The New York herald., 1878-07-11
rADuLTERATED CIGARS.

oUrcRy OF THE HAVANA ciGARMAKERs
HOW THE RIVAL IsL'ND IS INJuRiSG The
TRADE OF THE FAITHFUL ISLE.
Tho Introduction OF the inferior tobacco Of Porte
Rico into Cuba considerable excitement among
the Havana cigar manufacturers Nearly all Tue
newspapers island have denounced the isnporta
ton injustice and serious Injury TO the Cuban
trade. This invasion or time -honored monopoly
partly grown OF the late Cuban insurrection
The spannh government was unwilling 10 admit CUBAN
delegates TO the Cores OF The prcsum
disIoyslty OF the island; but Porto Rlco. being at
peace. was allowed representation in spain. Tho
Porto Rico delegates made shrewd Of this advan-
tage. The Executive government standing in need
their support set aside law repealed by the
Corles which Iorbids any importation Of tobacco
whatever into Cubs 70 preserve in its perfection
the unrivanst crop OF that island. A "permit' was
granted TO the merchants piaAtsrs Porto Rico
10 ship their tobacco Cuba. This privilege or.g.
nnlly conceded in 1871 spsedry repealed "a ac-
count Of u storm OF opposition IRON the authorities
and merchants Havana; but IN 1878 the Porto Rico
dceson again swapped their lavors for the privilege
OF umping their tobacco crop upon Cuba For more
than years they have done this un!nterruptsdy.
until reputation Of Cuban cigars has been reduced
by an immense mixture of inferior tobacco from all
paris oil tne world--Germany, Hungary. the United
States, Mexico ana 81. Domingo
EXTENT OF INJURY TO CUBA
Porto Rico q certain Tree trade colony.
II grows tobacco than is needed for domestic
consumption, aud this poorer than the tobacco Of
ST. Domingo and the United States. and brogs less in
the home markets. Tho effect of the franchise gwen
10 Porto Rico Is not 90 much 10 work of their own
tobacco 10 bale their own the common tobaccos
OF the world and sell them In Cuba ut hundreds per
cent advance. Tho duty is only i've cents pound
foreign tebaccos in Poro Rico. The price
OF foreign tobaccos from eight cents pound 10
twelve conts for the best AmerIcau In Cuba oilers
for cigars cost thirty 10 iorty cents pound, and to-
bacco for wrappers brings 81 to S. pound. The
profit the tobacco admitted only from Porto Rico,
Is therefore, enormous and under such stimulation
the mportstions from Porto Kico have steadily In
creased, until the bastard tobacco nearly
three.iourths much AZ the whole cigar export OF
Cuba. The Porto Rico bales packages contain 200
pounds AS high 800 OF these bales or 800, 900
DO unds month entering Cuba from Porto Kico,
equal when manufactured, to the contents Of
IL 900 cigars. AZ this ratio nearly one hundred
ana iy millions o cigars year are made IN Cuba OF
low prioed foreign tobacco!
CUBAN NEWSPAPER OPPOSITION
The Diario de la Adraa, Of Havana, Juno q. do
votes double loaded leader three columns TO THIS
abuse follows oi the extent OF the adulter-
alton vi Havana cigxrs:- fa#,
.As cupldily has no conscience there are men who,
to ootain an immediate profit NIX the indgenous
product wit the exotic. and out oi one baic OF good
Vust0 Abajo tobacco make two and there are others
Bduerate tho mixture IN the same proportion IN
the process ol manufacture There rave been several
months in which the Importation from our sister
island has amounted to ]. 500 bales"
The Same article continues In the following amenta-
tiou:-
ssIhs pernicous measure aoes not its birth to
any poliIical cabal is opposed to law still unre-
peaed which decs,veiy pronibts the i'm portation OF
leaf tobacco from any point whatevcr--i law WHICH
vas sas.a0'se 20 Doa ana an. 1ors
(Havana) wcrc grown in The island. That guarantee
aS0 nur unie r0du a
ing ground among European consumers that IN order
to buy cigars Of pure vueo Abaio tobacco they must
have to Cuban tobacco manu- acured IN the
United Statexn
La Razon published In Havana, cevotes ITS entire
editorial page (seven columns) Ot June 2, 10 q loud
exclamation against calamity that nas como upon
tho Havana cigar manufacture by 1.-The dumping oil
Rico bales upon our favored isle" that tue
pure vueto Abujo leaf will be exported and made up
sxaesa as ,usrs uron our iuisr,or c,cars .A''
rno Boetin COmerciat. OF Havana, dase May II.
tobacco from Porto Rico since January had anoun,ed
10 6,vS0 packagss or l,2l6, 200 pounds.
