The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-10-10
54,OO0,OOO Pounds
Sold To One Firm

co were sold late Monday by the Bur
ley Tobacco Growers Cooperative
Association through President and
General Manager James C. Stone Of
the association to the r. J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company, through its Ken
lucky vice president, T. H. Kirk. The
tobacco was sold at the association
prices for the association grades, the
president said. Part Of the tobacco,
it was said, was sold for export. The
sale included practically the entire
holdings of the association.
The negotiations leading up to this,
the largest sale of hurley tobacco to
a single manufacture in the history
of the country. have been going on
for more than a week between Mr..
Kirk on the one hand and President
Stone and Director of Warehouses r.
M. Barker on the other.
No information was given by Mr..
Stone or Mr.. Barker as to the amount
of money involved, as 1t was said it
was not known just how much the
tobacco would bring until the trans
action finally is completed by the act
ual taking over of the tobacco which
was purchased from the association
Monday Both President Stone and
Director Barker have said for some
time that the association would sell
all it's holdings because of the needs
of the manufacturers and the light.
ness of the 1922 crop and that it was
very likely that a considerable por.
tion of the holdings of the association
would be taken by those manufacture
ers who already had purchased from
the stocks of the association.
Discussing the big sale Monday
President Stone said, 1T is, of course
matter of qualification that the pa.
tience of the loyal growers has thus
been rewarded by the sale of their
holdings The sentiment of our mem
bers has been loyal throughout. They
have desired us to merchandise the
association tobacco and have Loyalty
stood by us and waited patiently until
the time came when we could sell
their tobacco at their price instead OF
dickering with spectators, as they
used to have to do individually and di.
viding the profits with these specula.
tors.
''It has been a great day for the to-
bacco growers. To me, it is a great
source of pride that men who have
stood so Loyalty together have again
chosen me as their president and gen.
eral manager and my only desire is
that l may measure up in that Ca
pacity to the expectations of the farm
ers of the hurley district, who have
entrusted not only their property but
the welfare of their families to our
hands for the next five years.
"The sale Monday clinches sue
cess of the Burley Tobacco Growers
Cooperative Association. 1t will have
tendency to strengthen the weaker
brethren, the doubling Thomases and
1t will prove everlastingly convincing
to the speculative interests that here
tofore have been able to obtain a big
share of the farmers profits, that
they have finally and forever turned
their backs upon the old wasteful
system of marketing.
"In the hour of our certain victory
l would not have the growers forget
the great leader who has been re-
sponsible for what we have achieved.
But for the unselfish devotion of
Judge Robert w. Bingham to the best
interest of the tobacco growers, the
sale Monday could never have been
obtained no more, If indeed they got
as much, for their 1921 crop, than
they we're paid for that of 1920. This
sale will bring as much joy to Judge
Bingham as to any of us and it is
the only reward he asks OF the farm
ers for what he has done for them"
Director of Warehouses Ralph M.
Barker indorsed what Mr.. Stone had
said warmly, and he added:
THE success of the cooperative
system Of selling hurley tobacco has
been fully demonstrated. Not only
have we been successful in holding