Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-30
THE CIGAR SCALE
Will Be Paid, Commeacing on To-
... morrow. -., ...,--
Oyerproduction in Cigars Likely to Produce
Reaction-Cheap Pennsylvania Cigars
Interview with Manufacturers.

Tomorrow, the 1st day Of May, the rev.
enue reduction on tobacco takes place.
The tax on cigars of all grades is reduced
s32 per thousand, and on tobacco 3 cents on
the pound. This Is the last day on which
the Union cigarmakers will work under
the old scale, their demand going into ef
feet tomorrow. To learn the intentions
of manufacturers in regard to this scale,
was the mission of REGISTER reporter yes
terday. The first tobacconist talked to
said:
81 will give the demand, rather than lie
idle. The great trouble in this vicinity is.
the manufacturers have no association, and
will not stick together. Several times an
organization has been started, but TO no
good, for when a meeting was held some
OF the members would not agree and then
4 split would follow. No, that is one rea-
son why | will pay the demand asked, but
/ will say this much, think it is very III
advised on the part of the wOrkmen and
/ believe a reaction will take place in
few months that will cause their wages to
go to much lower figure than they now
receive"
Is your TcdsOH SuppOSLhH
wages will be reduced again ?" asked the
reporter.
''Well, it is just this. At this time the
manufacturers, that is ! have, and have
been informed by others, too, that they
have, been crowded with cigars have
six months stock on hand, and If the mar
ket does not take big boom, why not over
one-third of the stock on hand in this city
will be sold, and whenever a manufacturer
finds he has very large stock on hands
and he thinks the market fully stocked,
right there he stops making cigars and
awaits the consumption ofthose already on
the market. This action will throw the
cigar makers out of employment, and as
they are bound TO live, the manufacturers
can make their own terms with them, or
continue to keep his factory closed
Then If | understand you rightly you
do not expect big trade after the lst OF
May"
THAT is Just what mean. Now it is
still true | expect trade to be fair after May
/, but if am not badly mistaken there will
be no BOOM
Another manufacturer was approached
by the reporter and he gave the following
as his view of the subject:
IL am going TO give the advance, partly
because it is right and because do not see
any other way out of the trouble
One of the largest manufactures i'll the
city was entered and the owner expressed
himself as follows:
I'm the stogie trade very little change
will be made in the prices, excepting on
one grade, and it will sell hereafter at one
cent each but on the better grades no
change will be made
How is that asked the reporter.
"Well for instance, we retail seed Stoges
at $3.50 per 900, in this city. Now We
sell them wholesale al $3.50 per |, 0l0 SD
you can Judge from that about how much
reduction will be made. And another
thing a stogie cannot be made AS cheap as
the Pennsylvania cigar. ! can sell you
nicely made cigar, similar To tip which
in some portions of this city are sold for
tips and put up in nice wooden boxes, 100
to the box, for s. to s. per l,0W. Now
Wheeling stogie can not be made for that
figure and manufacturer make anything
out of his investment. The Cigarmakers
will be receiving a larger price for making
stogies after the lst of the month than was
ever paid before, even during the war when
stogies were high"
One or two of the manufacturers IN the
city informed the reporter that they would
not pay the advance. Thus the matter
stands One or two of the gentlemen who
were reported stated further they had mott
fled their workmen on Saturday that they
would pay the advance asked. And it can
safely be said those who will not pay it
will not have any cigars made by the union
men.