The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-19
No NOTHCAR0LINA
FARMER SIGN
CONTRACTS
Enthusiastic M a S S
Meeting II el d at.
Wilson in Interest
Of Coop erative Mar.
ketii1lg Asso ciatIon

y
farmers who had followed the pol
icy of wait and see in the hope OF
unusually high prices on the open
ing sales of the warehouse floors
in Wilson were doomed to dis
appointment today.
In spite OF, a tendency to raise
the prices on the lowest grades
there was evident disappointment
that the: better grades did not
bring higher prices, in very few
instances reaching so cents. More
marketing contracts were signed In
the town OF Wilson today than IN
the history of the Tobacco Crow
ers' Cooperative Association Fol-
lowing the insistent demand Of the
growers, a mass meeting Of farm-
ers was called in the court hose
and the court room was filed 10
overfowing with every seat, aisle
and window sin occupied by tobacs
co growers who listened intentsy
and broke into shouts OF applause
at the messages of r. Ne. Work..
and Mr.. Blanks. the Kentuckians.
wfe were hastily summoned. from
other points to make their last ap-
peal today to the farmers Of Easte
ern Carolina, gathered at Wilson.
Never in the entire campaign OF
the big cooperative have tobacco
growers shown such enthusiasm
fors cooperative marketing as that
expressed in the cheers OF 500
growers, which echoed from the
court house windows in the streets
of Wilson. The loyal members ct
the assoeiationie crowded SO fast into
the coaEt room that many noH
were unable to gain ems
trance, and when, a show OF hands
were called for. 80 per cent OF
those present were seen to he
members Of the marketing associs
alton: More than half Of those
whe failed to raise tifais hsnds ass
msmhers Joined the association on
this last day of the campaign
R WorSs. Kentucky mem
ber 81 tie BHEey pool. said in in
1929 we CONTINUED to give oar f0-
bacco awas fD the tune OF 10 cents
a pound where 1T cost US 26 cents
to make it: bat today, we have re-
dried our green tobaccos. kept
good per cent of our best tobacco
and sold 8 large lot OF the cona-
mon grsen tpbaccos which wonid
have gone for and cents at anc-
ton, for "a cents and miliionssof
pounds: more zor 18 ceats. That E
cooperative marketing. 3. -:
John Blanks, another Kentucky
grower and aenaber Of the Bnriey
pool said sebe tobacco companies
are our frisnds and customers The )
reason they have taken our tobacr
co for Tow prices is that we have
dumped 1T down and begged them
to pay as what they could instead
Of merchandising it like business
men as the Operative associa
tons have now begun to do.s
A glowing report OF the opera
ton Of thes border markets WAS
brought tosthe mass meeting of
growers in Wilson by ]. ,I.
Barnes, tobacco farmer, OF Kenly.
n. c., who witnessed the cooperaS
tive waerhonse at Lunberton in
action last Monday. <I have had {
sixteen or seventeen years experi-
ence in marketing tobacco in Wil-
SON as my friepds in this meeting
know. said Mr.. Kenley, and he de-
clared cooperative marketing IS the
cleanest, incest system Of handling
tobacco eI have ever seen, and the
grading the fairest.'
The first days operation Of the
auction markets has unauestaons
ably started a strong movement Of
the unsigned farmers OF Eastern
carolina towards cooperative mar
zeting.