The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1922-12-15
Enral ann prrHnnal
Friday, December 18th, 1922
Maryland Tobacco Growers
Association as it Stands Today.

WAL " tdIlo ODdCCO o1O"SAS
Association as it Stands | Today
BY GEO. 1. GARDINER, Manager
think at this time it will not be
amiss to bring before the readers OF
your valuable paper, the status of the
Maryland Tobacco Growers Associa-
tion and the tobacco situation in Mary
land as | see it. There are in the to-
bacco growing area of Maryland and
far beyond it's confines, many both in
and out of the organization that have
and are watching it's progress both with
personal interest, for it's success means
their success, and the selfish ones
knowing it's downfall would mean dis
: aster to the farmers and blow. to
the intelligent development of the
tobacco industry, but it would put dol
lars in the pockets of the
few against the interest of the
many. This group may be classed as
the misinformed and the selfish.
When the tobacco growers of this
State decided three years ago that
they must change their methods of
selling their products and work out
plan of organization to bring about
this change, there were great many
people who told them that it could not
be done. These people were divided in
the classes as above indicated, compos-
ed of those who were raid that if the
organization Yves perfected, it would
mean the loss of some Of their personal
profits. These people were at the head
of the group who today have organized
the mfsinformed element which has
been hard to reach and convince that
the contrary Is true.
Despite the fact that there was much
opposition IN the State by this selfish
and misinformed interest, the demand
by the representative and the best
thinking farmers, and the well remem-
bered disadvantages and disaster that
beset the path of the commission form
OF selling, the Association has prosper
ed, and received greater percentage
of the tobacco this year than in the
preceding year in proportion to the
receipts and has increased it's member
ship from the formerly doubtful ranks,
and has accomplished wonders that
are incalculable to the farmers and
hard for him to calculate or compre
hend for want of an available basis of
calculation, for many of them are COM
pairing present prices against War time
prices, instead of recognizing the fight
by all organic ations against the return
to our starvation prices of prewar time
where all other farm products have
gone.
Little has the Organization to fear
from the groundless attack of its op-
ponents. for it has the knowledge aud
IL prepared to show the facts that en-
lightensd public sentiment today will
force the mandate of organization, and
the Md. Tobacco Growers Assn. can
show that there is but one single fac
tor in the tobacco industry that oppos-
es organization, that is the middle
man. The producers, the consumers,
the manufacturers and the buyers are
all reaching out to help the farmers to
organize, which will result in mutual
benefit, as is evidenced by the re-
cent big sale of the large domestic and
importing firms, from the big organi-
cations of Kentucky, Virginia and
North Csrolina, where the writer has
had the pleasure and satisfaction to
interview since these sales were made,
in which it was indicated that they
appreciated the business like methods
of the Association and the many ad-.
yantages and savings that were made
in dealing with responsible organiza-
tions and the business was conducted at
25 per cent less in handling tooacco
from the organizations, than in the
old way of commission form of selling,
which 10 very evident. !, Il +S4aSJs.,~
The biggest buyers and manufac-
turers realize that they can get many
things, that are for the benefit OF the
industry, that they cannot get on the
commission form of selling, as they to-
day from the organizations that are
able to render the valuable service to
both farmers and manufactures, where
they have go percent to 80 percent OF
the growers in the organization. There
never was a time the farmers needed
m IRE than today the projection from
unbusiness-l and extravagant melh-
ods that are now in existence and to
recogn ze.in this method of selling the
utter impossiblity to help him from any
angle, matters not what the intentions
of those in the commission form Of,
q, ling may be, for they are as poweIless
as a single unit to accomplish anything
as the farmer is as an Individual.
In the opinion of the writer, there
never was a time when the tobacco
farmer could feel more hopeful. The
farmers of Kentucky, Virginia ano
North Carolina are organized and doing
wonders. This helps the Maryland
situation very much and the Maryland
Tobacco Association. having cleaned
ND all of the tobacco of 1920, 1921 and
1922, with the exception of a few hogs
heads of French tobacco, of which
there is considerable in other hands on
this market unsold, due to the early dis
g ntinuance of the French buyer on
this market. :,
Your Association has overcome all
obstacles of general character that
it has encountered, and they have been
many. 1t has proven its ability to
get the highest prices on this mar
ket and to manage your affairs both in
the buying and selling OF your products
in a sound and economical manner. II
has eliminated all manipulations from
the baltimore market and made these
advantages possiblesfor the man inland
out of the organisation. and has reach
ed the point where to accomplish the
material things, such as establishing
grading, packing and sales system,
as are in vogue in other places and
adequately finance its members. In
order to accomplish this, the Associa-
ton must have more members and the
individual support Of each and every
farmer together with the representa-
tive people depending on the farmers
must h 10 if our future is assured.
Our low grade of tobacco comes in
competition from the production stand
point with very large area, and any
prices that would produce profit,
could easily cause an oversupply. Our
better grades come in competition with
a very small tobacco growing area and
for many years to come the supply will
not equal the demand for these grades
at renumerative prices, if marketed un-
der conditions that will meet the re-
ouirements of the buyers and manu-
facturers, that will revert to economy
and stability of the industry and per-
manent protection of the producers. and
Southern Maryland today owns fran
chise as valuable as any producing area
of the United States, if only handled
npder more intellipent conditions that