Tobacco Control Program
Resulted From Low Prices
Plan Has Backing of Farmers and
is Cooperative Enterprise Ex
tension Specialist Gives History
of Program.
By E. Y. FLOYD
(Extension Tobacco Specialist)
The tobacco control program or
iginated and was made possible by
the distressing low prices which de
manded that the growers cooperate
together in order to be heard.
In the meantime representatives
of both houses of federal congress
■were also thoroughly familiar with
the needs of the constituents back
home. They began to work as nev
er before to aid farmers, all over
the United States, in some federal
program. As a result of this study
thq agricultural adjustment act was
approved on May 12, 1933. After
considerable study by farmers and
those interested in the welfare of
farmers, it was decided that this
act would mean much to the grow
ers if they would accept a program
that would be written to apply to
the different commodities in dis
tress. As a result of this there were
various commodity programs work
ed out and were known as the cot
ton, corn-hog, wheat, sugar, flax,
rice, tobacco, peanut programs, etc.
These programs were accepted
by better than 80 percent of the
producers of these commodities. It
was later decided that in order to
perfect the administration of the
tobacco program it would be neces
sary to have) some control factors
other than those laid down in the
tobacco production adjustment pro
gram. Again, the representatives of
the tobacco growers got together
and passed an act that was approv
ed on June 28,1934, and was known
as the) Kerr-Smith tobacco act. This
was the first time that the tobacco
growing interest had ever had the
opportunity to cooperate in a con
trol program administered and en
forced by the agents of the federal
government. This act was discussed
throughout the entire country and <
was considereably criticized by a
few, but it was that act together
with the tobacco production adjust
ment act and the full cooperation
of the tobacco growers, that made
it possible to increase the income
from flue-cured tobacco. As an ex
ample, we will take our own state,
North Carolina. In 1934, 96.5 per
cent of all of the flue-cured tobac
co was grown under a contract.
Those not growing tobacco under
contract paid a penalty of 25 per
cent of the gross value. In 1935
those growers who deliberately
would not cooperate with the pro
gram in 1934 wtere given a chance
to sign a contract. Also those grow
ers who could not get an equitable
base for the base period of 1931,
1932, and 1933, were given special
consideration in order to allow the
remaining tobacco growers, who
had grown tobacco since 1929, to
be given an equitable base in line
with their neighbors. As a result)
of this consideration and the in
crease of tax from 25 percent of
thq gross value to 33 1-3 percent of
the gross value for the year 1935,
only seven percent of the flue
cured tobacco grown in North Caro
lina was not under contract. This
in itself would prove convincingly
Tobacco Farmers -
Roxboro Jk
Market ftjEgJ
With Four Large
Warehouses Will Give VhSbFvf
We personally invite you to sell on the Roxboro market.
Visit our store Our fall merchandise is now on display.
Latest styles in new patterns. Everything for the family
from head to toe.
S. & J. Goodfriend
Main Street Roxboro, N. C.
that the growers of flue-cured to
bacco will respond to a compul
sory control program.
To show further the results that
may be obtained by a compulsory
control program, we will illustrate
again by the value received for the
tobacco produdqd and sold in North
Carolina. As you no doubt know,
North Carolina grows 70.2 percent
of all of the flue-cured tobacco
grown in the United States. The
value in income to the tobacco
growers of this state was increased
from $35,428,000 in 1932 to $117,-
443,000 in 1935. This doejs not in
clude the $15,977,018 which were
paid growers in the form of the
1933 equalizing, 1934 rental and ad
justment, and 1935 rental and ad
justment payments. As a result of
the beginning of thq pf-ogram in
1933, the price started to increase
after the markets for flue-cured to
bacco were closed until the p*eople
had a chance to express themselves.
The growers of this state, and other
states, wqre determined not to pro
duce another crop of tobacco and
allow their wives and children to
go ragged and hungry, much less
lose their farms. After the grow
ers showed the nation their deter
mination in no uncertain terms the
price of the 1933 crop increased
five or six cents per pound, which
gave a total of $86,444,000 for the
flue-cured crop in the state.
In the year of 1934 the program
got into full swing and the tobacco
crop was of splendid quality
throughout the entire flue-cured
belt with the exception of Georgia.
