The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-07-21
TOBACCO MARKET
OPENED TUESDAY
10000 POUNDS SOLD HERE AT
AVERAGE $3.50 HUNDRED
LOW GRADES OFFERED.

The tobacco market opened here
Tuesday. There was sold something
over 10000 pounds at an average
price of $3.50 the hundred. More than
usual interest was manifested at the
opening sale which took place at the
Nelson Warehouse. Perhaps this
sale was attended by the largest
crowd since 1914.
The quality of the tobacco offered
was mostly inferior and it was soon
made clear to everyone that there was
no demand for low grade leaf; that
the warning sent broadcast to the
farmers to the effect that there would
he no demand for primings or low
grades, was a fact and not a lot Of
propaganda turned loose just to make
a noiseless roise. Good ripe tobacco
is in demand at fair price and what
was offered of this type tuesday
brought from 10c 10 35c the pound.
The war is over and the big tobacco
manufacturing corporations are no.
o, Grating farms upon which to use as
fertilizer some of the stuff that finds
its way into the warehouses for sale
as tobacco, they find now it isn't good
for even snuff. II might have been
during the war, especially for the
Turks.
If the farmers had listened to the
repeated warnings sent out by the to-
bacco interests they would not have
taken the time to cure sand lugs.
After taking everything into con-
sideration it is the belief here now
that the action Tuesday was prema-
ture. During the first hour of the sale
it was though that tobacco was sellir:g
too cheap, Cheaper than at any sea-
son since 1922 the farmers left
the Warehouse and went to the cou.t
house yard where sort of indigna-
tion meeting was held. This, howev-
er, had no material effect on the sale
which continued until the three ware
houses had disposed of the tobacco on
their floors.
Tuesday night committee Of citi-
zens and farmers met with the Tobac-
co Board of Trade and learned thelc
that the buyers on the Kingstree mar
ket were paying the same prices that
were being paid On the other markets
of the state. They learned also that it
is quality the manufacturing corpora
tions want, grades that are better
than can be made from primings or
sand lugs.
The Record feels very confident in
saying to the farmers that they will
receive as much fol their good grades
right here in Kingstree as they will
anywhere in the state regardless OF
newspaper reports from other mar
kets. We have felt all along, and still
feel that the prices for the better
gardes will compare with the prices
that prevailed in 1914, prior to the
declaration of war by Germany in
August. From what we saw on the
market yesterday, this belief is
strengthened, for fairly good grades
of tobacco sold for 10 to 20 cents the
pound, and as high as 80 cents.
: Upon investigation by local citizens
lbf nearby markets that reported larg-
er averages than Kingstree, it was
found that the warehouses themselves
were boosting prices on some grades
above the limit fixed for buyers by
their companies. It is not plausible
that this method can be continued; the
warehouse proprietors cannot buy a
very great quantity of the weed at a
higher price than they can hope to
receive for it from the same buyers
who bid in what the warehouses do
not.