Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-11-06

automobile dealer are all very happy
now that the first of this $15O,OOO,-
900 stream has started flowing4 For
tobacco, or: the money put into cir
culation as a result of it's sale and
manufacture, is literally the lifeblood
of business and industry in large
part of the State, as well as of its
government. Without this tobacco
money" business could not long thrive
in the eastern and central BELTS
Accordingly, the sing-song, mumbo-
jumbo of the auctioneer has become
as sweet to the business man as to
the farmer, for the cash does not lin
ger long in the jeans of the grower,
but finds its way into the regular
channels of trade in a hurry.
First cash that the farmer gets goes
to pay taxes, accounts with "tine mer-
chants" and notes at banks.
A majority of the farmers have no
| trouble obtaining credit for practical
ly all their needs-fertilizer groceries
clothes, farm machinery, etc.-because
they are known as good risks, even
| though they pay their bills but once a
year, when the tobacco is sold. This
also explains why the merchants
with whom the farmers deal, are as
much interested in the price of tobac-
CO as are the growers themselves.
| In the fall, when both crop and
price are good, the tobacco farmer 5
fancy almost invariably turns tc
thoughts of new automobile-or at
least another automobile. There is no
| y 70 o% no q tobacco
crop at good prices, is Gods gift to
the automobile dealer Of eastern and
central North Carolina. It means that
they sell automobiles y the thousands
and tens of thousands, new and used
taken together.
Up to October 1 of this year, 42,943
new automobiles and 1882 trucks
have been sold in North Carolina, de-
spite the fact that the State already
has 575.165 licensed automobiles and
trucks in operation. Back in 1881,
when the tobacco crop of 466, ZIG, LIZ
pounds sold at an average of only .86
cents per pound and brought farmers
a total Of only $4135A ,591, automobile
dealers felt the effects almost as much
as the growers and grocers.
That only 22a3 NV automobiles
and $685. new trucks were sold, as
farmers, unable to buy gasoline Tor
old cars or parts to re 2air the1A, took
them to p4o~eS anu +. ''is tWo-Waeel
ed Hoover carts propelled by mules
which did not need gasoline. These
have virtually disappeared from the
roads now, and new automobiles rule
the highways.
In addition to growing the largest
amount of tobacco of any state Gin
Guiding sevcn-tenths of all flue-cured),
North Carolina also leads in tobacco
manufacture. Compan es with fac
tories here now manufacture about
half a billion dollars worth OF cigar
cites year, to say nothing of hum
dreds of thousands of dollars worth
of smoking and chewing tobacco and
snuff. In 1885 more than $463 600, 900
worth Of cigarettes were made and it
is estimated that this has increased
TO at least $500, ~'jc, 900 year.
The companies WA -, season pay
growers arly $15OO000JO, they win
pay the Federal government nearly
$25O,0O0,000 in taxes; they will employ
| hundreds of thousands Of North Ca
olinians.
So, while tobacco may be just !,
weed to some people, it is the swee. e.,
flower that grows to most North Ca.
olinians.