Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-09
kO|NER CALLS upon
TOBACCO FARMERS
| TOHOLD DOFFER|NGS
Declares Virginia Growers
Should Join the Fight
Against Low Prices.
REQUESTS BUSINESS MEN
TO SUPPORT MOVEMENT
Attention Is Directed to De-
crease in Amount Held
by Dealers.
|jUT IN FIGURES UNJUSTLFIED
Commissioners Lays Special Stress
Upon Advancing Cost OF Manu-
\ facturcd Product.
REQUESTS BUSINESS MEN
TO SUPPORT MOVEMENT
UT IN FIGURES uNJUsTIFIED
Commissioners Lays Special Stress
Upon Advancing Cost OF Manu-
facturcd Product.

Calling upon tobacco raisers Of
irginIa to follow the example set
North Carolina In the fight against
ov prices offered by buyers for to-
acco manufacturing concerns, BY
eeping their cropa safely stored on
hclr own farms. g. w. ioiner, Com
nissioncr of Agriculture. today is
ued an appeal TO business men OF
he State to support the growers In
What IN virtually a declaration Of war
sainst the interests that are trying
. force down the leaf prices.
Commissioner Koiner calls atten-
ION to the large decrease in amount
4 tobacco held BY dealers and manu-
aciurers on july !, 1920. as compa red
!th holdings of that date u year
Sgo to the large Increase ia con
umption at home and abroad and
,cclarcs that there is no reason in
act for IA lower price than obtained
or last years crop. He lays special
treSs upon the increasing prices that
. re being charged for the manutac-
{tred product.
Cites Decrease In Amount.
Actual decrease In amount OF to-
'arco OF the Virginia sun cured. Nir-
;in!a dark and OF the bright yellow
districts OF Virginia, North Carolina,
iouth Carolina and Georgia held in
s2o over 1919 is given by Mr kolncr
I's a3.ls5.Ga2 pounds.
Mr. koiner's statement In part
Follows:
To the Virginia Tobacco Warehouse
nen and the Bus.ness Public Cen
3taiiy:
4 rhts department has information
] 1ni.t the warehouses in the State OF
1Sorth Carolina arc closing their doors
,rcanse of low prices being offered
Tor tobacco. The price being offered
Il the opening season is from 25 to
70 per cent lower than last season.
For this reason the farmers and
business men throughout the State
IRE holding mass-meetings 10 deter
nine what action shall be taken in
his very serious matter
Asserts Faith In Warehouse Men,
We believe our Virginia warehouses
|ire just as loyal to the interests Of
our farmer as any set of men In any
state. We believe they recognize that
he sales OF tobacco produced by the
Farmers in their respective sections
Pave made their business profitable
Fu,j that they will do anything In
heir power to prevent this disaster
that seems to be approaching in the
pending low prices.
We call your attention to the fact
ihat tobacco in 1919 cost more 10
sory of the crop. and the cost of pro-
b-t,c ftnn iy1 al,
20 per cent. The amount Of tobacco
held by dealers and manufacturers
July /. 1920. as compared with July /.
1919. Is represented by the following
hg ures:
Virginia sun cured-July I, 1920,
S,3l9.9l3 pounds; July /. 1919, 10,037,-
$40 pounds.
4 Virginia dark-July 1. 1920. 34,s72.-
P22 pounds: July ]. 1919. 42,9ls,4s2
pounds.
z Bright yellow. districts OF Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina and
ieorgia--July j. 1920, s042O6,2s5
pounds; July i. 1919. 327277,36o
hounds.
ConsuInptfon OF Tobacco increasing.
we cali your attention further to
lthc fact that the consumption of to-
lbacco, both plug and smoking, IS rap
IDLY Increasing, not only in the United
states, but throughout the world. In
1.-THE light of the above facts we can
lscs no reason why tobacco this year
should sell for less money than last
year with the crop estimated from
|35 TO 40 per cent short on account OF
damage from the prolonged wet sen
Ison during August
: We appeal also to the fertilizer
manufacturers to aid our farmers in
this matter, realizing the fact that
the farmers put into the treasury OF
She fertilizer companies moro than
|ffteen million dollars this year, and
III is the farmer alone who keeps this
vast enterprise prosperous. We ap-
peal to the business men throughout
the tobacco section, knowing as we
do that their business depends to a
large extent upon the price the farm
er receives for his tobacco crop. We
appeals to the banks to aid the farm
er In this crisis as the prosperity of
of the farmer increases deposits and
they are thereby largely dependent
upon his success. Lastly, we appeal
ito the tobacco manufacturer and
dealer to consider seriously this cal
amity threatening the farmer In view
of the fact that the manufacture d
article is selling higher today than
ever before with no Indications that
the demand will be less or the price
Urge aDnnks to Aid buyers.
And To mako an especial appeal to
tho press to bring its influence to
the farmers aid. and call their at
tehtion to the fact that in the year
1919. in the Southern states. Georgia
Continued on Page Three.5