The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-05
WHEELING ST0GIES,
AND OUR TOBACCO IN GENERAL.
what 10 Does Toward Running the
Government and Pay ing the
National Debt.

Atlantic COhsL III huSust ioS1i HAN w.
taught by the simple hearted natives 70
crush dark brown, dried Leaf called "to-
bacccs," in his hand, ard after filling
little bowl of sospstone or clay with q
reed mou.hpiece, with the fragments
to light them and inhsle the smoke;
the famous Englishmsn hardly fsncied
that the same leaf which he was taught
to use, would ever become one of the
chief sources OF revenue to many nations
and be used in every cline from Russia
to Patagonia, to "Cheer the tsr's labor
and the Turkomsn's rest"
Ina recent article we spoke OF the
manufacture OF stogies and cigars In
Wheeling, ard now we propose to treat
of the same matter, but give wider
field TO our subject and show what pro-
portion of the revenue comes from
Wheeling. The tax derived by the gov
eminent last year from tobacco was
S4l, l06, 546 through the internal revenue
department, of which $lSO,OOO came
from Wheeling alone. This does not
include the duties paid on imported to-
b.cco at the custom house. The sum
mentioned was Sl,3O0,0OO larg.
or than WIS ever collected
from the same source before.
of the S4l,O0O,000 already mentioned
sac, $50, 1856 was net income to the gov
eminent derived from ll2,722,O54
cigars and cheroots, 140,069,257 cigarettes
and 3,424,0 48 pounds OF snuff and special
take, paid by 1916 manufacturers Of
cigars, $50 makers Of chewing and
smoking tobacco, ALI dealers in Leaf,
800 l4l dealers in manufactured tobacco
and l,S47 peddlers OF the weed, 3O,OOO,-
COO of the cheroots and cigars and
10000 pounds of the tobacco is Wheel
ins's proportion of this. The In
ternsl revenue receipts last year
were Sll2,226,047 and thus it will
be seen that over one-thlrd
of the entire sum was derived from to.
bacco. Although, as we have said, the
revenue last wear from this article was
larger than ever before known, it prom
lses to be still greater this year. TIE in
creased consumption of last year over the
previous one was 5,65S, 500 pounds, and
the extremely low prices which preval!
at present will probably double this Ia
creased consumption during 1878. Now
read this carefully and think over what
follows: Since 1862 the enormous
sum OF 81, 1872, S29,926 has been paid
TO the government in internal taxes on
liquors, tobacco, banks, bankers and other
matters. The greater portion came from
LIQUORS and cigars. The entire amount
is larger than the principal OF the public
debt BY STE, 100000, the debt in Decem.
Der, 1877, being $2,046, OFFICES. During
the fifteen years of which we have spoken
the tax on tobacco amounted TO $780,
O0O,CO0. This would have paid the
debts of one hundred and thirty of OUT
largest cities in 1866, when they
footed up total OF 500, 3l2 600 twice
over, aad would almost cover them now
when they are $644,000,000. The ssla-
ries paid revenue officers by the Govern
ment since 1862, all count up to SD, O29,-
$50, and Of this 81 100000 were spent in
collecting tobacco tax.
We have frequently alluded TO the
present tax on tobacco, and II Is to be
hoped that the amendment proposed to
the tariff bill will be made ard then the
internal tax looked after. At present
cigars and cheroots are taxed So %
aud So % per thousand, cigarettes
Sl75 and So, and manufactured tobacco
20 and "a cents per pound. The large
manufacturers are very much opposed to
the reduction Of the tax, because they
say that then men with small capital will
enter into the business, and II will cost
the government so much more TO col leCt
the revenue.
The duty on imported tobacco is SO
cents per pound Tor leaf not stemmed,
and 80 cents for stemmed; imported CT.
CARS are very heavily taxed, and have,
in addition, to pay the regular
internal revenue tax OF So or Sc thou
sand. The smokers have TO pay dearly
for this luxury of imported cigars.
The magnitude Of our imports OF to-
bacco is shown by the fact that during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, they
were 7,55l5S3 pounds of leaf tobacco,
valued AT $3,729,6lS, and $50, 524 pounds
OF cigars, valued at $2,0023i7, besides
other manufactures of tobacco valued at
$SI23l, making q total valuation Of
$5,Sl2,000.
During the fiscal year of SlS75.G, 1882
97I pounds of leaf &c bacco, worth SO, no.
400, and Cos, 653 pounds of cigars, valued
a. $2,37l,l 57, were imported. Almost all
of this came from Cuba, though there
were moderate importations from Cen
trail America, Chill, China, Germany,
England, Canada, Mexico, and other
parts: and the bulk was consumed in this
country, only 265, 600 pounds of this for
elgn leaf and 81 900 OF cigars being re.
exported. AS intimsted, the mott
of our importstions of foreign tobacco,
are from Hsvsns-the most costly of
any in the world. 1t is matter OF
some interest TO note our consumption
per capita of tobacco. DR.. Young, Chief
of the Bureau of Statistics at Washing.
ton. states it Sc follows: In 1877, 0.l5l
pounds; in 1876, 0.l56 pounds; in 1875,
OH pounds; in 1874, 0.2l5 pounds; in
1873, 0.2lS pounds. and in 1872, OILS
pounds. A gradual reduction since the
panic Is here indicated. There is always
large surplus supply on hand, and by
the last statement the 9usntity of all
kinds in warehouse was nearly 1900, 900
pounds, worth Sl,525,000 ana even this
does not begin to cover the actual guam
tity svsilsble, since the stocks in the In
terror towns are enormous.
Then, too, our export trade in domes.
tic tobacco is enormous. Last year our
exports of homegrown leaf were 49,
$4,000 pounds, valued a. S2S, S25, 52l,
besides SS,l54, GOO worth of cigars, cigar.
cites and snuff; in 1875 there were 223,-
90l, 0O0 pounds, worth S25,24l 900, TO-
gelher with 100000 worth of cigars
&c; IN 1874 the exports of leaf reached
the unprecedented total OF 3lS,000,000
pounds. The progress of this important
branch of trade is shown by the fact that
in 1870 only ls5,74s,ssl pounds were
exported, S6,6S7, 2l9 pounds less than last
year. These figures are IN relation TO
home grown tobacco entirely.
OF The shipments, 6S,O35,7ls pounds,