The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-03
KEY WEST FEARS RUIN.
A RED-HOT PROTEST AGAINST THE
NEW DUTIES ON TOBACCO.

w NAAO WY
WASHINGTON, April 2.-The ways and
means republicans were deluged with pro-
tests against their bill to-day and were
actually forced to give bearing ON it after
announcing that hearings were closed.
Among those heard were some staunch re-
publican manufacturers of New York city
who contributed literally OF money and
effort to the Harrison campaign and who
came now to protest against the increased
duty on wrapper tobacco. Last time I
saw you,n said friend to one of them in the
committee room, ''you were carrying BAN
ner in a procession and shouting for Har-
rlson and protection"
"That's me-" said the cigar man, land
I've had enough of both l can tell you."
TAKEN VERY CooLLY.
The ways aud means republicans took the
protests very coolly when Representative
Gambler of Massachusetts, read the vigorous
remonstrance of the Shoe and Leather As
sociation to Chairman Mckinley to-day.
Mr.. Mckinley listened courteously to the
end, and then remarked that Mr.. Candler's
colleague, Mr.. Walker OF Massachusetts,
himself shoe and leather man, did not
take that view. Mr., Walkers expression
of a willingness to accept the tax on hides
seems to be the chief defense of Chairman
Mckinley against protests from the other
New England men. He makes that same
remark about Mr.. Walkers diverse view TO
all Of them who demonstrate with him.
M'KINLEY's REVENGE.
Back of all this is Mr.. McKinley's feeling
that he owes nothing to New England and
has nothing TO expect from New England.
lie believes, for example, that if all the
New Englanders had voted according to
their convictions he would have been
speaker instead of Mr.. Reed. Naturally he
cannot feel much sympathy with Mr.. Reeds
New England lieutenant, Henry Cabot
Lodge, who mournfully contemplates the
new tax on Lynn's industries. The ways
and means republicans, however, talk now
of getting their bill through by concessions,
intimating that even the hide tax may be
conceded or the increase on carpet woods,
but nobody credits or expects this.
TOBACCO MANUFACTURERS HEARD.
A special meeting of the committee was
held to-day to hear a large delegation of
tobacco manufacturers, mostly from the
south, upon the tobacco schedules of the
tariff bill. There were present J. Seiden-
berg, E. II. Cato, E. o. Locke, f. M.
Semple and Ramon Alvareze, representing
the Key West Board of Trade and Manu-
facturers' Association; S. NJ. Sparkman, J.
B. Wall. f. R. Gunby, H. J.
Cooper, H. Glogowski, E: Manrara,
and S. A. Jones of Tampa;
w. E. Barnett, and G.. G.. Stachelberg.of
New York. The delegations were intro
duced by Representative Davidson Of Flor
ida, and Mr.. Locke opened the argument,
not as cigarmaker but as citizen of Key
West, representing the board of trade.
A VIGOROUS ATTACK.
He made vigorous attack upon the to-
bacco schedules of the pending bill, assert
ing that if they were enacted into lew the
effect would be to utterly ruin the tobacco
industry az Key West and completely de-
stroy the city of $4,000 people, nearly all
engaged in active work. The city used no
domestic tobacco, and all of the cigars made
there we're composed of Havana tobacco.
Mr.. Locke drew graphic picture of the
terrible economic effect upon Key West of
the last three months strike, when Spanish
government vessels were sent over to trans
port cigar makers to Cuban factories, aud
this state of affairs, he said, would
be repeated in the event of the passage of
the bill with the tobacco schedules as they
| stand. The price of 1000 cigars would, he
said, be increased SIS to S25.
The great increase in duty would benefit
no one, as there was no competition between
domestic and Havana tobacco. The peo-
pie who smoked Havanas would
continue to smoke them at almost any price,
but instead of being made largely in this
country as at present the cigars would be
made in Cuba, where the manufacturers had
already hailed with delight the action of
the ways and means committee.
KEY WEST MEMORIAL.
Mr.. Locke laid before the committee
memorial drawn by the cigar lnanufact-
urers of Key West, at q meeting held
March q. 1t recites that il the Mckinley
tariff bill in its tobacco sections becomes a
law, it will destroy an industry which has
built up and now sustains a city of over
%, 900 inhabitants; that the peculiar quail
ties and conditions of the atmos-
phere of Cuba being found
at Key West induced some years ago the
manufacture of cigars OF clear Havana
tobacco, which has SO grown that Key West
is now the largest competitor OF Havana, as
is shown by the increase in the
production of clear Havanas at
Key West from 34,9S9,125 in 1880
to 95, ,SSS, ,319 in 1889, and the fact that over
1900 Cuban naturalized American citizens
are now employed there; that the proposed
duty ofeS2 per pound on tobacco would
facture, as the product would be too costly
to find a market.
THE ATTACHED RESOLUTIONS.
ut IoSOltlJlJlS EOUdCucQ W Ulo
declarethat the tobacco schedules will ruin
Key West and prohibit the manufacture of
Havana cigars throughout the United
States; that only per cent. of the total CT
gar production is made up of this class /;
that they are SO high in price that the
do not compete with domestic
cigars; that the cigar interests
favor the retention Of the present duties,
but that if there should be any increase it
should be on wrappers exclusively, and then
the duty on cigars should be increased to SIS
per 1000. The board of trade indorses these
resolutions. and urges modification of the
bill, as do the cigarmakers and laborers of
Key West
THE WRAPPER CLAUSE ATTACHED.
Mr.. Locke was followed by Collector &.
r. Gunby of Tampa, who confirmed his
statements, and attacked that section of the
bill which seeks 10 make dutiable as wrapper
tobacco any bale OF leaf tooacco containing
a few wrappers. As no bale was entirely
free from wrappers the effect would be to
prohibit the manufacture in this country of
cigars made from Cuban tobacco.
AT the conclusion Of the argument Repre-
sentative Payne asked if a compensating
duty Of SO pound on Havana cigars would
not sufficiently protect the Key West cigar
makers. The delegates replied that they
would much prefer to let tae present duties
stand. but il a change must be made it
should be on wrappers and not on filters.