Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-04-10
Report on Tobacco.

The select committee TO whom was re-
ferred Senate Joint resolution No. 33, rela
tive to "a modification Of the proposed tax
by Congress upon leaf tobacco having had
the same under consideration, report:
I, Thatthe Congressional committee OF Ways
aud Means propose 10 lay an excise duty
upon tobacco, leaf or stem, unmaiufactured,
OF three cents a pound, andfurther provides
that the payment OF this duty shall not ex-
empt 1t from further duty when manufsc-
tured. ,a.i3 .,..4
: II tho proposed excise duty should be lev
led, your committee can only see an utter
destruction to the tobacco growing interest
Of the country, aud especially to that interest
in the State Of Ohio.
But two sections of the State Of Ohio, to
any considerable extent, are engaged 10 this
agricultural interest-the Miami Valley and
that portion Of Eastern Ohio embraced in
the 18th Congressional District, consisting
of the counties Of Belmont, Noble, Guern-
sey and Monroe. Some other counties in
that portion Of the State are also engaged in
it-Washington, Morgan and some few
others, but not to that extent which the 18th
Congressional District is The amount pro.
in Eastern Ohio annually, and ship
ped from that section of the State to the
city Of Baltimore, that city heretofore hav.
ing been the depository Of all, or nearly all
of the manufactured tobacco Of that part
of the State, preparatory to is expectation
to Europe, is about twenty thousand hogs
heads, averaging about eight hundred
pounds each, making n total of about six
teen millions of pounds of this production
from that section Of the State alone, the
largest proportion of it being raised and
shipped from the four counties above named
as comprising the 18th Congressional Dis.
tiict. -.
Tho other section Of the State engaged in
this pursuit, the Miami Valley, ships to the
city Of New York, and in the same manner
a out 10, 900, 900 pounds. All Of the tobac,o
raised in Ohio, except q very small portion,
is exported from tho cities Of Baltimore and
New York, to a foreign market, for it il
q well understood fact, owing to the pecu'
liar kind and quality, that none Of it il
manufactured in this country, being export
ed to England, France, Austria, Prussia and
the German States.
Eastern Ohio, raising Of the unmanufac
tured article Ia, 1000, 600 pounds, would have,
if this unjust excise duty is imposed upon
the tobacco grower, as is proposed by the
committee Of Ways and Means, for the
grower alone will have it to pay, the sum Of
about $4SO, 900, whilst the Miami Valley
raising TO- 00, 900 pounds, would have
$500, 900 to pay; this interest alone being
taxed $3.50, 600, thereby virtually proscrib'
ing this important branch Of agriculture. il
is all raised by, and all Of the proposed duty
must be paid by, our small farmers; mer
owning forty, fifty and eighty acre. of land
and renters Of small farms-the largest pro
portion by the latter. They have theil
preparations made: houses erected for curing
and firing it, and their farms especially pre-
pared and allotted for this particular crop
This tax must destroy their business and il
many instances bring ruin and bankruptc,
upon them, for the reason that they receiy,
or have received upon an average for tn
last ten years upon the very kind.-"leaf ant
stem unmanufactured'-upon which thi
excise duty of three cents per pound is pro
posed, about So rs per hundred pounds
being q tax of eighty per cent. upon it
average actual value leaving the amount I
be received by the grower for his produc
tions and his labor, q sum wholly inadequat
to earn the expenses Of its growth. The
would not even be able to pay for tn
preparation of the soil for its PLANTING
Again-tbeir market being wholly Q foreig
one, they will be unable to compete wit
foreign tobaccogrowers, such as Cubs
Brazil, Central America, and:other countris
that seek and enter and compete in the sam
European markets with Ohio. The result
il, that if they could ever:continue its raisin
and culture under this tax, they would b
unable to compete with the other countrie
mentioned, and ultimately be compelled
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