New-York tribune., 1921-01-08
Growers Vote
ToProduce No
1921 Tobacco
Farmers Who Supply Fac
tories With Burley Take
Step Designed to Put
Weed Up to Higher Price
Night Rider Raids Feared
Belief Expressed Hundreds
Will Refuse to Abide by
Decision of Meeting
specie, p;spotch to The Tribune

LEXINGTON, KY, Jan. 7.-Tobacco
growing in the hurley districts of Ken
tucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio was
ordered stopped so far as this year is
concerned at a convention held here
to-day. Delegates from those states,
representing more than 100000 tobacco
farmers, reached this decision. Hun
dreds of producers in every county in
the districts affected will refuse to
obey the conventions order, it was be-
lieved tonight.
In that case it was feared there
would be some might riding"
Two thousand farmers and business
men gathered in the biggest theater in
the city to-day to discuss means of re-
lleving the tobacco crisis, which has
resulted in the stopping of sales on
every market Of Importance in the four
states, except the market au Louisville.
Circuit Judge H. r. Prewit., of
Mount Sterling, Ky, was chairman.
The question OF cut-oW OF this
years crop was put before the dele
gates promptly. Thirty-five of the
thirtyeight counties represented voted
unanimously to cut out the crop. Some
farmers wanted the crop reduced so
per cent, but the majority for a stop
page of all leaf production this year
outvoted them.
Sales Stoppage Asked
The convention next decided to ap
peal TO warehouse men not 20 reopen
sales floors until May l, when, it. is
hoped, conditions would be better.
Warehouse men are understood to
be willing to follow lines of action
suggested by the growers, but their
opinion is that the present crop, which
has caused all the trouble, should be
sold for whatever price can be OBJ
tanned, and that another year be
started with a clean slate.
Impassioned speeches were made at
to-day's convention in which it was
charged that manufacturers were re
sponsible for the low bids which caused
the farmers action. This is denied by
persons who have studied the situa-
ton. They assert that this crop is
bringing all it is worth. 1t is the
worst crop of leaf produced in Ken
tucky in many years.
While to-day's action cannot be re-
scinded without new convention,
which is not likely to be held, an
other meeting will be held Monday,
when Representative j. C. Cantril, of
the district in which most of the le If
is raised, will come here with a plan.
He wired from Washington to-day
that he has plan which he believes
will solve the situation. What this
is he would not explain to-day.
Governor on Hand
Governor Morrow was in the city to-
day and said he was ready to meet
growers or others interested in the
question. No grower expressed an in
clination to confer with the Governor
Thousands of farmers face ruin as
the result of the cut-out order, and
these are the men who will not be
bound by the conventions action to-
day. Scores have bought land at high
prices, expecting to pay for it with
this years tobacco, and with prices
at the present level this cannot be
done.
Hundreds Of growers visited mar
kets in southern Kentucky and Indiana
before the meeting and demanded that
the sales be stopped. This was agreed
to and clash was avoided. The farm
erS are in a belliperent mood