The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-04-26


meeting on account of another en-
gagement, r. b. Davis was called to
act as chairman.
Mr.. Davis introduced w. r.. Clark
of Wilson who told of the offer re-
Gently made him of the general man.
agership of the association for four
states. He told of his conference
with association officials at Richmond.
Mr.. Clark told of the questions he had
asked these officials as to how the
farmer was to deliver his tobacco,
how the farmer was going to be able
to sell when told, how the Georgia,
South Carolina, old belt and Eastern
Carolina crops were going to be aver
aged up and the eastern Carolina far
mer lose by the average process, how
the tobacco was to be graded, and who
can grade tobacco when they do not
know what the companies want. The
proposition, he declared, was one that
no man who runs newspaper, teach
cs school, or practices law in Califor-
MIA can run. He said that the brak-
ing up of the tobacco industry would
shift the greater burden Of taxation
to the farmers, that he believed the
plan would prove the undoing and
ruin of the farmers and that in view
Of these things his conscience would
not let him accept the lucrative posi-
ton offered him. He said that he be-
lieved the cooperative plan would rcl
suit in the great cheapening of land in
eastern Carolina, that in his opinion
the tobacco would be sold in Richmond
and that the banking would conse-
quently be done there.
L. L. Gravely then spoke briefly on
the proposition asserting that he
spoke purely from a personal view
point and not representative of
anybody. He stressed the point that
Mr.. Sapiro stated that the tobacco of
the members of the association was
pledged as payment for the ware
houses which the association will pur-
chase and that Mr.. Sapiro had like
wise said that the association would
revert every pound of tobacco possible
from those towns which opposed the
association and would try to keep the
farmers out of those towns. He said
in conclusion that the contract to him
appeared to be onc-sidcd and that
the only right the farmer had left was
the right to quit raising tobacco. He
urged the farmers to take time to
see before going into it. Rev. Mr..
the meeting, telling of the benefits
market had brought to Rocky Mount,
Wilson and all of eastern Carolina
and how the warchousemcn and other
tobacco men had worked for the
growth and prosperity Of the COM
munity. He declared that he had been
farmer and was with the farmer
and that he was opposing cooperative
marketing because he thought that it
would prove the ruination of the
farmer. He declared that he believed
the farmers were being swept into
the organization because they were
afraid of Sapiro. He said that the
farmers should realize that the mcr-
chants. bankers and warchouscmcn
were their friends and not their cnc-
mics. Keep your market and your
town growing was his final advice.
Fcnner Last Speaker
w. e. Fenner was the final speak
cr. Mr.. Fcnncr declared that he had
maintained more or less silence until
he had investigated the cooperative
plan because what was good for the
farmer was good for him. He de-
clarcd however, that he had an oppor-
tunity to study the plan and see it in
operation in Kentucky and that he
was now in position to express his
views on the matter He said that
every man had a right to his own
opinion and he harborcd no feeling
Whatever towards any man who had
gone into the association as had some
Of his best friends. He pointed out
that the companies who buy tobacco
prefer warehouse floors where their
trained buyers can get what they
want. The association will be Il deal
or, he declared, the big companies
never 90 TO dealer when they can
get what they want on the ware
house floors. He declared that the
working Of thc association had proved
unsatisfactory in Kentucky, that the
farmers there got only a small
amount on their tobacco, that one
man did tn" grading, and that the
chances arc that the Kentucky farm
crS won't get what they have been
promised. He said that if the farm
! "rS had the money to wait and were
willin gto take "A gamblers chance on
! two thirds Of their crop, 1t was all
right for them to join the association.
&c SAID that Kcntucky farmers when
they became hard up sold their to-
! bacco under the name of "John Jones"
or "Mnry Smith" because they had to
have the money. His final query was
as to the right Of the farmers TO ioin
the association and bind themselves
ana their crops when their first duty
was to their wives and children. 81
am rot "ayinG to you not to ioin,"
concluded Mr. Fcnncr, "but | do say
that | would rather you would not
.oin for Yorr own interest and that
vou Should Investigate both sides and
be your own Judge in the matter and
not be influenced by outside pressure.