The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-02-23
FARMERS FIGHT
. FOR GOOD PRICES
RESULTS IN KENTUCKY in
HIGHLY ORGANIZED TOBACCO
MARKETING ASSOCIATION.

MARKETING ASSOClAIlON.
Lexington, KY, Feb. 20.-From the
days when buyers went from barn to
barn and bought tobacco to the high
" organized Burley Tobacco Co-opera-
tive Marketing Association, which this
year is advancing as much money to
growers on a 40 per cent basis as was
paid for the entire crop last season,
j. the progress made in marketing
Kentucky's annual Burley tobacco
crop of approximately 2OO,ocO,OOO
pounds.
The farmers fight for good prices
fer his product has been one of ups
and downs. The 1920 crop brought
him the highest prices he ever re-
ceived for his tobacco, but the 1921
crop, that cost upward of eighteen
cents pound to grow, was sold at
a loss, the seasons average being
fourteen and one-half cents.
With a view to averting a repetl-
ton of this Judge Robert W. Bingham,
Louisville newspaper owner, became
interested in the cooperative mar
keting plan, and in company with
several growers, visited Barney
Baruch in New York and laid be-,
fore him a plan for financing the
crop,
On March %, meeting of tobac-
Co growers from Wisconsin, Indiana,
Chic, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia
West Virginia, North and South Caro-
lima and Georgia was held here, at
which Aaron Shapiro presented the
plan under which California fruit and
g ain growers and other producers
are organized. From this meeting
the movement to organize the Bur-
lev tobacco growers was launched,
ard after several months 85 per cent
of the crop was pledged and the Bur-
lev Tobacco Cooperative Marketing
association incorporated in North
Carolina.
When the Kentucky General Assem-
bly, met the first of the year, the
bingham Cooperative Marketing bill
was passed in record time and the
association then incorporated in Ken
lucky. In the meantime, however,
the association had secured 1T to-
bacco warehouses in Ohio, Indiana,
West Virginia and Kentucky for its
exclusive use. The War Finance Cor
poration and banks in the interested
districts pledged almost s6,000,000 to
tie association.
On January 26. the warehouses here
were opened for the receipt of pledg-
ed tobacco and it was graded upon
! delivery by the grower and a check
for an estimated value of 40 per cent
of the worth of the crop advanced
to the growers. Four days later the
houses throughout the Burley dis
trjct were opened and tobacco began
to pour in.
This plan will be in operation for
at least five years, the farmers hav-
ing signed up for this period of time.
Prior to 1904, the barn to barn sale
was in vogue. After this period the
loose leaf warehouse, where the to-
bacco was taken by farmers and auc-
toned off, was used exclusively.
The first attempt to form tobac-
CO pool took place in Cincinnati in
1897, but was short lived. The IA
nous Equity Society, with its at
tendant night riding and other evi-
dences of dissatisfaction, was organic
eI in 1905. The Burley Society was
organized along similar lines, the
next spring. After several years the
Equity disbanded. The Burley, how
ever, continued to operate. 1t is said
that never more than 80 per cent OF
the crop was pledged to it in any
year.
The loose leaf warehouse system
has been in use during the last few
years and there now are several hun
died such houses in Kentucky alone,
with many others in the adjoining
states.
The crux was reached in January,
1921, when farmers offered their
high priced 1920 crop for sale. The
average price paid on the opening
day of the whole was far below the
cost of production, and many grow
ers faced ruin.
Burrows-Maynard.
Mr.. n. G.. MAYNARD, formerly con-