The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-03
A Blow to the Cigar Trade.

Smokers will be particularly interested in
knowing that if the Mckinley tariff bill
becomes a.law the price of cigars will be
higher, but the increase in duties on tobacco,
which will cause an advance in the price of
cigars, is small matter compared with
other iniquitous provisions of the tobacco
schedule. The provisions of the schedule
are as follows:
~39 Leaf tobacco suitable for cigar-wrappers:
# not stemmed, So per pound; if slemmed.
g 70 per pound. Provided, That il any portion
oil any tobacco imported in any bale, box, or
package, or in bulk shall be suitable for cigar
wrappers, the entire quantity of tobacco con
tanned IN such bale, box, or package, bulk
snail be dutiable; if not stemmed, at 50 per
pound; If stemmed. at 50 IS per pound.
go All other tobacco in leaf, manufactured
and not stemmed. IS cents per pound; if
stemmed. 50 cents per pound.
al. Tobacco manufactured, of all descrip-
lions not especially enumerated or provided Tor
IN this act, 40 cents per pound.
2i& Snuff and snuff -four, manufactured of
tobacco, ground dry or damp, and picked,
scented or otherwise, of all descriptions, 50
cents per pound
243 Cigars, cigarettes and cheroots of all
KINDS. 81 so per pound and % per centum ad
valoremi but paper cigars and cigarettes, in
GLIDING wrappers. shall be subject to the same
duties as are herein imposed upon cigars
The tax on both wrappers and filters at
the present time is 35 cents per pound, and
it is proposed, under the provisional clause,
to leave the tax on filters the same, but TO
advance wrappers TO 50 per pound. 1t is
estimated that it requires twelve pounds of
wrappers to make l ZOO cigars, which, at an
advance Of 81 65 per pound, will make an
additional cost of $40 so per / ,OO0
Now as to the obnoxious provisional
clause, which will work hardship on the
manufacturers: They say that wrappers
and filters are baled separately, and that it
IS almost an impossibility to pack filler
without getting in a few leaves that might
make wrappers, and as the matter would be
left to the judgment of an appraiser the
manufacturers will be entirely at the mercy
of men who are not experts, and who prob
ably will not be able to tell a
wrapper from sweated cabbage leaf. If
appraised as wrappers the entire lot will be
dutiable at 81 per pound, if not stemmed,
and 50 rs per pound if stemmed. In conse-
quence of this advance cigars containing
Havana tobacco will cost the manufacturer
from two to three cents more apiece. and
the increased cost to the smoker will prob
ably be five cents each.
The manufacturers in this country will
not admit that this is home protection On
the contrary, they say that they will not he
able to produce Havana cigars at within so
per cent. of the former rates. or they must
manufacture such an inferior quality to
obtain present prices that smokers will
rather use pipe or cigarettes than smoke
common cigars. 1t is the opinion of lead
ing clgas manufacturers that all large
United States manufacturers of Havana
goods will be driven out of the trade, mill
ions of dollars of invested capital de-
stroyed and thousands thrown out of en-
ployment.