THE DAMBURY REPORTER.
VOLUME XXXIII.
' IPLANS FOR ORGANIZING TOBACCO FARMERS.
Re-ordering Plants Are Said To Be the Thing--
Messrs. Adams, Gravely and Allen
. Endorse Them.
I have rend with special inter
est and approval extracts from
President Roosevelt's speech to
farmers, the editorial of Southern
Tobacco Journal, and your com
ments. The tobacco fanners by
co-operation must quit auction
sales, and either establish reorder
ing plants or contract with com
jietent leaf dealers who have plants
to reorder on contract. No man
can control the price of any com
modity he has for sale, when ho
sells at auction under conditions
that force him to accept the prico
of the bidder, which is practically
the case with the tobacco growers.
Hence it follows that the producer
must place himself in a position
where he can hold his product for
a satisfactory price. The reorder
ing plan is the only one that has
succeeded and this plan, if ad
hered to by 00 per cent, of the to
bacco growers of North Caroliana
and Virginia, will absolutely con
trol prices. A smaller number may
not be able to control prices, but
under strong consumptive demand
(as set forth by the Southern To
bacco .Journal) 1 cannot see any
possible risk or reason why even a
minority of farmers should not bp
able to sell at profit.
ENABLES THE PKODI'CEK TO GET A
FAI K PRICE EOti MIS LEAP.
I can see no reason for any fight
on the part of the American To
bacco Company against this plan;
nor do I see any reatnjn for a tight
on the part of producers against
the American Tobacco Company.
This company is the best equip
ped agency this country has ever
had for manufacturing and for
pushing the sale of manufactured
tobacco. To boycott, injure or
break down this company, would
be injurious to the producer; Inft
let the producer, through the re- j
ordering plan, put himself in a
position where the American To
bacco Company must come to him
for what they are compelled to
i have, namely: leaf tobacco. Un
der this plan the producer can de
— mand and get a fair price, and the
advance in price of leaf can be ad
ded to the price of manufactured
goods, if it is necessary to do this
in order to give them a fair profit
It is clearly in the power of the
trust to control, and they do con>«
trol the price of manufactured
stock.
IT IS I'KACTICAIfLE AND ECONOMICAL
Reordering anil selling by sam
ple is practicable and economical,
as it relieves the farmer of ware
house charges, waste of drying and
damage; and the buyer saves cost
of a lot of men following auction
sales, and then gets the goods
guaranteed to sample.
Now is the opportune time for
farmers to move, aud Virginia and
Western farmers are moviug this
„ line successfully. And I would
Suggest that the tobacco growers
of the old blight belt of North
Carolina name a ilato and place to
"hold a mammoth meeting and dis
cuss the situation, adopt plans for
work, and go at it. —S. C. Adams,
Pres. Inter-State Tob. Growers
Association, Red Oak, Va., in
Prog. Farmer.
Another Plan For Organizing.
Tobacso farmers must under
stand that nothing can be accom
plished without organization. It
is equally true that anything with
in the limits of the law of the land
and the law of God, can be accom
plished by perfect organization.
Concert of action upon the part of
the tobacco growers is so essential
that it appears to me to be a re
flection upon their intelligence to
lm ffls
j tell them they should get to
: gether. Not one breath of opposi
; tion to organization have I heard
i from any source. With one ac
cord the advice is "get together."
But there is a great diversity of
opinion as to the lines to be pur
sued after wo organize. So many
ways have been suggested that the
great army of growers and their
sympathizers are confused into a
standstill, waiting in the valley of
discord and doubt, while the Trust
magnates are fixing tho prico of
the tobacco to be produced.
The much coveted goal is'this :
higher and more uniform prices
for tobacco. Now the question is,
which is the shortest and best
route? After long study of the
situation and most careful consid
eration of the various ideas and
plans presented, the official body
of the Farmers' Protective Asso
ciation believe that if the follow
ing plans are vigorously and de
terminedly pursued, below cost
prices will be forever extermi
nated and that the produc
tion of tobacco will become aj
profitable vocation.
I.
We must place ourselves in an
j independent position by raising
; home supplies. Live at home and ■
board with ourselves as near as
possible.
11.
Regulate the production and
market judiciously. This can be
done by and through perfect or
! ganization only.
A knowledge of the production
! and consumption will be of great
! value to the grower, whioh iufor
j ination can only be correctly ob- j
1 tained by confidential co-opera
tion. Big gluts, block sales or
| over-run warehouses generally
prove costly to the farmer, and
can only be avoided by concert of
action.
