Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-10-25
WISCONSIN TOBACCO
POOL Progress


There has been considerable spec
ulation among some pool members as
to the progress that is being made by
/ the tobacco pool. Stories detrimental
\ in a way, to the spirit that should be
behind the pool, are continuously be-
/ ing circulated by opponents of the or
/ ganization. In some districts. for in
stance, the story is being circulated
| that more than so men have already
been employed by the State Pool at
exorbitant salaries. That statement
is an absolute falsehood, and, ANYBODY
can see that it is a story circulated
by opponents of the cooperative to-
bacco men. From now on, as publi-
/ city agent for the tobacco pool / will
keep the members informed as to the
| progress that is being made by the
Pool. 1t is not more than fair, how
ever, that every member of the pool
/ should satisfy himself that every
statement he hears is true before he
repeats it to neighbor. Every farm
| er should feel free to write the tobacco
pool headquarters at Madison to YER
! ify statements that he may hear de-
rogatory to the Pool Every farm
er member ought to realize that some
/ concerns viii do everything in their
power to break the Pool Fight for
| the pool.
The Pool members signed up for a
| certain reason. If conditions had not
been such as they were, it would have
| been impossible to sign up 1870 of
/ the acreage of this state. The farm
ers who signed realized that the price
| manlpulations as exercised by some
/ tobacco buyers were detrimental to
| their welfare. The Pool became a ne
cessity because of conditions that ex-
+ listed. The Pool through its manage
ment will try to remedy these condi-
! lions. They will try to remedy these
conditions by putting the Law of SUP
PLY and DEMAND into operation.
Anybody knows that farmer living
/ number of miles out in the country,
/ busy with farm work and probably
/ worrying about the mortgage on his
farm is not in position single-handed
| to determine with any degree of ac-
curacy the price that he should be
! rightfully entitled to for his crop of
/ tobacco. On the other hand, large
! group of farmers when cooperating
can carry the overhead expenses ne
! cessary to obtain statistics that will
| help them to determine the price for
the tobacco that they are raising.
| With the farmer, it is question of
| getting justice. This can best be OBJ
/ tanned by the tobacco grower through
cooperative effort 1t does not mean
that the Pool will hold out for unrea-
sonable prices, but it does mean that
the farmers collectively will insist on
getting a reasonable profit above cost
of production. 1t undoubtedly will
mean that after a system of grades
has been established that the farmer
will realize that small acreage of
good tobacco will yield more revenue
than large acreage of inferior quail
| ity.
1t will be the effort of the pool to
determine the kind of seed that is best
suited to Wisconsin conditions. A
conference is being planned with to-
baceo manufacturers to determine
what seed is preferable to them. The
/ Tobacco Pool will advocate such seed
only as is acceptable to the tobacco
manufacturers.
In the near future, instructions will
be sent QUITO everymember of the Pool
in regards to the stripping Of tobacco.
This action will be taken in order to
have the tobacco put up in uniform
manner. Any good handler of tobacco
realizes that it is time well spent to
clean cut tobacco so that it is saleable
to the manufacturer in bundle and less
expensive to handle in warehouse.
Mr.. C. A. Hoen, the General Man
ager, and Mr.. John Holtan, the Ware
house Manager, have been spending
full time together with the Executive
Board in working out the details as
to the warehousing and handling of
this years crop. An accounting sys-
tenn patterned after the one in use by
the Burley Pool is being put into oper-
alton. Temporary office rooms have
been obtained in the Cantwell Block
in Madison. The question of ware
housing and handling of the 1922 crop
is not worrying the management.
A campaign will be started in the
near future for new members for the
1923 crop. Every present member
ought to make it a point to help the
Pool to make it 1000 in 1928. Every
farmer that | have interviewed for
the last six weeks admits that the
high prices obtained by non-members
this fall is entirely result of the act
iyities of the Pool
The Board of Directors together
with its employed officials are doing
everything in their power to establish
marketing system that will be alb
solutely fair to every tobacco grower
Remember, the price of tobacco will
be determined by the Law of Supply
and Demand. The Tobacco Pool will
guard this Law, and take the conse-
quences whatever they may be. This
law, in the tobacco business, from the
farmers standpoint, has not been in
opration for some time past.
SELMER NEPRUD, Field Man.
Wisconsin Tnhaccn Ponl