The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-06-10
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


gressive rural population is undoubted-
ly the best market of American made
industrial products, such as clothing,
shoes, cotton goods, implements and
farm machinery, engines, automobiles,
trucks, and hundreds of articles needed
for daily use, for comfort, profit and
pleasure. The buying power of the ru-
raj population affects industry in the
same way that the buying power of the
urban population affects agriculture.
The slump In prices on agricultural pro-
ducts Immediately registered condi-
tion of dullness in trade year ago.
If on top of this first big drop in the
price of grain, meat, hides, wool and
other raw material condition of non
employment in the urban industrial GEN.
tinues, or, the wages of labor follow
the same line of decline that raw ma
terial did, the agricultural class will
have its buying power still further cur
tailed. It does not make much differ
ence where the price level is, as long
as it is where every class of people can
satisfy their needs. High prices and
low prices are relative terms; but if
the agficulturist and labor must sell
their commodities in a low market,
their power to buy in high market is
at amend There is where we are to-
day. Business in the tobacco areas in
Wisconsin has been better during the
past year than in other regions of the
country, due to the fact that at least
half Of the tobacco crop sold at high
figures and that labor in asserting cen
ters has had employment at good wages.
This condition helped, but it was not
large enough to balance the drop in
other lines, and in consequence even
the Wisconsin tobacco farmer is not as
good customer in the manufacturers
market as he would be today if the
drop in the raw material, in labor, in
the price of manufactured goods had
been strictly in proportion, one to the
other. 1t is thic lack of true proper
tion in the exchange price which today
is causing business stagnation. If the
farmer, the merchant, labor and the
nanufacturer had taken their proper
tionate loss at the same time, and
moved from the war time price level to
the after-war price level, there is no
reason why business should not be as
good today as ever. All classes con-
tlnue to have the same needs to fill as
before, and their desire to fill them is
also just as keen as before; but until
the consumer and the producer and the
man in between meet on the same rela-
tive price level, business will continue
to go limping.
That these conditions are causing un-
rest and furnishing the agitator and
the self-appointed reformer material
for keeping the unrest up, is natural
outcome. Many people who in normal
times act normally, and are safe and
pleasant and docile members of society,
become in times of suffering and stress
unbalanced. They are easily prejudiced
against other classes of society which
seem to be better off, and they become
victims of the demagogues, and dan
ger to social peace and tranquility.
Any class or interest which by greed
and other injustice contribute to the
aggravation of these conditions is inim-
ical to social happiness, and should be
dealt with by the authority of the land
in the same manner as the inyividual
or the group which break the peace by
riot, theft and other violence In per-
iods like the present the removal of
the causes of unrest is important
than to block the results.
**w
A movement to put tobacco expo
sition on in the Chicago Colosseum is
under way. The Allied Tobacco Indus
tries are cooperating for such an expo.
sition. The promoters are seeking to
have the different tobacco associations
in the country hold their conventions in
Chicago during the week of the exposi-
ton. Quarters are offered free to
meetings of tobacco organizations Of
all sorts who will appear at the time
set for the expo. The exposition is in
tended as rally of the entire industry
around the interests for which it stands.
The total value of the 1920 tobacco
crop is now placed at about $500, 000,-
900. This puts the average price for
all tobacco at less than 20 cents per
pound. This tobacco was grown on ap-
proximately 100000 acres, and repre-
sented land investment of about
$3.50, 100000. Fifteen years ago the
acreage was less than one-half. The
United States is now the heaviest to-