111.
Growing and marketing tobac
co without a reasonable assurance
j of prices equal at least to the cost j
of production, is unwise, unjust
and wholly unbusiness-like. There- j
fore, tho farmers or their repre
sentatives, from every tobacco
producing township in the State
! should assemble at some conven-
I ient place during the month of
July, and with the aid of a
| thorough knowledge of the qual
j ity and quautity of the crop, to
| gether with the correct statistics
from the Government of the num
| ber of pounds manufactured in
• and exported from tho United
States, they should fix a minimum
l price for each grade—said price
not being what we want or hope
jto receive, but the lowest we will
| take under any normal conditions.
For the purpose of obtaining and
maining prices fixed by tho Asso
ciation, a first-class buyer should
bo placed on each market where
tobacco is sold, with instructions
,to allow no pile or parcel to sell
; below the minimum figures.
In order to properly care for
I and safely handle tobncco, redry
| ing plants and storage houses
| should be built, at accessible
t points, where no£ only that bought
on warehouse floor could be put
|in a safe keeping condition but
any and all that might be carried
direct or otherwise, by the pro
ducer to said plant,
IV.
Should we fail to dispose of to
bacco bought and stored, at profit
able prices, then we would convert
the raw material into the manu
factured artiole and Belt to our
selves and the world as others are
doing at this time, and making
their milliouß.
DANBURY, N. C., JULY 4, 1907.
The money with which to do j
the work as above set forth can !
easily be raised by a subscription
of five dollars for each curing of
tobacco, together with an equal
amount that would be subscribed
by all other classes who would be
come interested in the move. I
know it will be said that the farm
ers cannot afford to subscribe that
amount. But such persons will
doubtless* change their opinions
when they learn that the farmers
have given $22.25 for every 500
pounds of tobacco raised during ;
the last 22 years, to the Trust and i
others. For 12 years previous to
tho formation of the trust (which
is as far back as we have any rec- i
owls), all tobacco sold *n North
Carolina averaged $13.10 per hun-1
dred. Since the formation' (a
period of about 22 years) it has
averaged $8,05. A difference of
$4.45 per hundred, or $44.50 on
each thousand pounds, making a
total of about seventy-seven mil-1
lion dollars, or three and one-half
millon each-each year, paid into
the pockets of the other fellows. ;
What sensible man will say that j
the producer can afford to con-1
tinue to give away $44.50 per
thousand pounds on his tobacco,
but cannot afford to safely invest
less than half that amount in an
enterprise that will make him
more than 100 per cent, annually?
I believe, Mr. Editor, the plan
hereinabove set fort h to bo the!
one and only sure, safe and sane 1
remedy for the tobacco trusts
evils. The minute details are too
numerous to be given in this ar- ;
tide, but I stand willingly and
ready to answer any question con- ]
cerning it that may bo asked. The!
greatest troubles with the farmers
today, is that they liaee too little
confidence in their own ability.
When they see the situation as it
really is, and realize the great
power and authority with which
by nature they have been clothed,
theu and then only, will the lion
awake from his many years of
sleep and indifference and assert j
himself. God speed the day when I
the men upon whom the whole!
world is dependent for the neces-'
sities of life, will in some way or I
some how emerge from tho mires I
of poverty and ignorance to the
higher pianos of prosperity and
intellectual happiness*—J. O, VV.
Gravely, in Prog. Farmer.
Storage Warehouses Endorsed.
Since 1 ( .*02-'O3 the crop of to
bacco has been decreasing from
two reasons : (1). The lack of
labor in the tobacco section, and
! (2) the damnge to the two last
crops by excessive rains. Again,
, the stock of tobacco held both in
jthe home and foreign markets has
been very much reduced, if it is
not entirely gono, pud we no lon
ger hear of the great stocks of to
j bacco on hand, "enough to last for
j four or five years," an argument
always used by the Tobacco Trust
I representatives to defeat any effnrt
jof the tobacco farmers to better
their condition —and perhaps the
most eff'ectivo one they ever used.
It is true that owing to the very
close organization of the Tobacco
Trust and their law to give out no
information, one cannot know
what is the amount of stock on
hand.
But few farmers know or stop
to think what it means for the
Trust to go to warehouses every
day and get the number of pounds
sold at each house. By that plan
they can tell how much tobacco is
sold and how much they and tho
other fellow get. "But," says tho
tobacco grower, who seems to care
for nothing but to make all he
can, "that is a little thing and
don't bother me." In fact it is one
[of the big factors in fixing the
AMERICA S TIMBER SUPPLY.
