Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-12
THE TOBACCO MARKET.
SEED LEAF AND HAVANA.

For tae Week Ending Saturday, December
10, 10 A. NJ.
u. s. Tobacco Joutnal.
No Improvement in the market has been
noticeable. While the announcement of
the many failures in the trade has had
a depressing influence with the firms di-
rcctly suffering thereby, they have not af-
fected the general tenor Of the market.
Under ordinary circumstances such failures
and such prolonged quietudc would surely
have caused downward move iii prices.
But our whole seed leaf interest is en-
velOped in extraordinary conditions, the
unabating activity in manufacturing CIR
cles being the prime cause. AS icng as
there is no sign of any, OF probably but
temporary taxation of this reign OF pros
perity in this respect, failures and short
periods of quictudc can have no effect
whatever on the prices of seed leaf.
The market is full OF rumors of impend-
ing new failures in the manufacturing
line, and there is little doubt but that
these rumors will to some extent be YER
iiied in the near future. We hold that
such events can iu no way reflect upon the
sOundress of the cigar manufacturing i'll
tcrcsts in general. The unprecedented
activity in the trade was not Of q specuia-
tive character, but was brought about by a
genuine demand from the consuming pub
lic Those Of the manufacturers who have
lately failed and will probably fail within
the next few months, failed, and fail for
every other good reason bat for an outlet
for their goods. Whether the outlets tor
cigars were profitable to every cigar manu-.
fac.urer is question that has no bearing
upon the prices Of leaf.
Some manufacturers have failed, and
will fail, whether the cost OF wrapper Is
five cents or fifty cents pound. In a cigar
manufacturing business the cost of leaf is
a secondary consideration ; manipulation
of the leaf, management of the business,
and, above all, the art of calculating the
cost Of a made up cigar (somcthing which
the majority of the manufacturers are un-
able to do) constitute the main features Of
Success in this business. Therefore the
present cry that the old tobacco is too
high and the new one still higher, and
that it will be hard task to dispose OF it
is all bosh. 1t will be well for those con-
templating early purchases of 81 stock to
pay 10 attention whatever to reports rs to
the quality and looks of this or that crop.
but judge for themselves by actual cxami-
naticn. Reports, whether they originate
with parties resident in the particular
tobacco growing sections, booZy country
newspaper reporters, or preambu.ating
leaf brokers in Cur market, arc in the
main very unreliable. The opinions of
packers in this respect arc still more
worthless. The sales Of the week COM
prise but about 900 cases, of which 800
were 81 Pennsylvania, balance small
parcels of other crops. No Change in
prices.
Havana-MaIkct quiet sales 800 bales,
10 change i'll prices.
The Philadelphia Market.
Leaf
Seed Icaf.-Dcalcrs claim trade much
better than customary at this season of
the year in cigar Leaf, for it should not be
forgotten that this is the proper and cspe-
cial time for cigar manufacturers to render
their inventory of stock to the United
States internal revenue department, after
which they commence anew for the follow
ing year; therefore it is desirable to work
up all the odds and ends in order to make
Il clean sheet. Prices generally remain
steady.
Gians's Reports.
Sales of seed leaf tobacco reported by J..
:. Gans' Son & Co, tobacco brokers, No.
i3l Water street, New York, for the week
ending Dec. i:, 1881 400 cases 1880