St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-12
GOES UP IN SMOKE.

The statistics published by the GLOBE Sun
day, writes prominent citizen, regarding
the magnitude of the cigar trade in this city,
and the figures of their consumption, afford
data for serious reflection to tine political
economist and to the social scientist. While
we have generally realized the magnitude. of
the tobacco evil in our nation at large (cost-
ing us, it is said. 900 annually. the
statistics given in the article referred to show
very plainly to us how widespread and costly
is this habit in our own community and
how dearly it costs us as people. II seems
75,030,000 cigars are imported here and
smoked in st. Paul annually. But 1 believe
that even this large amount is very far below
the actual consumption. as any one can see
by little observation and figuring Presum-
ing that there are $4,000 males in ST. Paul
over ten years of age, 1t is safe to say-so
prevalent is the custom among both young
and old-that 90, 900 of these are cigar smok-
ers. One cigar per day consumed by each
one would reach total used of u 900, 900 per
annum. But in fact the average number
consumed by each user per day would be
several times that number, many men
smoking, as is well known, ten to twenty
cigars per day. 1t is difficult to fix an esJi-
mate of the money cost of this consumption.
cost as a considerable proportion of smokers
use 2O-cent and 3O-cent cigars. This, then,
would make the startling sum of 81 10000
spent annually in our city for this useless in
duIgenee, and which once spent. has left no
good effects, ccomplished no real benefit to
any one, nor added one iota to the pe-ma-
nent sum of human happiness.
+
Over 100000 taken out of the pockets of
ST. Paul men annually Is serious drain on
the resources of the people, and may well
make those who are bordering schemes to
benefit and improve the condition OF their
fellow men ask if nothing can be done to re-
strict and abridge this evil, for such it has
beyond doubt grown to be. Every five years
S37, 800 900 is subtracted from our capital and
assets as a community. at the same time that
we are struggling SO hard, and devisin g
schemes as loyal citizens, to aid and develop
our civic prosperity. Those S31, 100000 invest
ed in good business enterprises would have
given magnificent boom to our beloved
city. And yet we complain of hard times. -
OF course, there are quantities of cigars
manufactured here, and this capital and the
wages expended here are valuable 10 our
city. but the proportion of these appear only
small at present compared to the entire con-
sumption, as your article states that e, 600
cigars are imported into the city annually,
and these doubtless, of the costlier kind.
These must be paid for with money thus alb
stracted from our circulation here.
+ +
think it cannot be assumed that this large
amount is spent mostly by rich men, and
that they do not feel it. Any one, by observ-
ing among his acquaintance, can see that
much of it is spent by men of quite limited
income, and who can lily afford the outlay.
and whose househo lds, in all probability, are
curtailed just that amount in their necessary
expenditures. | fear that there are many
young men, clerks, ETC.. on slender pay, who
find their expenditures in this line quite
onerous, and that they have difficulty. some
times, i'll paying their bills, after spending 81
or S. per week for cigars This money saved.
and placed in savings bank, or in building
association stock, might give many of them
a start in life. Money expended simply for
sensual enjoyment does not add anything to
the capital of the community, since one of
the parties receives no tangible equivalent
for his outlay. Nearly SS.000,000 expended
in smoke is so much distracted from our
working capital.
l have addressed this subject solely from
the economic standpoint. 1t is a question
deserving the serious attention of eyeryEpa-
triotic man.
OF course. am aware that the publication
of this article will not cause the use of a
single cigar less in our city, but it is we'll to
proclaim the truth about it, nevertheless.