The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-10-27
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


An editorial, 1.-The Milk Middle, IN
Capital Times, Oct. 20 issue, written in
defense of the State Marketing De-
partment's attitude to the Chicago
Milk Producers Cooperative associa-
tion, brings the question of the validity
OF the contract devised by the Market
ing Department for the binding to-
gether of the Wisconsin tobacco grow
ers in the Northern Wisconsin Coop
erative Tobacco Pool to the attention
of the public. The editorial denies that
any court action has declared the con-
tract invalid, or not legal. But SUBJ
mits that "Its<application may involve
practical difficulties yet to be revealed.
When The Wisconsin Tobacco Re-
porter in its issue of Oct. printed the
pool contract, it discussed briefly the
nature of it. The Reporter was at that
time aware of the fact that the con-
tract did not contain certain matters
specifying in detail and defining some
of the essential powers Of the pool as
an instrument for buying, handling,
packing, storing and reselling tobacco
leaf. The contract as it reads merely
defines the power of the pool in its
function of buying and reselling tobac
co, and it does not say that the pool
also has the power to assort, sweat,
pack, store, insure, sample and other
wise in every way treat the tobacco and
care for it until it is in marketable con-.
dition. The Reporter pointed out that
the contract is Purchase and Sales
contract, but refirained from saying
anything about practical difficulties
yet to be revealed" Now as the Cap
ital Times has, Unfortunately as we
think, brought this question up, we feel
that.in justice to the pool this veiled
statement should be explained more
fully in order to remove the uncertain
ty that the statement has created in
the minds of those members of the pool
who know nothing more about the mat
ter than that the contract, though legal
as far as it goes, may not be workable
to the extent expected by the members
and the managers. The present mud
die can net be charged up against the
pool officials. They had no voice in
making the contract 1t is pretty well
understood that the pool contract was
devised and its phraseology determined
by legal talent in the Marketing De-
partment, and the growers signed it
believing that it covered fully the pur-
poses and activities for which the pool
was organized.
We take it for granted that the board
of directors will call convention of the.
entire pool to hear the facts and deter
mine what ACTION to take.
AS we understand the situation, the
plans of the executives of the pool for
the present year do not involve opera
tions beyond the powers defined in the
contract. The policy adopted is to sell
the shorts to the stemmers in large
quantities for delivery at stripping
time, and, on the basis of grades, sell
the cigar leaf to packing firms who are
in the market to fill the needs of their
customers. This plan is undoubtedly a
wise one at the present time, and has
suit the growers as well as the packers,
and please the manufacturers. 1t will
save the pool large financial response
bilities, bring quick returns to the
growers, and, as we believe, clean up
the 1922 crop without forcing the pool
into the packing game at this juncture.
Meanwhile the pool will have time to
Istraighten out the unwork able portions
of the contract according to the coun-
/ sells of its own attorneys.
***
| Among news of more than passing
| Interest in the tobacco world is the an
| nouncement from Philadelphia and New
York that Ben R. Lichty, vice presi-
dent, and G. Harry Eimerbrink, manu-
featuring manager of Otto Eisenlohr &
Bros, Incorporated, with others closely
allied with the present management Of
the company, have, through the gener-
| Gus assistance of Charles j. Eisenlohr,
acquired control of the stock of Otto
Eisenlohr & Bros, Incorporated. The
old management will remain actively
engaged in the business, Mr.. .Eisenlohr,
the president, Mr.. Lichty, vice presi-
dent, and Mr.. Eimerbrink, manufacture
ing manager, retaining their respective
offices, thus furnishing assurance that
the traditional policy of this well-known
corporation will be continued by the
same men who have been associated
with it in the past.
This announcement is commented up
on by the Tobacco Leaf when it says
that two gentlemen, identified with a.