Brighter Leaf

The great, wooden-floored warehouse is neatly piled with bunches of tobacco leaves. Buyers inspect them, fingering them, and measuring them with their eyes. The auctioneer, at one end of the room, starts to chant. Coat off, hat on the back of his head, hands on his hips, he sways to the rhythmic rise and fall of his cry. "Hobben-dobben-hobben-dobben-hobben-dobben," is the way it sounds if you have never heard it, "Hobben-dobben, ay-ay-ay-ay -ay -ni -ni -ni -ni-ni-ten-ten-ten-ten-SOLD." By crooks of fingers, nods of heads, distention of nostrils, the buyers make their bids known and slowly the auctioneer sways down the room until every stack is sold or else withdrawn by a farmer who thinks he can fetch a better price elsewhere.

Last week in North Carolina the annual "tobacco break" was again taking place. Highways were filled with trucks and wagons, crowds jammed into the warehouses. Their crops reduced by abandoned acreage, drought and insects, the growers were delighted when the chanting did not stop at the "ay-ay-ay'' of eight or the "ni-ni-ni" of nine. Average prices varied from 10-c- to 13-c- against 4-c- to 6-c- last year. Despite their poor crops, most farmers fared better than in 1931. All the big companies making 15-c--packages of cigarets were actively in the market. They hoped higher prices for tobacco would discourage the 10-c--packagers.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.