The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-09-15
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


lnurSQay anQ ErlQay were Important
days in the Northern Wisconsin Tobac-
co pool history. The board of directors
picked man to head the management,
and in session with large number of
warehousemen presented their plan of
cooperation, and explained fully how
the packers may become an important
part in the pool. 1t was the brilliant
California lawyer, Aaron Sapiro, who
held the center of the stage.
Packers from Madison, Edgerton,
GAINESVILLE, Stoughton. Viroqua and
other centers had been invited by the
pool officials to meet Friday afternoon
in the senate chamber of the capitol to
talk over the relations between the
pool and the packers of TOBACCO under
the new merchandising system. The
packers responded by being present in
considerable strength. Mr.. Sapiro
launched into the heart of the matter
at once. He speaks with ease, clearly,
convincingly, using the soft pedal in
the argument, but the sledge hammer
in the logic. He presented the prop
osition of the pool.
I'VE want the warehouses in Wiscon-
sin and we want the warehousemen,
he said. Eve don't want to build new
warehouses unless forced to do so; we
want to lease or buy. If we build, it
will be not because we want to, but be-
cause the warehousemen refuse to
come in and deal with US. That is not
OUR way; we want to cooperate with
the owners of warehouses and take
over their physical property, their ex-
perience, their business standing, their
good will and their ability to handle
men on basis Of fair dealing. We
want to satisfy the packers by offering
such terms for their property and such
compensation for their services that a
spirit of real community of interests
may prevail between them and us. 49,.
If you come in, we shall make success
of this thing in two years; if you don't,
it may take us ten years, but in all
events we shall succeed. -. By our CO.
operative methods we are assured of
80 per cent success"
I Thus he spoke at length covering the
entire situation. He offered on the
part of the pool to lease for term of
two years with privilege to buy. He
said that the method of valuation would
be agreed upon between the pool ware
house director and the owner. If they
could not come to terms, arbitration
might be resorted to- He assured the
packers that on this proposition the ef-
fort of the pool would be to give the
owner fair returns. In case of sale
some cash would be paid, the balance
in stock or bonds. ''If we err, it, will
be on the side of generosity; that has
been our custom" the speaker said.
The packers gave respectful and in
terested attention to Mr.. Sapiro, but it
was with considerable difficulty that he
could get any of them to enter into any
discussion of the matter. They seemed
to be very much interested in obtain
ing clear and intelligent understand
ing of the pool proposition, but none of
them were ready there and then to Of.
fer their property to the pool. A few
questions ere asked by some of them
to be set right on points that had not
been explained, but there was no ex-
tended discussion of the proposition.
Toward the end of the session a rep.
resentative of the Madison Association
of Commerce offered in behalf of that
body to build warehouse in that city.
Mr.. George Gary also rose and offered
| his six warehouses and any others of
| the forty-tw Lorillard Co. warehouses
in the state as they became vacated.
No further business was done.
Contracts for lease or sale of private
| ly owned warehouses in the state will
| in the near future be presented to the
| owners for their consideration. Mean
while the packers feel the need of talk
| ing this matter over together, and a
meeting to discuss the proposition in all
its phases may be called in order that
| there may be common understanding
as to where to head in on the matter.
The Connecticut Valley Tobacco As
sociation pool is about as far advanced
in it's organization program as is the
Wisconsin pool. A board of directors
of q members has been chosen and the
choice of a general manager is occupy
ing the attention as one of the big
problems to solve. The man most
prominently mentioned for the position
is Fred B. Griffin Mr.. Griffin has a
long time been connected with the New
England tobacco industry both as grow
/ er, packer and merchant, and as the
Tobacco Journal puts it, "He is we'll
suited to take over the Landis or Hays
duties in the tobacco pool" Mr.. Grif-
| fin is well known also in Wisconsin and
many of his friends here would be
pleased to hear of his appointment as
pool manager for New England j. w.
Alsop has been elected president of the
pool and Judge Levi P. M. Hickey as
secretary pro tenn. The executive COM
mittee has been instructed to borrow
up to SIS, ,000,0 in local banks, and to