CUBASs IN NEW YORK
As this IL IN Cuoa the question ID,
Where does II get tos That Was The inquiry our re.
porter put 20 group oi spanish merchants who bad
brought The subject accompanying papers TO his
attention.. The reply was as iolIows:-
Nwe mako iu Cuba 100000 600 cigars year. OF
thesc thrse-sevcnths, or 15000v 900, are smoked
the island, where smoking Is universal everybody
knows good cigar. IL IL not probable that tue cou-
In Hayana the best Rs,na Victoria cigar costs only
nine cents The quantity OF cigars exported from Has
vana is zoo, ooo 900 Fully hall these now come TO tug
Uuitsd States The Americans have been Ia the habit
OF accepting their Custom House stamp, pledgina
each box 10 have been exported from Havana a. uns
dob liable proof OF the virtue OF the cxar In past
years Havana cigars necessarily pure. bsoauss
no other tobacco ~as admitted IN any other port Of
with coarse ST. Domlngo Hungarian tobacco, will
be ultimately iound out and cigar made in New
York oi undoubted Cuos leaf will be preicrred to 10
Tor quality, no less than ior price. ;"
ny do you suppose tnat the United states gets
the cigars made ol Porto Rcos impor rtaton?''
s'Because there only two other countries which
take Havana cigars IN any qusntisy-Spain and Engs
land. France msnuiacturss all tobacco as . SsaN
monopoly. Germany does not high priced cigars.
In England there no custom houss stamp placed on
the Havana boxes, and buyers therefore rey on the
reputation oi certain brands and makers or exam no
the cigars 10 their merits. 1t IS not 50 IN the
United states, where the people are not suspicious
and accept the Custom House stamp ON the box az
ample guarantee That AFFORDS the unprincipled man-
ulacturer IN Cuba ms opportunity 70 run on Inc rorN
.whst Is lhe amount OF pront in the oneatf"
"Thc host tobacco outside o Caban native Is Amcrt
cam which sells Ia New YORK ., a shilling pound.
or Nov YORK, 10 be marketed N Porto Rico, packed In
Porto Rico packages and sold ~ Cuba II comes back
10 New York as Havana cigars. and pays tho duty-
81 SO per pound-besIdcs twenty 1--we per cent ad va
forum. rhc Custom House stamp pat New YORK IN
surss IL Market How long Can We maintain our
reputation anu prices with such duty against us
and a gus cgarY"
sswuai are you going TO do about tuf"'
sTbe reputable cigar manufacturers OF Cuba have
pettionca Captain General but he has scant power
TO act ~ the lace Of IN imperial psr% "a 80 we
Offset Porto Rico with . rival political innuence
As 1t Is, we arc now the mere pack horse Of Porto
Rico nnd she saddles upon asd our reputation tne
mongrsi tobAccos oi tnc universe. some of ~
seriously mediate establishing our factories In the
United States Our workmcD, TO the number OF
thousands have already removed here. New York
is iui OF them, aud ~ koy West there are about our
thousand o our cgarmakers' =
''Can you maze good a cigar Of Cuban tobacco 10
TINS country In Havana ?'
''wo can II import the perfectly cured Leaf
Tuoso OF us who manufacture extensively IN Havana
also grow our tobacco aui cure IT, IL viii be lar
better Ior us To bring our own tobacco to New YORK
and avoid tue enormous duty, and from hence
markets o tho world than 10 1850 our grade
by encouraging the cheat OF palniins OF Porto RICO
Importation, as vuslto Absjo, under the Amor IAN
Customs stamp
THE VANDERBILT WILL.