Excerpts from the report Summary: This study was limited to the cost of marketing tobacco at auction and to some of the causes of cost variation. The purpose of the study is to suggest where and how costs might be reduced without lessening services of the market. The costs to the growers marketing tobacco at auction are not large and the system appears to be generally satisfactory. There are, however, possibilities of savings of more than 5 million dollars annually by improving the auction system and reducing the costs which enter into the auction market margin. The realization of any savings will require the active effort of the interested parties, especially of the growers, to bring about those changes which will increase the efficiency of the auction.