The New York herald., 1870-01-30
THE CIGAR TRADE.
Indignation Meeting Of Cigar Man.
ufacturers.
Proceedings at the Astor House Yesterday-Pro
tests Against Reduction Of Import
Duty on Cigars-The Resolution
Singular Developments.

iuc Cigar manuIacturerS OF this CITY ana viciniv
held meeting yesterday afternoon ar the Astor
House, In pursuance OF the call issued BY tho presi-
dent Mr. D. Hirscn. and the secretary. Mr.. John
Strailon OF the Cigar Manufacturers Association.
The meeting was called to order about TWO O'Clock
by MIR. Hirsch, VINO nominated Mr. George w. Helme
OF the firm OF Appeby Helme, for chairman,
which was adopted. Mr.. Alvah Wo0dman was ap
pointsd secretary. On motion OF Mr. +. A. Schroeder
committee on resolutions was named by the chair
consisting OF Messrs. F. A. Schroeder. d. Hirsch
and A. Spingard, who. alter short Absence re-
ported the following preamble and resolutions
Ss 81 a
ng argcto the change made In the tariff cigars BY the
"a: s"s s
1 ~ 81 Is Ss
70 ks decline gold rendering thr:s
than & s
o.pa and labor Of other countries engaged in
Resolved, That do under the present condition Of
and M at. s4 en-
::ov:d Thas the proposition tn. .ra
Resolved, That unssdy appeal to al parties in in.s-
to aid u in .gainit such
ducs the tariff on cigars.
This report having been read MIR. JAMES GAL
LAGHER, OF New Haven, Conn., rose and said that
the resolutions were very plain and satisfactory rs
far as they went but they did not clearly state the
relations OF the present tariff on imported cigars
with the internal revenue laws. Before the passage
OF the present Internal Revenue law the import
duty on cigars was three dollars per pound and
fifty per cent ad ualore,n and they believed
this TO be stall The law to-day. When the last Inter
nal Revenue law up IN the House Of Represents
tives some member In the interest OF the importers
slipped In amendment Of the tariff 20 the eighty
seventh section circumstance and custom never
known .IN Ia tne previous history OF Congress That
the tariff should Do changed by an amendment to
the Internal Revenue act, astonished goodly por-
tion OF the members OF Congress themselves. hence
while all the other sections Of the bill were adopted
by twothlrds majority and some even almost
unanimously, this eighty seventh section, amending
per pound and twenty-five per cent ad Uaioren, re.
'celved tie vOte-66 to 66-and was only passed by
the casns .n " vote Of me Speaker hs the speaker
into the law clandesnely and, he believed. dis
honestly. The National Tobacco ASSOCIATION was
already moving In the matter OF having this clause
repealed. hut all at they were again treated to
nce cold shower bath In the prop0sitiOn OF having
They, the manufacturers, knew nothing OF the pro
position while the House Committee OF Ways and
Means were sharpening their knives to whitte down
the duty still more, until the press published the
fact He wished the committee 10 amend their reso-
lurfons to this effect: He wanted the war to be
carried into Congress- anu they should ask not only
that the duty be reduced but that the clause re-
ferred to be repealed aud the duty fixed al the
lOTWcT ratcS IOr lie DeHeVeu Ln0t the 0menument OF
the Internal Revenue law IN so far as II Affects the
tarin, was no law at all Mr. Gallagher then at length
referred TO the increase In the price Of all the neces
sarles OF life, compelling the workinRmen to charge
more for their labor; Lnat the action OF the Ways
and Means committee was not only deathblow to
the manufacturers OF cigars Tut also the tobacco
growers IN Connecticut, ONO, Kentucky ana other
states; that all other trades not haraSsed
Tenth part as much as the tobacco trade: tnat the
shifting course Ol Congress had been such that they
knew not one day what the law would be the next,
ana for this reason tEey could make no engage
unnn nfru haA ufu oAv
Congress In this matter. Yet, while some members
proved good scholars. majority were too stupid TO
Tobacco Association would have great demonstra-
ti0n In this city 10 prove to Congress that they were
not willing to submit 70 such an oppressive course.
ence, since Congress played with them as the Cat
with the mouse, and nowit was proposed to devour
Mr. LORIN PALMER moved to amend the report 20
suggested by MIR. Gallagher, and the resolutions
were carried unanimously III the shape as given
Mr. D. HIRscu stated that the Committee Of Ways
ana Means of the House seem 70 believe that by re-
duclnE the duty on imported cigars they could pre-
vent smuggling. while the faces proved tnat there
was no more smuggling now than when the duty
price now paid the worKmen for making cigars was
eighteen dollars per thousand; the packing, assorr
ing, stripping bundIing and papering Of the boxes,
labor alone OF making cigars up TO twenty-five dol
lars, which is the average price Of Havana cigars
va vana. A imported tobacco @ pa pays thirty ave cents
gold duty per pound more than the price of the
tobacco at Havana; this was l25 per cent duty
VI tine cost Of manufacturing 1t here Hundreds or
manufacturers, when figuring up last New Year.
Iound themselves losers and went out OF business;
for the more cigars they sold the more money they
lost, and all that on account OF the action Of Con-
gress. He moved that on Thursday evening next O
mass meeting be held, inviting all employers and
employees to JOIN In the demonstration which was
adopted, and the Committee on Resolutions were
directed TO make the necessary preparations.
On motion OF Mr.. +. A. Schr0der q committee on
statistics was appointed, on which the chair named
the mover and Messrs Joseph Hail aud Louis Asch.
The chair stated that although he was not identified
with the high protective policy O the government yet
30 long as that renamed the policy OF the country,
Affecting the price OF all the necessares OF life the
people, he wished that the cigar trade should be
made an exception TO the prevailing rule, otherwise
the manufacturers could not pay living prices the
workmen and compete with the imported article
The meeting then adjourned.
On Thursday and Friday last q committee, consist
ing or Mr. William E. Lawrence President OF the
National Tobacco Association; MI Lorin Palmer, OF
the firm OF Palmer Scovlle, and Mr.. John StraitOn,
OF the drm OF SIrait0n, Schmitt u Storm, all Of this
city, had interviews At washington with the Com
mittee Of Ways and Means OF the House, protesting
against the proposed reduction OF duty on cigars.
They were well received but the future action or the
COMMITTEE is still IN DOUBT.