Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-04-27
LIFE OR DEATH.

The life or death OF the tobac-
CO grower, as such, depends up
on the success or failure of the
Association this year. The As
sociation is the medicine that
will cure the ills from which the
tobacco growers have been suf
fering for more than century.
The plain proposition is up to the
tobacco growers. Either take
the medicine and get well or re-
fuse to take it and die.
The drive which is now going
on and which will end on June 8.
to get control of 50 per cert of
the tobacco growers in Southern
Maryland must be successful, if
there is to be any future for to-
bacco as a commodity. Failure
of the Association TO get control
of So per cent Of the tobacco
growers means that it must go
out Of existence and the farmer
go into bankruptcy.
The plain and simple question,
Mr.. Farmer, is this DO you
want to control and fix the price
that your tobacco is sold for or
do you Want 60 fet some one else
control the price z? The mer-
chant fixes the price of his goods.
You have to pay the price or
leave the goods. His goods are
needed by you. You must have
them; therefore, you will pay
his price.
Today the farmer ships his to-
bacco to the market, and who
fixes the price on it ? Does tho
farmer, who has spent his money
for fertilizer, labor and given
many hours Of hard work in It's
production ? No; the price is
fixed by the commission mer-
chants and buyers. The farmer
must take what they offer or let
his tobacco lay in the warehouse
and rot.
Southern Maryland tobacco is
in as mnch demand as the gro
ceries, clothes and other mer-
chandise sold by your merchant.
Why not fix the price and make
Mr.. Buyer pay what you demand
for it ? The doctor, the lawyer,
the dentist, the laborer, the fer
tilizer dealer and every other man
fixes his price and you must pay
it or go without his services or
the commodity he handles. Why
not fix your price, Mr.. Farmer !?
1t sometimes makes us feel
like boiling over when we stop
to think about the energy and
time are being used to help the
farmer and he refuses to coop
crate and help the men who are
aiding him. The time and ener.
gy which has been and is now
being expended by the men who
are laboring to make the Tobacco
Growers Association a perma.
nent success which is so gratui-
tously being given without a dol
lar OF pay, should certainly be
appreciated by the farmers.
Control of IS per cent of the
tobacco grown in Southern
Maryland means the establish
ment of grading houses and a
fixed price on tobacco. The far
mer who refuses to join the AS
sociation or withdraws from the
same is nothing short of be-
trayer of his own people and a
nawn in the hands of the enemies
f the farmer.
Where is the farmer who would
ot help his neighbor to save his
ONE from destruction by fire ?
There is the farmer who is Wis
ed by fire that threatens de-
truction of his home that doesn't
xpect his neighbor to help him?
9th will give and expect aid.
, principle is the same with
ling or refusing to join the
Association.
4 We warn the farmer that I'M
less the Tobacco Growers Asso-
citation gets IS per cent of tobac-
co growers in this section of the
State in the next year, the Asso-
citation must disintegrate and
dissolve, or become nothing
short of a commission house.
And we further warn the tobac-
co growers that if this Associa-
ton fails, which can only be
through lack OF cooperation on
the part of the farmer, that an
other will not be formed in this
generation, because the men who
have been the backbone of the
present movement, who have la
bored unselfishly for its success,
will never Turn hand to aid in
in the organization of another.