In 1934 the amount received by
growers in North Carolina was sllß,
808,000. In 1935 with an increase in
production the State of North Caro
lina produced as much tobacco as
all of the states growing tobacco in
1934. Any time other than 1935,
with the increase we had in 1935
due largely to Seasonal conditions,
you would have heard the cry of
over-production on the markets,
but under the control program you
never heard over-production used
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Painting & Papering
PERSON COUNTY TIMES ROXBORO, N. C.
by the buyers. This goes to show
that if the growers of flue-cured
tobacco will produce in line with
consumption they can expect a
reasonable price, which will give
them a fair profit above the cost of
production which the tobacco pro
ducers are due just as much as any
other business on the face of the
earth. Not until we continue with
such a program as we have had in
the past, or in some program that
the growers will give their full co
operation, will we be able to keep
production in line with consump
tion over a period of years and
realize a reasonable profit for the
growers of flue-cured tobacco.
It is quite true that some grow
ers, due to conditions beyond their
control were unable to establish a
base under the control program
that was equitable, or would give
them the necessary cash crops. It
was equally true that some few
growers established a base acreage
■ We Believe In
PERSON COUNTY
*
The People’s Bank has made hundreds of loans
to farmers this year, secured by crops, live stock
or financial statement.
We are strong believers in the Roxboro market
and we believe in the farmers of this county. We
expect to sell every load from our farms on the
Roxboro market.
Roxboro always makes a good average for the
« year. It did last year and the year before and ex
pects to this year. Only one market in either belt
averaged more than Roxboro for the last two
Grade for grade, tobacco in the same belt will *
sell for about the same price on any market, but
the Roxboro market is not so crowded and the
wr buyers do not walk over good tobacco. You are,
~ therefore, assured of the top price. Then every
load sold in Roxboro means that much more in
Person County. We should first build up our own
County, for the more taxable wealth we create in
Person County the lower our tax rate will be.
We urge you to try the Roxboro tobacco market
this year and we would not do this if we thought
that you would lose money by doing it.
i
Deposit your money in
The People’s Bank and
if^ jgrt maximumsave something for a
II 2 'mL 'fowucn* Jll § I rainy day. We invite you Vv
JJ to start an account to- v / L&W w
y Roxboro, N. C.
and poundage that was greater than
they needed or normally grew, but
there has nevqr been an organiza
tion with 89,640 people cooperating
that some people did not get more
than was due them, thereby caus
ing some to get less. This percent
age was remarkably small in our
state due to the untiring work of
the committeemen in making the
necessary adjustment in the con
tracts. To indicate that the Wash
ington office had confidence in the
splendid administration of the pro
gram, North Carolina was given an
increase year by year. In 1934 we
had a base acreage of 691,186 acres
with a yield per acre of 749 pounds.
In 1935 we had a base acreage of
737,598 acres with a yield per acre
of 757. In 1936 we had a base acre
age of 756,000 with a yield of 780
pounds. We will admit that these
increases we were getting from
year to year weiiq not as great as
the final production for our state.
However, th e greatest yields per
acre that North Carolina has ever
recevied, going back as far as 1924,
was in 1933, 1934 and 1935. Our
yields were based on our past rec
ords. We were assured that if we
continued to get record yields as
in 1934 and 1935 our allotment
would have been increased accord
ingly. In several years it was pos
sible to iron out these differences
and at the same time give most
every person cooperating with the
program a greater return for the
commodity produced, than they
would have received had there been
no program.
The tobacco producers not only
received an increase in price but in
creased the yield per acre and the
in like manner. To illus
trate, the yield per acre in North
Carolina was 626 pounds per acre
I in 1932, 794 pounds per acre in 1933,
847 pounds per aci*q in 1934, and
935 pounds per acre in 1935. This
THURSDAY, OCTOBER IST, 1936
increase in yield was beyond the
expectation of the statisticians, or
those famliiar with the production
of flue-cured tobacco. This was due
to the) fact that the best uniform
soil was selected, the proper rota
ion was carried on, and with the
amount of tobacco that was plant
ed more attention and considera
tion was given to the crop. Tobac
co is one crop that should have the
intense interest of the producer to
gether with the best fertilization,
cultivation, and uniformity of soil
that can be had in our state. When
these factors are considered to the
fullest extent, you will find the
growers of flue-cured tobacco pro
ducing far superior quality, which
is our only hope to exceed in the
production of flue-cured tobacco
for world consumption. We have
been given soil, climate, and experi
ence which gives us the lead over
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