The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-11-16
Read Navra's invitation to the China Palac
Get your kid gloves at Kreeger's.
THE TOBACCO QUESTION.

It VIII surely Come hack to New orleans
and that soon.
The great interest taken in our tobacco trade
and the necessity that 10 now fully appreciated
that we must, II possible, regain IL is increasing
hourly. The loss to metropolis Of one com.
moditz is even greater than the direct profits 1t
may bring and diversion Of trade always 10 the
precursor OF line OF other commercial evils
that follow as by some natural law. Hence 1t is
that tie efforts now being put forth to bring
back TO New Orleans the tobacco interests are 90
strong and as will soon be proved, 1t IL to be
hoped, effectual. Yesterday . representative OF
the DEMOCRAT called upon
MIR. g. W. ALLEN,
OF the firm Of Jno. Z. King u Co., house OF
long experience in the trade and one that won
for itself an enviable name. After the usual
salutations the reporter asked the opinion of Mr..
Allen concerning the falling of in this branch Of
our commerce with the West.
Mr.. Al was just reading an article in your
paper on the subject. l think Messrs. Torian Il
Blakemore have put it about as correctly as 1t
can be put. Our loss OF this trade Is due, you
France took from 10000 to 900 hogsheads,
Spain about the same, and Italy from 12,000 to
$4,000, and these purchases were made almost
entirely
IN THIS MARKET
through the reggie buyers. These governments
have The entire control of the sale OF tobacco
within their borders, and sell contracts for fur.
nshing it just as the United States gives out the
contracts for furnishing supplies to her army,
and that is to the lowest bidder. These buyers,
having an enormous contract, have the means IN
a great measure Of controlling the trade, for they
can send on their first installment. and II they let
their governments know that they can get q
superior article, they can easily get an extension
OF time to complete their other installments.
These buJ ers make very handsome profits and
one Of them is now
LIVING IN BRUSSELS,
and ia reported worth $40, ,OO0 600. OF late years
it hiss been the habit Of these buyers to go to the
ssbreaks" themselves when the tobacco is sold
Just from the planter, and thus they need not, as
they formerly used to do, 60 to the seaboard to
buy. This has been largely instrumental in hurt
ing New Orleans as market.
Rep.--How do you think, then, New Orleans
can recover this trader
Mr.. An this way. These reggie buyers will
soon begin to think they have the market in their
own hands, and prices will consequently go
at the lowermost price. When the planter realizes
this think ne will ship his tobacco himself
TO THE MERCHANT,
and the present system will be broken up and
our trade regained.
MR.. JOSEPH D. VAN BENTHUYsEN,
one OF our largest dealers in manufactured to.
baoco, was also visited. When questioned on the
subject he said:
swell, it is little difficult to say in few words
why our market has fallen off so. don't think
could explain IL better than by saying that it is
due TO competition. Competition is the word
that expresses it all. OF late years manufac-
turere have been sending out their drummers
oil over the country, just as the dry goods
and other houses at the North have been doing.
The consequence is that these drummers absorb
the major portion Of the trade in manufactured
tobacco, leaving little or nothing for the dealer.
cannot speak about the leaf trade, but in man
tobacco IL has fallen off greatly.
Several other parties were interviewed, and
The same results and opinions like those already
published were expressed.