Monte Vista journal and Monte Vista graphic-reporter., 1923-11-23

A'oh' an al 'itit sHoNlns the sue
cess of the cooperative plan o
marketing OF tobacco in Kentucky
The article appeared in The Farm
Journal and gives facts and figure,
of the business transacted by tn,
Burley Pool for two years, and il
part is as follows:
Whatever may be the outcome OF
the year now opening in the Ken
tucky tobacco country, it is undeni
able that the first two years of the
Burley Tobacco Pool have been years
of spectacular success. The accom-
plishments of the pool have been sc
rapid the change in the condition
OF members so striking. the job has
been so workmanlike and on SO
large a scale, that We know no CO.
operative achievement in America
that compares with il. s''
The tobacco growers were in many
cases actually suffering for the nee
essities of life. Tobacco growers
are no more provident than other
folk, and the rich years of the
World War had not resulted in any
widespread saving on the part OF
the growers. save a few who bought
farms at high prices on the assur-
ance of continued high prices for
tobacco. only to have to give up the
property in 1921. because they could
not make the second payment on 1t.
or even pay the taxes and interes,
on the loan. Many "flivver''
bought in 1919 had to be surrender
ed in 1921. after the sale Of the
1920 crop. Banks had to borrow
from their city correspondents. mer'
chants could not pay the banks. be,
cause the growers could not pay
the merchants what they owed.
The Burley Tobacco Growers Co.
operative Association has handled
two crops OF tobacco for it's mem
bers. The crop OF 1921 was the
first marketed comparatively. Pre-
yious to that time Burley tobacco
had been sold on dumping
market; growers all brought their
tobacco to market and dumped" II.
each man in competition with all his
fellow growers. in n rush to market
within the same eight weeks OF the
year.
First Year Showed Profit
The Burley cooperative handled
the first year OF its existence ieo.-
100000 pounds of tobacco. the 1891
crop. for which it paid the growers
around 81 cents a pound. The pre-
yious year they had received IL
cents pound for one Of the best
crops that had been grown in years.
though 1t contained a considerable
proportion OF common tobacco -
Eight Cents Better for iO:ss
when one reflects on the great
slump In the price OF the 1899 crop,
the Burley cooperative is given
credit for a real business achieve
men, In obtaining an advance OF 3
cents u pound for its members over
the price OF the previous season on
the auction markets. And TO come
back the second year with smother
adyanc. of around eight cents q
pound makes the pool even more
solid with its members.
The gain In the Buriey district
In bank deposits over 1891 was NOR,
than SlO,00O.0oo This was natural
n the return to the growers WI,
sll.so0 goo more for tn. 1891 croI
than for that of 1890. The amount
paid to the growers for their i9:.
crop. while not definitely known un
TIL all the holdings OF the Buricy co
operative have been sold. is .s,imat
ed at about $4,000. 900. In Other
words, the return TO the growers II
two years OF cooperative marketing
has been increased something like
st5. 1000. 900 to S60. 900 900.
'r'NipuN 10 tHe WpTlu NhF tHs
growers never received more than AZ
average of 3i?b0 hundred fo'
their crops. Many years II was 81
To IS a hundred. Never. until tbs
biz manufacturers had to pay tbs
Excess Profits Tax. did the grower,
receive . really profitable price foi
their crop. Why should they The,
wcr. 100000 men. In competition
with each other. The manufacturer,
were four big concerns. Il Is In
.vitabic. whom four men want Il
buy something 100000 m"s have
that the four will have more to ~,
about the price than the 10000
They HAD TO sell. under tho old
system. They had no financing
system to protect the market. II
.A eR~sS hA kAAka n