The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-12-06
(spseiaI to The News seimItar.l

Especial to The News Seimitar.)
LEXINGTON, KY, Dec. 6.-The
hundred thousand producers of white
hurley tobacco in Kentucky have laid
down the gauntlet against any move
to lower the price of leaf on the
markets in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana
and Tennessee. wherever white bur
ley is grown.
There is now in process of forma-
ton the Burley Growers association,
with headquarters in Lexington. AS
soon as the Kentucky parent stem
is at full strength, which is prom
Used by Dec. 81, the other states men
toned will be visited by organizers
and the growers asked to join the
association. which has for its OBJ
ject the cutting out OF large part
of the 1921 crop and the withhold
ing from the market this season
enough of the 1920 crop to force an
adequate price paid on the breaks.
The farmers have held scores of
mass meetings over the state within
the last three months and from re-
ports in the hands of the associa-
ton promoters, tobacco costs from
Is to 80 cents pound to produce.
1t has been selling on Lexington and
other Kentucky markets at 40 cents
to 81 and over a pound.
This season, however, it has been
given out that the manufacturers
have great stocks on hand and that
a lower price is practically a GER
tainty. A wide spread OF indlgna-
ton was the result of this knowledge
A mass meeting. was called at Lex
ington, at which speakers stated
frankly that If the growers were or
dered by an association to not pro-
duce tobacco next year, many would
not heed the admonition. and that d
result would be resumption of mig II
riding outrages which prevailed ~
years ago, when several people were
killed, many whipped by masked
bands, several towns set on IRE, and
numerous tobacco warehouses burned
by lawless spirits among the farm
elements opposed to producing crops
then until the price went up.
Crop Is Large.
The tobacco crop this year in the
40 counties which make UP the white
Burley district of Kentucky--the cen
trail half of the state-is estimated
at, in round numbers, S00,000,A0O
pounds. Only about 200,000,00
pounds of this Is rated at first class
leaf because Of a severe drought last
summer rust" "wildfire" and other
causes So, unless good price Is
paid, Kentucky tobacco farmers have
at best heavy losses, and in many
cases ruin. Because most of them
have bought land at $500 to $1,000 an
acre, paying that price solely because
it was worth 1t to raise tobacco at
81 a pound for the best. and 40 cents
a pound for poorest grades,
II was expected that the market
would be opened in the white hurley
belt this year as usual, around Dec.
|, but the Rig buyers-the represen-
tatiyes of the great manufacturers
notified the Lexington tobacco board
of trade that they could not reach
here until the season closed in Viz
GINA and the Carolinas. which would
be around Jan. /. So the opening
will take place the first week in
January. Representative ]. Camp
bell Cantrill, of the Seventh Ken
lucky district has issued statement
asking the farmers to put their best
tobacco in first and not wait until
lower grades are disposed of before
offering the highest grades. seeing
In this move toward possibility of
stabilizing the market at the open
ing.
Thousands of farmers are at their
wits end for relief. Mortgages will
become due soon, and unless tobacco
sells at good price the economic