The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-11-28
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

=
The packers of Wise onsn tobacc
furnished the push that started the
buying movement of the 1919 leaf here
| and in other tobacco growing states.
During August and September the
opinion prevailing in all packing cen
ters was to the effect that the 1919
crop would get into the bundle before
any attempt at buying would be made.
The growers felt the same way about
| it. Everybody seemed to know only
that one thing buying until in the
bundles. If anyone knew better. he
kept 1t hermetically sealed under his
hat, and the public was at no time
taken into the confidence of the ones.
who knew, If such there were. The
wisdom of us all was put to naught.
Buying struck in northern Wisconsin in
spite Of all predictions to the contrary,
and, evidently, somebody did know
after all. Looking back upon the
movement now, we realize that it was
well considered. The fact that prac-
tically all packing firms of any impor-
/ tance were on the ground almost at the
first scratch of the pen on the first con-
tracts, indicates that if the market was
/ not wise as to the when something
was going to happen, it was, neverthe-
less, on the alert, ears pricked up, and
ready for the jump-off.. There was no
1 hna 40 hot Tod
where it was to be had. Because these
things come to pass, there are folks
| who think that the whole thing was
| due to a combination and an under
standing on the part of the buyers.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth. When Mr. Bekkedal wanted
three thousand acres of the very best
binder raised in the state, he did not
call the rest of the packers to notify
them that he was ready for the race,
and that he would wait until all could |
be there when the pistol was fired. To- |
bacco buying is not conducted in this |
| manner, not yet, at least.
~
How-be-it, it was the Wisconsin /
packers who touched off the mine Of |
1919 in this state, and the noise was big |
t-enough to be heard insother tobaccot
lgrowing states, and the plans of no /
buying until in the bundle accepted as
the settled policy also there, came to /
naught. Pennsylvania and Connecticut |
followed suite, and Ohio and New York |
have been exposed to the contagion
Another characteristic of the Wis
consin buying campaign, defined by
The Reporter as 'selective" in na-
ture, has to large extent also gov
erned the buying in other states. The
term in The Reporter market column
was. used advisedly. The fact under
scored by it was, that the 1919 buying
was conducted along lines of legitimate
commercial transactions, supply and
demand, plus the quality of the article,
governed the price. The purely specu-
lative element did not at any time de-
termine the course of the market.
Prices have been uniformly good,
better than looked for earlier in the
season, and remarkably free from er-
ratio fluctuations. The tobacco mar
ket has shown splendid confidence in
the continued prosperity Of the Ameri-
can people, and that in the face of the |
present unrest and trouble besetting
our industrial life, and the unsettled
conditions of social and political affairs
in the world at large. This confidence
seems to have been we'll placed; the
strike situation in the tobacco manu-
featuring centers is gradually mending, t
the men are returning to work, and the
demand for the products continues
keen. The consumers of tobacco pro-
ducts are willing and able to spend
their money at the increased cost of
the goods. They want it; they want it
quickly and lots of it. AS long as these
conditions prevail the game is good,
and all is we'll
***
The meeting Of the Wisconsin Union
of the American Society of Equity in
Madison last week was not only the larg-
est meeting held in the state, more than
1900 delegates being present, but it
was important in the issues which it
faced and settled. AS an organization
of farmers it has stood for economic
progress along conservative lines. Of
late certain elements have endeavOred
to change the course of the society,
and it came to test of strength be-
tween the two factions in the Madison
meeting. The Nonpartisan element,
which wanted to unseat the men now
in the administration of the Wisconsin
Union, fell short of accomplishing their
purpose, and both j. N Tittemore and
Ll--a A 4 n