78 



CIRCULAR 10 0, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE 



associations. A large part of the report was devoted to the unfortu- 

 nate and unusual redrying policy of the association. Undoubtedly 

 this report, making public some of the policies of the association, 

 hastened its failure. The report gave some facts as to irregularity 

 in management whereas previously the statements of mismanage- 

 ment were based largely on suspicion, rumor, and even falsehood. 

 To learn the importance of the effect of the redrying policy upon 

 the attitude of the members, during the membership study they were 

 asked the question : " Do you think that the association would have 

 succeeded if the officers had not been personally interested in the 

 redrying of association tobacco?" That the redrying by officials 

 was not considered the only or chief cause of the failure of the asso- 

 ciation is shown by Table 33. Of the members interviewed 20.8 

 per cent felt that the redrying policy caused the failure; 56.2 per 

 cent were of the opinion that the association would not have 

 succeeded even if the redrying policy had been different. 



Table 33. — Replies to question, " Do you think the association would have suc- 

 ceeded if the officers had not been personally interested in the redrying 

 association tobacco? " 





Replies from members of— 



Reply 



Sun-cured 

 pool 



Dark-fired 

 pool 



Old-belt 

 pool 



Eastern 



Carolina 



pool 



South 



Carolina 



pool 



All pools 



No. 



Number 

 8 

 11 

 9 

 3 



Number 

 35 

 44 

 19 

 4 



Number 



143. 



15 



27 



10 



Number 



97 



12 



42 



3 



Number 

 78 

 52 

 29 

 2 



Number 

 361 



Yes 



Don't know 



134 



126 



Other answers 



22 







Total 



31 



102 



195 



154 



161 



643 







As green tobacco can not easily be stored for prolonged periods, 

 and as the association did not sell all of its tobacco immediately, it 

 had to store large quantities of tobacco after it was redried. The 

 association attempted to store the bulk of the tobacco on hand at a 

 few concentration points, to save expense and to facilitate sales and 

 handling. These points were usually close to redrying plants, or 

 at important tobacco markets, or at tobacco-manufacturing cities, 

 or close to places convenient to rail and water transportation. 



PURCHASING OF SUPPLIES 



The Tobacco Growers' Cooperative Association did not directly 

 perform the function of buying fertilizers, feeds, or other supplies 

 for its members. It did not consider such buying advisable because 

 of the opposition such a service to its members would provoke from 

 the local merchants dealing in those commodities. It did permit 

 the locals to obtain competitive prices, and to buy where they could 

 to the best advantage. The association encouraged this collective 

 buying by permitting its employees to render any service they could 

 in this work. A number of the stronger locals engaged in the pur- 

 chase of supplies for their members. 