Increase in Lumber Consumption is
Twice as Rapid as Increase in
Population and We are Using Three
Times as Much Timber Each Year
as the Forest Grows.
Every person in the United
States is using over six times as!
much wood as he would use if he ;
were in Europe. The country as aj
j whole consumes every year bo
-11 twoon three and four times more
J! wood than all of the forests of the
United States grow in the mean- j
| time. The avorage aero of forest
; lays up a store of only ten cubic j
feet annually, whereas it ought)
to be laying up at least thirty
cubic feet in order to furnish the
| products taken out of it. Since
1 1880 more than 700,(XX),000.000 feet
of timber have been cut for lum
ber alone, including 80,000,000,-
1 000 feet of coniferous timber in!
I excess of the total coniferous j
j stumpage estimate of the census
| in 1880.
These aro some of ths remarka- \
j ble statements made in Circular!
j97 of the Forest Service, which!
I deals with the timber supply of!
the United States and reviews;
! the stumpage estimates made by I
, all the important authorities. A
study of the circular must lead
directly to the conclusion that the
, rate at which forest products in
the United States have been and
are being consumed is far too
lavish, and that only one result
i can follow unless steps are prompt-!
ly taken to prevent waste in use:
i and to increase the growth rate of ;
every acre of forest in the United
States. This result is a timber j
.famine. This country is to-day
'in the same position with regard i
to forest resources as was Ger-1
many 150 years ago. During this
period of 150 years such German j
j States as Saxony and Prussia j
particularly the latter, have ap
plied a policy of government,
control and regulation which has
! immensely increased the pro
ductivity of their forests. The
same policy will achieve even i
; better results in the United States,
because wo hare the advantage
I I of all the lessons which Europe
has learned and paid for in the
course of a century of theory and
practice.
price of your tobacco, and could
not be obtained without organiza
tion. In spite of our weakness
here, however, we do know that
with three short crops and the
natural increase in tho demand
from increase in population, the
: sum between production and coti
l sumption is very great and that
t the increase in the price of to
,l bacco is not what it should be,
I and not equal to the increase in
j | the cost of production. And we
 farmers may lay aside all our fool
- ish notions about trying once or
- twice and failing, and for that rea
r son trying no more. Unless we do :
t wo shall never see the day when j
t the general average of tobacco will :
t be anything but just a little over'
r i the cost of production.
■» i The plan of storage warehouses 1
. has been tried in some sections
f! with success above what might be j
J expected. It seems to me that the
> j plan is all right, and if the to
v ' bacco farmers in Virginia, North
i Carolina and South Carolina
would take hold of it, tobacco
31 farming could be made as profit
e able as manufacturing.
y Fellow tobacco farmers, let us
s take hold of the old maxium, "if
i yon try and don't succeed, try, try
i again." Let us come in and take
0 ,hold of the opportunities. Post
D yourselves, talk and agitate this
B great question of organization for
a self-protection—not to injure any
-1 one else's business, but for home
a and loved ones.—T. Y. Allen, in
pi! I'rog. Farmer.
Lest it might be assumed that
the rapid and gaining depletion
of American forest resources is
sufficiently accounted for by the
increase of population, it is
pointed out in the circular that
the increase iu population since
1880 is barely more than half the
increase in lumber cut in the same
period. Two areas supplying tim
ber have already reached and
passed their maximum production
—the Northeastern States iu 1870
and the Lake State in 18'.K). To
day the Southern States, which
cut yellow pine amounting to one
third the total annual lumber cut
of the country, are undoubtedly
near thoir maximum. The Pacific
States will soon take tho ascend- ,
ency. The State of Washington
within a few years has come to
the front and now ranks first of (
all individual States in volume of
cut.
At present but one-fifth of the ,
total forest area of the United (
States is embraced in National (
Forests. The remaining four
fifths have already passed or are
most likely to pass into private
lands. The average age of the
trees felled for lumber this year is
not less than 150 years. In other
words, if he is to secure a second
crop of trees of the same size, the
lumberman or private forest own
er must wait, say, at least one
hundred years for the second crop
to grow. As a rule, such long
time investments as this waiting
would involve do not commend
themselves to business men who
are accustomed to quick returns.
But the States and the Nation can
look much farther ahead. The
larger, then, the area of National
and State control over woodlands,
tho greater is the likelihood that
the forest of the country will be
kept permanently productive.
STOKES BOY MAKING BRICK.
