[Pages S11682-S11683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TRIBUTE TO WILL EDD CLARK

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I today pay tribute to Will Edd Clark,
who is the general manager of the Western Dark Fired Tobacco Growers'
Association in Murray, KY. Will Edd has served in this role for 27
years, and during that time, he has been a tireless advocate for
tobacco farmers in western Kentucky.
The Western Dark Fired Tobacco Growers' Association was established
in 1931 and has helped administer the Federal tobacco program as well
as represent the interests of tobacco growers in nine counties in
western Kentucky, plus three counties in Tennessee. In 2004, the
tobacco quota buyout program was signed into law, which dismantled the
Federal tobacco program that had been in place since the 1930s. Will
Edd realized the benefit that the association's growers would receive
from this historical piece of legislation, and he played a vital role
in securing its passage.
Now that the tobacco quota program is gone, the Western Dark Fired
Tobacco Growers' Association has decided to close its operations at the
end of 2006. Although the association will no longer be in existence,
the association's historical papers will be kept by Murray State
University, which will preserve the legacy of Will Edd as a true
supporter of Kentucky's tobacco industry. I ask unanimous consent that
an article which appeared in the Murray Ledger & Times on December 1,
2006, detailing the association's history and Will Edd's record of
service be printed in the Record. I ask my fellow Senators to join me
in thanking Will Edd Clark for his service to the people of Kentucky.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

Despite Closure, Tobacco Association's History, Efforts Will Be
Preserved

(By Greg Travis)

Murray's Western Dark Fired Tobacco Growers' Association is
closing its operations after serving the people of western
Kentucky and west Tennessee since 1931. An absolute auction
of the association's business office and warehouses was held
Thursday for the 4,048 brick, business office complex at 206
Maple Street and property consisting of 55,599 square feet of
three commercial warehouses located at Poplar and Elm
streets.
``We appreciate everyone's interest in the auction.
Naturally, we would liked to have seen them bring more but we
had to sell them. We had no choice,'' Association General
Manager Will Edd Clark said, adding that the combined totals
realized from the sale was just over $400,000.
``Those bidding knew this was an absolute auction. We're
proud for them. They got some good buys today.''
He said the office went to Rick Hixon and the warehouses
were purchased by Keith Brandon.
He said that as a result of the tobacco buyout program,
directors of the association decided there was no need or
purpose for the association to continue.
``The association came about as a result of low prices that
were being realized from the

[[Page S11683]]

early 1900s to the 1920s. Farmers were looking for security
in their production of tobacco,'' Clark said. ``The tobacco
industry as we know it today did not exist. There were Night
Riders in the area and other situations that influenced the
production of tobacco for many growers.''
He said the tobacco business that most people are familiar
with existed from the 1930s until the tobacco quota buyout
that was included in the America Jobs Creation Act of 2004
terminated the federal tobacco price support and supply
control programs.
He said the program that had been in place until then
worked well and was one of the best farm programs. ``But
everything has a life span. With the anti-tobacco feelings in
the country today it's hard to generate changes in the
program,'' he said.
He said the local organization had a lot of local history.
``Tobacco will continue to play a major role in this region.
It will still be here for many years to come, but you have to
change with the changes, and our changes will really start to
be felt with the new owners of our properties.''
Clark said that once the properties are disposed of and all
the business issues are settled, the association will go back
and return those assets to the association's members.
He added that James R. Cash of Mayfield, who is a member of
the association, offered to conduct the auctions at no fee
charge. ``He said that, as a member, he has been fortunate to
assist other members with auctions of land and equipment and
that he wanted to conduct this auction with no fees,'' Clark
noted. ``This will be a great benefit to the association and
its members.''
Clark said the association will still maintain a presence
in the community for some time. He said, as with any industry
of its size, there are still business-related issues that
will require time and attention. He estimated that his final
days on the job would probably be in a few months. ``The
association had a good run. There have been lots of directors
and I have no regrets for my time here.''
The association has approximately 1,000 members, it was
reported.
He noted that, over the years, tobacco has paid billions of
dollars in taxes and those dollars collected have paid for
many things. ``Tobacco has meant so much to so many people
and it has impacted everyone. Our forefathers thought it was
important enough that there are tobacco leaves on the facades
of many important buildings. Tobacco has saved many farmers,
helped families and sent many children to school.''
Throughout the years the local association has administered
the tobacco program and lobbied for the growers in the nine
counties of the Jackson Purchase and the Tennessee counties
of Henry, Weakley and Obion.
``Since there will not be a tobacco program or a price
support system, then there really isn't a need or purpose for
our association any longer,'' Clark said. ``We have been
working to get things in place for the closure.''
Clark said he has arranged with Murray State University to
take over some of the association's historical papers.
``This will be a big benefit for residents of the
community. MSU's people will have to go through the old
papers and catalog all of those items before they are
available to the public,'' he said. ``We have old records,
papers and even the minute books from the first meetings.
Many papers date back to 1931. And there are old floor sheets
on tobacco that went to pool. There's lots of information and
names.''
He said the vintage documents will be of interest to a lot
of people.
``One of the very first things I did when I came to work
here was to go back and read through all of the old minute
books. It really helped me to know where we were as an
association and it helped to plan for the future,'' he noted.
Clark is only the fourth or fifth manager since the
association began. He said he was unsure what he would do,
but he added, ``something will come along.''
Association President Jim Kelly said the sale was the end
of a long era in Calloway County. ``Lots of farmers were
helped through the association. Things are just different
now. Farmers are contracting with companies and that's where
most of the farmers are at these days. The pool was a safety
net that would grade and process tobacco until somebody
needed it,'' he said.
Kelly, who farms 76 acres of burley and dark-fired tobacco,
said more farmers were going for larger acreage and many of
the smaller farmers were dropping out the businesses. ``With
the costs of farming nowadays, it's just not something that
people get into the way they used to do.''
He said farmers were basically at the mercy of what the
companies would pay for the tobacco. But even then, there are
pluses and minuses to the situation.
He added that the association was in a shut-down phase and
assets would eventually be returned to its members.
``There hasn't been any tobacco stored in those warehouses
in a long time. It's sad to see it all come to a close,'' he
remarked.

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