The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-08-10
DARK LEAF men ARE
= UP AGAINST 1T; BIG
STOCKS, NO MARKET
BY WILLIAM r. sANBoRN.

tobacco that the growers have ever
gathered, and to find no market for 1t,
even at the cost of production, is the
experience OF the farmers in the Dark
Leaf district of Kentucky and Ten
nessee.
On top Of the lack of demand for
1919 leaf will presently come the mil
lions Of pounds of the 1920 crop.
Little wonder that the dark tobacco
farmer is almost in despair, as indeed
many of them are.
Compared with the vast stocks on
hand dark-leaf may be almost said to
be without a market. That conditions
will change for the better within a
year Is sincerely hoped, but that pay
ing prices can possibly be realized for
a long time, now seems out of the
question. 1t isn't at all a question of
monetary affairs in this country, or Of
home demand.
Dark leaf is principally grown for
the foreign market. 1t has always
been an export tobacco. Aside from
the tonnage bought by American snuff
and plug tobacco manufacturers, about
50 per cent of the annual crop has been
exported to Germany, Austria, Den
mark, Holland, Spain, Italy, France
and England.
1t now develops that he war-bled
countries have but little money to
spend for tobacco. Again, England
has been such liberal buyer that it
is said to have an IS months normal
supply on hand, and this is given color
by the fact that a government embargo
has been placed on tobacco imports
into England, in effect since last
February.
- Every pound of tobacco arriving in
England goes to the kings warehouse.
1T is released upon payment OF duty
on the pound. depending on valuation.
England forbids the spending of money
abroad for tobacco, because Of ex-
change conditions. She permits only
the buying Of goods needed.
Italy wants our tobacco, but hasn't
the money to pay for it, Her exchange
rate is too low. Italy offered $25,000,-
900 in bonds in New York, at G15 per
cent, to finance her tobacco buying.
But no one wanted them.
A few millions were sent to the to-
bacco country and some banks bought
few of them to help the situation,
but could accomplish little, having so
much money devoted to keeping the
planters alive.
Spain Buys Java Leaf.
The fact that Java raises TOBACCO
that can substitute for much OF our
dark leaf and the fact that the war
closed her market for about four
years, is another factor in the present
depression Spain, which had usually
bought 10000 hogsheads here annually
is reported to have purchased year
SUNNY or more in Java, at much lower
figures than would let the Kentucky
grower out.
Java belongs to and is governed by
Holland and it is natural that Holland
would buy to assist it's own colony.
Russia is unable to buy from anyone;
Germany, Austria and much of Central
Europe is impoverished. All of this
explains the plight into which dark to-
bacco growers were Unexpectedly
plunged.
Four Dark-Leaf Districts.
Each of four dark-leaf districts grow
a different variety Of tobacco, these
districts covering q counties. Is in
, Western Kentucky and II in Western
4 tennessee. Much suffering is feared
Seh both states during the coming
winter.
Planters are in debt for groceries,
feed and supplies and many of them
also for land, because former high
prices for tobacco led to buying Of
land at speculative prices. Bankers
have been doing what they could to
keep their customers out of the poor
houses. Many are loaned to the limit.
The principal dark markets are:
Hopkinsville, Paducah and Mayfield,
Kentucky, and GAINESVILLE, Tennessee.
The Green River" district is around
Owensboro and the "One Sucker"
around Bowling Green, Kentucky.
May Quit Planting.
District meetings have been held
and others will be, one in the form of