192 AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
1924 and the 1925 crops. When we dumped the 1926 crop they
bought it for 13 cents; and as soon as they gathered it into their
warehouses they commenced to buy our 1923, 1924, and 1925 crops
that we had on hand; and to further prove there was no surplus this
year, this year’s crop of tobacco is selling for 30 cents.
Ma [Horr If you had the statistics under the Gilbert bill that
wou ave saved you?
Ar. Keuoe. If we had those figures under that other bill it would
have saved us and made us $20,000,000. No industry can success-
fully operate without knowing the statistics of the business, where
the fluctuation is as great as it is in the farm products, and particu-
larly ours. We sold tobacco last year for 13 cents; this year we are
selling it for 30 cents. There has been no apparent cause for it.
There has been no increase to the consumer. We can see no cause.
They made us hold and carry that burden to dishearten and to break
us down because of a lack of governmental information that the
Boearamon vlog, Jon Jame socured. We did not want the
information—an r. Gilbert still has his bill pending—for the
purpose of sticking our nose into anybody’s business and interfering
with private affairs. We only wanted it in the hands of the Govern-
ment officials; we did not want the Government to make it public.
We are interested in the success of the manufacturer.
Mr. Fort. What percentage of your tobacco is exported?
Me Son, Not over 6 or 8 per cent.
eo RT. by purely a domestic product?
. Kenog. It is almost entirely a domestic product.
Mr. Fort. Is your product protected by the tariff?
Mr. Kerox. I do not know what the tariff is on it.
Mr. TORT. Ine is no tariff on it?
~ Mr. Kenok. Yes; there is some. Th
is not a matter that will disturb the on bership 5 vase if "ie
ientiy managed, sufficient sums can be saved 4) of the manage.
nn : . . -
ment each year and yet pay everybody fairly for their labor out of
Se ha that has her lore gone i the middleman; for stance,
a p s of tobacco, and we swept from the
oor the scraps that fell down and which formerly went from the
er wer to the warehouseman, and sold it for enough money to pay
o entire cost of all of our executive overhead for the five years
i :
the Drincipa any trouble about the cost of operation. Gentlemen,
engaged in the ata it is that you must equalize all the people
Mr. Fw:
ing a be Kehoe, you have never had any trouble financ-
Mr. Kenok. Ab
yo a: olutely Jot. We had more money and had
meet, and We nover We ; e never made a note that we did not
did riot have te vor Ske for money that we could not get, and we
us ul the time for lows e Government. The bankers were after
Mr. Forr. io a
ot How big a percentage of your product could you borrow
Mr. K
i Sa 3 per cent, of the value. .
zotten a hundred per cont of made any difference if you could have
~ Mr. KEHOE. Yes: it wo of pulne or 95 per cent?
it would have Lioht uld have made a very material difference;
ghtened our burd : ’
rden, of course. But if you want,
