Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-11-18
WEED PRICES ABOUT
half OF LAST SEASON
Are Predicted BY Well Known
Buyer From Carolina-Open-
ing After First of Year

Tobacco prices ranging around 25c
a pound for good grade weed are ex-
pected by Mr.. Wearen Kennedy, buy
er for the American Tobacco Com
pany, who is home from the North
Carolina markets. Mr.. Kennedy be-
gan to suffer severely from rheuma-
tism and was compelled to quit work
for while so as to get in shape for
the opening of the Kentucky mar
kets. His many friends are glad to
know that he seems to be improving
since getting back home.
Mr.. Kennedy was buying at Wilson,
North Carolina when he had to quit.
He brought back with him slip Civ
ing sales for the week ending Nov.
4th and other statistics, which may
be of interest to tobacco growers in
this section, who are wondering what
kind of figures their basket tags are
going to show when the Kentucky
markets open. This North Carolina
report of sales for the week ending
Nov. 4th shows:
Tobacco sold 2,24O,71S pounds for
$644, ,489.65, an average of SIS. 76
Sales for the week before ,349 ,345
pounds for $933,55652 an average of
$27.S7.
A decrease of 1,109,627 pounds; a
decrease of $3.50, ,066.37, but an in
crease of SOC in the average.
The total sales for that market up
to that date are shown as % 2,5S8, ,622
pounds for $5,544,117 as an average
of $24.54.
From these figures it will be seen
that tobacco prices are perhaps a lit
tie less than half of what they were
year ago. Prospect of such a re-
duction in income from tobacco is
what is causing the growers to or
ganize and causes talk of cutting out
the crop next year. Madison county
tobacco growers went in with the
organization being promoted by Hon.
John w. Newman and others, at
meeting here Saturday and will stick
with their brother growers over the
hurley district in whatever action
may be decided upon, it is indicated.
Many farmers says that they are
really pleased that the Kentucky to-
bacco markets are not to open until
after the first of the new year. They
say that this will give them ample
opportunity to get their corn shucked
and out of the way before their men
have to handle tobacco.
The Richmond and other hurley
houses out in the blue. grass follow
the opening of the Lexington market
usually and it was decided there to
postpone opening of sales from the
first of December to January 3. The
Lexington. warehouses issued state
ment Of their reasons for the post
p1nement, of which the following is
the gist:
''Everyone is familiar now with the
reactionary turn in business, the
scarcity of money and the breaking
down for the present. at least, of the
foreign demand for low grades of
Burley. The manufacturers tell US
that under these conditions, par
ticularly the tightness of the money
market, it is impossible for them to
buy all the Southern, Eastern and
Kentucky tobaccos at one time. They
have not dictated to US what shall do
but almost unanimously they have
urged us to postpone the opening of
our market until they can have their
buyers present to help us establish
the best possible price under the
circumstances.
"This crop of tobacco has been
crown under trying circumstances,
and at great cost to the growers. The
warehousemen are willing to make a
sacrifice (and it is a sacrifice be-
cause of the fact that all of their
expert help has been engaged for
Dec 1 and we will be forced to re-
main idle for thirty days at no
small expense), to the end that we
may obtain a higher price for this
growing crop of tobacco.
"The warehousemen feel that they
have good news for the growers of
tobacco. What stripping of tobacco
that has been done in the past six
weeks has developed the startling
fact that this crop is going to
weigh up bulk for bulk at least 40
per cent short of last years crop.
1t takes almost twice as many leaves
to make hand as last year, and we
have numerous reports of crops al
ready stripped that weigh up to 80
to so per cent short of the weight on
the same acreage last year. We pro-
pose to establish this. fact before the
tobacco is sold, and gain for the
growers this benefit which recently
they have felt they had lost by an
increased acreage.
'oTt ;s common knowledge that the