The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-05-10
NO. 10
LEAF MEN NAME Chief
IN OAVIESS COUNTY
W. c. Haycraft Elected County
Chairman for Dark Tobacco
Association.

Owensboro, Ky, May 6.-W. G.
Haycraft, farmer, was the unani-
nous choice of the tobacco growers
of Daviess County for county chair
man of the Dark Tobacco Growers
Cooperative Marketing Association,
as expressed at a mass meeting at
the Court House this afternoon.
Charles A. Rogers of the Organiza-
ton Committee presided at the
meeting
Mr.. Haycraft accepted the posi-
tion in a short address, in which he
called the attention of the growers
to the responsibility placed upon
him and told them they could make
his task easier by cooperation and
| all Of them lending a hand in the
! formation of the association.
He then presented Joseph Passon-
neau, organizer for the association.
Sees so Pet. Pledged
Mr.. Passonneau opened his ad-
dress by telling his audience that it
! was incumbent on the tobacco
| growers of Daivess County to choose
a large number of the highest-class
citizens to get behind the co-opera-
tive movement and make it a signal
| success.
He had no doubt that before the
last contract was signed 80 per
cent of the tobacco acreage would
be pledged, but to accomplish this
feat it required work of a high
grade, he said
What is this cooperative mar
keting idea" Mr.. Passonneau ask
ed and proceeded to answer by
detailed account of the features of
Cooperation, as applied in the con-
tract which it was expected the
growers would sign.
He urged the growers present
not to sign a contract with the as
sociation until they understood full
ly what they were doing.
TT is a proposition that means
much to you and to your country.
and l do not hesitate to say that
five years after cooperative mar
keting association of your tobacco
has been in effect you won't recog-
nize Western Kentucky"
Coercion Not TO BE Used
A point stressed by the speaker
was that solicitors for members of
the association shall adhere strictly
to the facts in the contracts.
"Shoot straight boys and there
will be no fare back" he said.
1--WE don't want any misrepresenta-
tion. Sometimes we get over-en-
thusiastic and exaggerate. That
won't do. State your proposition.
Show the farmer where he is inter
ested and il he doesn't want to
come with us, then. we don't want
, him. He will come later on.
"A comparison of prices obtained
a by the hurley poolers and those out
side the organization showed a net
, price average to outsiders of s20.-
v So, while the growers in the organi-
cation got net s23.5O. THE cost to
' the organization members" he
., stated, twas 35 cents per 100
:. pounds. The cost to the dark to-
bacco association probably will be
| larger than this, because the hurley
, growers do more grading of this to-
bacco before delivery which, of
a course. lessons the cost to the asso-
ciation."
Financing Is Explained
Financing the association was
1 taken up by the speaker, who illus
trated the ease with which the Bur-
r ley Association was financed. The
[ association needed $3,600,000 to
y start off on. he said.
h A conference of bankers was call
1 ed at Lexington and they were ask
z ed to state their position on the
loans to the organization. In forty
s five minutes, he stated, the bankers
& had pledged $5,4O0,O 900. This
: amount was taken on ninety-day
" notes. In forty-one days every dol
y lar of this money was returned tc
the banks.
After the close OF Mr.. Passon
neau's address, Mr.. Hayeraft told
y the growers there were contracts oil
: the tables and II anyone wished ts
k signed them to come forward.
It A large number of growers cam'
% up and discussed the contracts Will
lr Mr.. Passonneau and Others Abou
'e 600 acres were pledged Will
4. others took the contracts TO discus
G. them with their tenants and crop