218

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
in the cooperative association. We sell all that we can readily.

. . y
According to our experience, ‘about 60 per cent of what we receive
has been sold readily and quickly richt off the floor to buyers, and
that is what we attempt to do.

Mr. AnprEsEN. How soon after delivery by the producers of the
tobacco to your cooperative do you pay him for the tobacco?

Mr. MorcaN. We pay him 50 per cent of the appraised value of
the tobacco the day he delivers, and the last year we operated we
paid 60 per cent of the appraised value of that tobacco on date of
delivery. Then, as the tobacco 1s sold, more money is paid to him.

Mr. AxprESEN. Then you think 1t would relieve the situation if
you could pay the people the appraised value?

Mr. Morgan. There is nobody knows what the real value of
tobacco is. Tobacco is purely a fancy; absolutely a fancy. There is
no way to get at the value of tobacco: I wish there was some way to
value 1t, but there is not.

Mr. McSweeNEY. Is not that true of the wines in France?

Mr. MorGaAN. Practically the same thing. Certain vintages of
wines in France have an added value because of an exceptionally
good grape year.

Mr. KercuaM. Just one more question. Will you just please dis-
cuss, for the information of the committee, how would you expect
the membership in your cooperatives to develop? How would it
sustain itself, I mean, so far as membership is concerned, if the
MecNary-Haugen bill with the equ alization fee were enacted into law?

Mr. Morcan. With the equalization fee?

Mr. KercuaM. Yes; Tow would you expect your cooperatives to
thrive), lz other words, so far as membership is concerned? Do
you ny hl increase your membership or would it decrease

Mr. MoracaN. Oh, yes.

NL Baru Or would it make very much difference one way

Mr. MorGaN. The membershi 1 i
more members would come in iy TV Ie their
tobacco properly graded, for th i g 8
ph Den | e grower is a producer, and he can

i Jos y learn everything about these different grades of tobacco

Mr. Kercaam. And you really believe, outside of th ] ing
reeulated i ally , outside of the price being

8 ated, your splendid service in assembling and grading, and all

these very complex details of marketing, a suffici : & 1d

be rendered so that men would be willin a Sep ib ow
their good money for the services you w 2 1d nde > and put down
+h Morgan. I certainly do y ould render?

Mr. Kercaam. In th :

a sumer of Lmes. ans © use of the word “we,” which you have used

ens Tolpis you it inking in your own mind more of your

duce the particular kind of t io In grins of J the popis who pro.

Mr. MORGAN. I am thi obacco that your association deals in?

th AN. m thinking of those people. Ih b

em. I have seen their h RE aR

than any man in this ogo I have slept in more log cabins

people. ~ I know what they a perioge, 1 lum fi yishis of those
to-day. y are entitled to and what they are getting
e average profit

and I do not baron of hose growers has been less than $200 a year,

anv such condition should be permitted to