Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-17
COMMISSIONER KO|NER
REsTATEs HIS POSITION
Ives Additional Figures to Support
, a Demand for Better Tobacco
Prices.
INSISTS THERE is SHORTAGE
Contends That Production Has Not
Kept Pace With Consumption.
skSays Farmers Should Not bear
burden OF REIMBURSEMENT.

n SkG Giving further and additional fig
Il slres and argument in support OF MS
N position In advising tobacco growers
& 81 sfVirginia to hold their crop for
S setter prices than were offered IN
she opening days of the market. Com
+ missioner of Agriculture q. w. koiner
yesterday issued a second statement.
& Commissioner Koiner took occasion
soN replysto statements Of President
X IN Darlington of the To .o n ,bc
& INJECT that estimates made by the
department, We're erroneous.
A. significant statement is that the
8 snigh-priced cigarettes and smoking
tobacco now retailing are being maue
Z tof leaf tobacco bought prior to the
srScord. crop prices of 1919.
Il - :. MIR. fSoincr'S Statement.
n ~ Mr.. koincrs statement in part, fol-
Z lows:
{ SStor tobacco in North Carolina at the
opening season and consequent action
spf 3thc warehouses i'll closing their
aoors. which appeared in The Times
sDispatch of September Sth, induced
fthis s,departmcnt to make an appeal
2gJo Virginia warehousemen and the
fbaeco growers of this state for pro
Atectlon against an unjustitiablc slump
I'm prices fer this years crop, vindi-
s;a aiIlg; ii, Its ~, appeal with government
sgiply on hand ms of July ], 1920, COM
iSSpp mare With July !, 1919. a claim of
mated production for this years crop
q on account OF damage from wet
35sweather during August. and tho in
s c5s In conspmption Of tobacco both
sSpIuE and smoking, selling ut high
ser figure today than ever before.
Expfessions from dealers and
re anPeaF To fhs in apps shf
aake issue with this department in
statistics statistics quoted and in tie estimated
aie o;,i,g TO the crop. which will re-
Equality. The department has made
"a further study Of government figures
to the e eron ,h SurINsEE of the damage
y S,Nation and communications with to-
& n nnsto growers and county farm dem
d yi ndIcafrs' which we believe further
s a from financial disaster in
selling his crop below cost of pro-
iesed sup ppfy'h sna By Som reports of al
W. admit the fact that on ANGUS,
Virginia and North Carolina had usi
b ths mnest prospects for tobacco in the
from this department Visited ,hcsc
4 n M, t,' ana We have no hesitancy in
n ma this statement. We observ-
& co, however. at that time that these
toeaecos had all the water they coui1
Z s s.;,, without serious damage The
rams C. continued throughout the
80.
II me hrst week in September. nj least
s8ten or fifteen days later than the
sSS.,mates of the government. that
! than S5 to 30 per cent Every eSo
IperJenced man in tobacco growing
knows that tobacco damaged with too
what is known as "generai7 firinr.
ana wlldhre,' Is affected in loss OF
Sthen infSTS seTTi h,a than in any
E1oeen thoroughly confirmed by infor-
s nation received from every county
IN the. toeaceo belt And we claim
S that, this trouble is n progressive one
q and II Will be impossible TO estimaie
6 ; Ing MAGNITUDE s l OF the damage until
9and.swe confidently believe at the
Dresent time that the statement madc
a Att the weight of the present crop
i ~llt1Pe radically changed
Maturing OF Crop.
s5., It's claimed by some renresen,i,s
s the interest OF dealers and manufac.
SIbacco v Wns b bnG majority Of the TO-
\ Damage by rain during the months Of
;ss{ ~ hi,h ana September. 1t is a we'll
gsoWers OF tobacco that It reau!res
q about ninety days. under favorabIe
weather conditions for a''plnnt Of to-
pnnan 10 To-, mature Az II is also we'll
son. This year In Virginia and North
.SSSarolina was from the 18Th to The
~ fHss t 81 Nay NAY Consequently very lit
:primings. could have been harvested
Sibe1ore the middle OF August.
we contended in our former article
and smoking tobaccos had enor,nousiS
Recent figures compiled
stroIn tne reports of the Commissions:
IS OF Interna! Revenue, United States
& treasury Department, showed thar
stii:.theT total amount OF leaf used Nv
~ in the manufacture Of
pounds. or IL per cent Of the i;VV toisI
leaf used for that year In 1919
ase,9oo,9So pounds in cigarettes were
s8total manufactured. This is AN in.
crease In the amount OF leaf used in
me manuiacture OF cigarettes over
OF pright tobacco Increased from 3Io-
ooo pounds in 1915 to $4,000. 600
p o,1t In 1919. an increase of SO per
the demand for brieh; tobacco uscS
5fnsthe manufacture of cigarettes has
more than kept pace with its pro-
Does Not Suggest Cut.
II mas been stated through the
! Press by dealers, and manufacturers
could not be reduced OF, account of;bn
& high price paid for the 1919 crop. Ne
that these prices should be cut. YET
I'VE know that large perccn;ase Of
5sffie tobacco used in these high priced
ssproducts cost less than so per cent
of the price paid in 1919 The mag
enttude OF the tobacco business, from
isthc manufacturinE standpoint. is so
great that IT is not safe business 10
rely, upon one crop. and very properiv
u sos Let us apply this rule OF the
cost price TO the farmer. II is an
fact that the 1919 croD cost
more money 10 produce than anv cron
.il,sthe history OF tobacco growinr
n Figures of the United States Depart
A$ment OF Agriculture State thai tho
t.s3p20h-crop will cost from u 10 90
spert cent more than the 1919 crop
n.y. then. should the farmer be
scaiIed upon to make a sacriflcc In a
between cost and snliin u