The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-05-27
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


bacco Journal:
s'The time for feeling nervous about
the tobacco business was during the
last six months of 1919 and the first six
months of 1920, for the course of the
industry manifested during that period
was toward destruction. The time to
feel cheerful and happy was in the last
three or four months of 1920 and the
first six months of 1921, for the indus
try is visibly and demonstrably winning
it's way back to stability and sanity.
The merchant, manufacturer and
broker are taking stock of the situa-
ton, and have come to the conclusion
that business in their lines is moving
toward status of the soundness it had
before the disrupting influences of the
war injected its uncertainties of price,
size of orders, movement of the goods
and credits along the whole line. In
other words they are looking for re-
turn of conditions when trade will be
governed by the law of iupply and de-
mand, which in the present day par
lance is called ''normalcy." If the to-
bacco. industry moved along normal
lines in 1914, and conditions before the
end of 1921 return to plane where the
ratio of cost and profit are about the
same as it was then, the above men,
toned branches of the industry are sat-
isfied. Cigars and other tobacco pro-
ducts are not expected to return to
pre-war prices, labor is pretty certain
to not return to pre-war wages, the
cost of transportation is likewise pretty
sure of staying above the 1914 rate.
On the basis of this reasoning the
grower may expect to receive CORES
pondingly less for his 1921 crop, but at
a rate as much above the 1914 price as
the rest of the industry, the manufac-
turer, broker and retailer, expect to
receive above the 1914 prices. While
it is a rather easy matter to thus ad-
JUST matters as long as one is dealing
with principles, it may not be so easy
to make the adjustment in the applica-
tiolof these principles to actual con-
ditions. However, a correct and fair
attitude of every branch of the indus
try means much in attaining the de-
sired ends, and it would be distinct
credit to the tobacco industry if it,
among the many important industries
of the land, succeeding in placing itself
Of fyN 1;r;t S,f
harmony, willingness, to. cooperate,
everybody doing his utmost in advanc-
ing the welfare and success, bringing
to actual realization along the whole
line the Journals confident assertion
that 'the industry is visibly and dem
onstrably winning its way back to
health and sanity"
The Ohio tobacco growers through
the Farm Bureau are also organizing
heavily financed corporation to market
their tobacco in a cooperative way.
Together with similar state organiZa-
tions the plan is to organize the United
States tobacco growers as marketing
organization of national scope. The
effort of the Farm Bureau is to organ
ize all branches of agricultural produc-
ers along national lines, establish stor-
age centers and sales agencies which
will handle the products directly to
manufacturer and wholesaler, as the
| case may be. The problem of financing
is hoped to be solved through federal
cooperation on the basis of credits on
standardized grades of all products.
The movement among the farmers in
Wisconsin is part of movement which
is taking place throughout the length
and breadth of the land.
***
| That the ''blue mold has made it's
appearance in seed beds of North Car
| olina has been known for some days,
| and it was rather expected, but its ap-
pearance in Connecticut just about the
same time is disquieting for tobacco
| growers in the northern states, Wis
| consin may be fortunate enough TO es
cape, but it is wisdom to provide an
extra number of plants this year in
case anything should happen to the
early seedlings.
| That Canada in 1920 produced so, 000,
900 of leaf, or within 10000, 900 as
much as the state of Wisconsin, may
be surprising news to people who have
Ilnot followed the development of the
tobacco culture in the Dominion.
At the first inscription of Sumatra
tobacco in Amsterdam, which took
place last Friday, over $1,000 bales of
tobacco were offered, The quality is
not considered up to the standard of