The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-15
THE DAILY. STAR
TOBACCO.
How Much We Chewed and
Smoked. ,,-t

OF the annual report oil Colonel oluhey ~
Maxwell Superintendent of the Chamber
of Commerce.:
At the close of the preceding CONNER
cial year, careful estimates OF the euttine
leaf crop of 1878 indicated shortage OF
10 to Is per cent, as compared with the
previous year. The deficiency proved
greater than was anticipated, having been
been discovered, eventually, to be fully 2(
per cent. This reduction in supplies, Of
course, had Its influence on the extent OF
the business, reducing the aggregate re.
ceipts, at Cincinnati, about 10000 hogs
heads The receipts were 7S, 137 hogsheads,
in comparison with $3.50 hogsheads in
1S77-7S. ..'
1t will be seen that Notwithstanding the
reduction in business, Cincinnati enjoyed
her full share of the crop. The quality OF
the tobacco crop of 1878 was singularly
good. The winter having been cold and
unfavorable for stripping, the crop COM
menced moving very late, little of the new
tobacco having made its appearance here
prior to the latter part of March. The win
ter was distinguished by great dullness,
which was the more promoted by the agita-
ton in Congress of change in the tobacco
tax, the issue of which was in grave doubt
Tor a long period. The reduction of the tax
on chewing and smoking tobaccOs from "a
to IS cents per pound, and on snuff from 80
10 is cents per pound, which ensued late in
the winter, to take effect on the first day
of the following MAY, soon put new phase
on the whole tobacco trade. The cOnjunc-
II ,,,,t ~, e
the crop of 1878, and the general conviction
that the yield would be more seriously
short than at first anticipated, affected
ms. an upward movement, soon com
mpaucine p,ppi nh,ich continued until nearly the
close of August. ,. :.
The price of the tobacco from the cutting
regions, during the spring and summer, ad-
vanced from 5 to 10 cents per pound.
Fright lurs. which in March were quot
able at 6}a@7k cents per pound, hy the
middle of August commanded 10K@12K
cents. Bright filters, in the same period
advanced from SOIL cents to l5(919 cents.
Bright cutting leaf, from 9@12 cents, went
mn to l6a22 cents. Toward the close of
the commercial year the promise Of larger
supplies for the coming year, which
the growing crop furnished, af.
fected the market somewhat, and
nr;cov temnorarilv declined. The average
nrice of the whole year, notwithstanding
tbe inact;v;tv and low prices of the preced-
inc winter was fully 50 per cent above the
nrsev;ous wear The average price of the
tnbaccn sold at the warehouses, for ten
n,omtbS of fine present calendar wear, ac-
"ordins IN the 6cnres of F. A. Prague,
ESQ, was 1914 cents per pound, compared
w;th cents IN the entire calendar year of
1878 and sA in 1877. . ..
# 10 trne the shortness of the crop of
ts7s bad mnch IN do with the steadily in
cress;nc cr % values. but the sequel to the re-
auction in the tax was a substantial verii-
cation of the claims which were made by
tho renresentotiyes of the interest here, for
lover taxes that the former tax was largely
atav m tho industry which alike reduced
the valne of the crop to the farmer and
initiated against the interests of the manu-
facturer, The popularitv of the tobacco OF
Ills region for Mig as well as cutting pur-
noses has shown no abatement. The de-
mand has even been greater than ever be-
fore and the tobacco would have been
used still mora largely had not prices SO
advancad as IN affect the demand. The
revolntion which has taken. place in the
dam md for the tobacco or tllS region, Is a
most interesting commercial as we'll as agri.
cnitnral evant
That few stalks Of tobacco. presentino
. wbitisb sickIv appearance tolerated in !
single he'd Of nlants along the banks of tbe
OHIO sbould in eleven wears. grow into
snch favor as to work revolution in the
whole leaf business. aud constitute. per.
hans. nineteen-twentieths Of our whole
cutting crop, is wonder in production. and
one scarcely knows which to regard the
more marvellous. the lowly. mysterious
origin of the plant, or the tremendous de.
yelopmept which has expanded a. few seed
into a CROP, the demand for which is bv nc
means limited to our own country. The
receipts of tobacco at the warehouses. TO,
Me commercial year, aggregated 1881
bogsheads and 4 932 boxes. compared will
80 O22 hogsheads and 6,07o boxes in
l877-7S: the offerings, 38. 999 hogs.
heads and 5,272 boxes, in comparison
with 81, ,l42 bogsheads and 9,171 boxes; tbt
reiections 6721 hogsheads and | .5oS boxes
compar with II 1872 hogsheads and 9. SIC
boxes, and the sales 80, ,l49 ,hogsheads and
3.81l boxes, in comparison with 40 lac
hogsheads and 6,727 boxes. s.. 1t will thus bf
seen that the business Of the warehouse,
has. in ali respects, fallen materially be-
hind lS77-78. The reduction, however. i,
alone traceable to the shortness Of the crop
the business here having been larger. in