S. c."
Farmers and Merchants Bank OF
Andrews, said: During the past
four days which our tobacco market
has been open tobacco has been SELL
ing at extremely low prices that are
very unfair to the farmers. Finding
it necessary to make some steps to-
wards obtaining living for tobacco
that is grown in this section, we have
decided in behalf of the people OF
this section to ask you to call meet
ing of those who are interested, at
Florence, on July rs to take some
steps toward remedying conditions"
The following wire was received
from the Bank of Georgetown: I'VE
respectfully urge you to call a meet
ing o. all tobacco planters, mer-
chants, bankers and others interest
ed at Columbia or Florence, July 25,
to consider conditions Of the market
and prescribe a remedy, as prevail
ing prices are ruinous."
1t will be noted from the above
which appeared in the Columbia
State Sunday that there was no COM
plant made to the Governor from
Lake City, Kingstree, Greelyville, or
Johnsonville.
The Florence Times of Monday
says:
"Only a few towns have reported
that the prices were satisfactory.
Newspaper reports from Cheraw and
Timmonsville, Mullins, and Dillon in
dicated that the farmers seemed sat-
isfed, tobacco men here, however,
do not place the utmost reliance in
these reports, and think they were
sent out with the view of boosting
local markets. They can't see how
primings here should be sold at such
a low price to the same concern buy
ing them thirty miles away.
GAIL last week the prices paid IN
Florence for some grades continued
lower than the circumstances would
seem to warrant. 1t is true that dur
ing the week the market did improve
somewhat, and bright tobaccos
brought a fairly good price. The dis
satisfaction however continues. Just
what is to be accomplished at the
conference on Friday cannot be fore
told but representative men will be
sent here to discuss situation that
is fully as serious as the cotton sit
uation.
"The continued rains have interfer-
ed greatly with the preparation OF
tobacco for market. For the last sew
eral days it has been impossible for
the planters to run their barns. At
the same time the rains have dam
aged the quality of the weed to some
extent"
AS stated in the The Record last
week the market opened here in the
with good prices prevailing the re-