The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-04-24

Easton, Md, April 23.-The pack
er OF corn and tomatoes Oh the East
ern Shore will be compelled To pay
from $40 to $12 Il ton for his raw
product this year. His labor wilt
cost him more than it did last veal,
railroad freight prices will be as
high, boxes will be the same. coal,
which formerly sold for 81 Il ton At
the mines, will cost IS, and the
prices of canes have gone down but
little. The only commodity which
he uses in preparing his produce
which has shown any apDreciable de
crease is sugar.
With expenses fully as heavy as
those of last year. he will be able to
command a price for his tomatoes
that is nearly 25 cent lower on
dozen two-pound cans.
This situation threatens TO cripple
the biggest industry on the Shofe.
It threatens to throw thousands OF
people out of their regular summer
employment. Thousands of Boheni-
ians and Poles of Baltimore, WHO
are accustomed TO begin the season
in the Baltimore packing houses anu
end il on the Shore, will be forced TO
call it a half season.
And, most serious OF all farmers
who depend from year to year on
their corn and tomato crops to pro-
vide at least a small part of their IN
come. will be sadly disappointed I'M
less they make efforts to raise a bet
ter grade of tomatoes than they nave
heretofore. For Gamers have reach
ed the point now where they own
their own farms, and the goods Whlch
they put into cans are grown on thelf
land.
1t has been estimated that frol2
the average run of tomatoes when
the farmer brings to the packer anG
sells for $40 a ton about five cans CT
tomatoes can be obtained from baS-
ket The packa"s say hat they ar+
able TO oStain tomatoes IN the open
market, pay $12 ton for them, plus
shipping charges yet they will obtain
10 cans of tomatoes fror? each pas
ket
One farmer Of Talbot county, Wnc
also owns stock in packing estah-
lfshment, said that he grew wheat o..
his tomato land last yeaT--and at
DiOil. w = " III w IN '-''ihAN
year
packer asserted thai the last t" Q
seasons had cost him SIS 900. This
was a dead loss, and after being lG
business for mote than 20 years he
turned his factory, over to real es-
tate man to sell, but, as he was I'M
able to sell it. the plant is stlll Gu
his hands and he must either run IL,
with bare chance this year OF
breaking even on a large investment
or let his property depreciate and let
his costly machinery rust This ;
the Gamers side.
The farmers side is that at $40
ton for tomatoes he cannot make
fair profit. At that price for corn he
has no objection, for that crop is
easy to raise and requires much less
care than tomatoes, it is explained.
But tomatoes, requiring several cul-
tivations before the crop is ready for
picking and also requiring baskets
for hauling and much care in growth,
make price more than $40 desira-
BILE. In some instances the growers
are holding out for $12 ton. And
in some instances they are getting it.
In OthefS Lney are not, iof III sohie
sections of the Shore-in sections To-
mote from the larger towns and fac
tories and near only the small fac
tories-$S is the price being offerod'
by the packers. 1t is not having
many takers at that figure.
All this is playing havoc with the
contract system SC long in use be
tween farmers and packers. Form :
erly each season the farmer would
sign a contract with the packer which
would provide 4, certain price for the
tonnage of tomatoes from certain
acreage. 1t is on this the present
prices are based But such an ar