Mr. L. L. Burge. Who Left Here Nine
Years Ago. Expects To Come
Home This Fall.
Versailles, Mo., June 17,
Mr. Editor : f
We are having "good old sum
mer time" now after so long a
time, Crops are looking fine.
We have a nice little town,
three railroads running in it and
I several enterprises and especially
the brick plant. We have up-to
date machinery, aud also the down
draft kilns. We manufacture the
best brick in the United States,
and are manufactured in fourteen
different shapes. I have been
burning brick most two years, and
don't lose any tiino, Sundays as
well as Mondays. I am drawing
$70.00 per month now. It takes
from seven to ten days to burn off
a kiln from (50,000 to 70,000 brick
in a kiln, We ship brick to all
parts of the United Statos, prices
run from $12.00 to $75.00 per
thousand. Some of my burning
will be on exhibit at the James
town Exposition. I am very proud
jof my trade, boys. Don't never
say you can't. Try and it will come
right. 1 have three kilns burning
at a time, and plenty of work and
a good town. I find plenty of
people here from North Carolina,
j I expect to visit my home this
fall, though I suppose I will be a
stranger as 1 have been away nine
years. 1 often think of my boy
hood days sipping water from that
| good old spring.
Well, tho fruit crop is a failure
j here this year,
I will bring my remarks to a
close. lam ready to answer any
question that any one wants to
1 know about the brick industry in
tho state of Missouri.
1 L. L. BURGE.
Messrs. T. H. Priddy, G. G.
Shelton and H. H. Reid, of Snow
i Creek township, were Danbury
j visitors Monday.
THE FARMERS' INSTITUTE.
Mr. Ross Extends Invitation To the
Farmers To Come Out.
Locust Hill Farm, June 21.
Mr. Editor :
I wish to say to my many
brother farmers through your
most valued paper that by request
Dr. Tate Butler has made the ap
pointment for the Farmers' In
stitute to be held at my place this
year on Saturday, the 27th day
of July.
I now extend a general invita
tion to every one who has any in
terest in anything pertaining to
the farm. The doctor thinks he
has the best men with him this
time to talk with the farmers that
he has ever had.
Now, I don't want anyone to
think for a moment that these
men are coming to tell them how
to run their farms, for that is not
the case, they are not expected to
do that by those who have attend
ed institutes heretofore. Their
object will be to tell us how to
wisely direct the forces of nature
in order that larger and more ben
eficial results may be secured with
the least expenditure of human
muscle. The burdens of farm life
should be a pleasure instead of a
burden, and the Farmers' Insti
tute is the very best place to
learn.
I also extend the same invi
tation to the wives and daughters
as there will be ladies in the work
who are well equipped for the
work they have undertaken, that
Is, tailing the latest sensible meth
ods of home making, cooking,
rearing children, and many other
things pertaining to housekeep
ing.
Every one will bring their din
ners. I will have seats and a nice
grove and shade for all that will
come.
Respectfully yours,
I. G. ROSS.
SPECIAL TERM FEDERAL COURT.
To Be Held First Monday In Septem
ber Smithtown Distillers To Be
Tried At this Term.
Judge Jas, E. Boyd last week
signed an order in the United
States Court directing the clerk
and other jury commissioners to
draw forty names from the jury
box for the grand and petit juries
for a special term of the United
States District court to be held in
Greensboro on the first Mon
day in September. It is learn
ed that Judge Boyd's prin
cipal object in ordering this
special term is to try the distillers
captured at Smithtown recently.
Stokesburg Methodists To Rebuild
Their Church.
The Methodists are preparing
to rebuild their church at Stokes
burg, material for that purpose
haviug already been placed on the
ground. It will be remembered that
their church was destroyed by fire
last Christmas. The building,
which will be a modern structure,
will be of brick. W. A. Douglas it
Son, of Pilot Mt., have been given
the contract.
LONG LIVE THE KING!
is the popular cry throughout
I European countries; while in
America, the cry of the present
day is "Long live Dr. King's New
Discovery, King of Throat and
Lung Remedies!" of which Mrs,
Julia Ryder Paine, Truro, Mass.,
sayß: "It never fails to give
i immediate relief and to quiokly
, cure a oough or oold." Mrs.
, Paine's opinion is shared by a
i majority of the inhabitants of this
country. New Discovery cures
weak lungs and sore throats after
all other remedies have failet l ;
. and for coughs and ooldu it's the
r only cure. Guaranteed by all drug.
r gists :>oc and SI.OO. Trial bottle
free.
No. 21