New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-10
TOBACCO.
HOW THE NEW TARIFF AFFECTS THE
COST OF CIGARS.

ALL IN cosT-cIGARs IMPROVED IN QUAIL
IrY AS WE'LL AS CHEApENED IN PRICE.
American tobacco growers are becoming pros
perous under the Mckinley tariff. They are re-
ceivinQ from 80 to As per cent more for THEM
nroduct than thew used to before the new tariff
law went into effect. 1t may surprise some people
to know it, but it is fact that while the growers
are almost doubling their cash receipts the con-
sumers are paying no more than they did before
| for the manufactured product
There are people In the world perhaps, who
will say that tobacco is not one OF the necessaries
of life and that, therefore, its CULTIVATION I'M
portation, manufacture and sale should not Do
cited in illustrating the benefcent enects OF tne
protective tariff. II, however, the same people
were asked whether tea and coffee are more neces-
sary than tobacco in solving the problem OF
life. they would probably evaGe the issue. AS
| fact, none Of them are necessaries, but all OF
| them are more than luxuries-yea they ere CON-
forts Unfortunately no parallel comparisons can
| be drawn for the reason that we DO not raise tes
or coffee here. Let the tobacco users ana the
tea and coffee drinkers settle among themselves
AZ TO which OF their favorites is the most neceS
sary The tariff has to do only with the pro-
lection Of the domestic product. Since we don't
raise tea or coffee we protect tobacco, and tea
and coffee come In free Of duty.
| The Mckinley bill raised the duty on tobacco
for wrappers very largely, and the result Is area"y
seen in the greatly increased acreage OF american
| plantations the enhanced value or the domesuo
| leaf the increased manufactures, ana, peyonu OH
else in an improved quality at no add'ionai coSo
70 the consumer. The vastness or the cigar
| MAILING industry NAV be imagined when it Is
said that four thousand and five hundred millions
NJ cigars are made annually in the Unl'eo states;
About two-thirds of this number are maoe OIL
mr. in mart of the domestic filler with an imported
wrapper Instead OF using nothing Dut iia'ana
filters. the imported filters are mixed "l'h mo
domestic in cheaper grades OF CIGARS mus pl'uuO
inc better quality at the same price as lor'
mery. ..o ar.e4
Ro,oro the Mckinley bill was passed the hnees
,,nos,,o wr.nners sold for 40 and so cents
,ound They now bring IS cents pouno. Inc
boat binders now sell for 80 and 81 Genus poun"'
.coirs, % and % cents two years ago Inc ou-
matra leaf has always been extensively lmpoi"u
for use as wrappers. Under the old tarlu 'iei0
was a duty of 3j cents pound on ou,n"""
wranpers when there were less than loo ied'e'
~ rho Mound. and of IS cents pound when loo
A. moro leaves were required to give the weight
The Mckinley bill provided duty OF ~ pound
IN all Sumatra leaf
Tho Sumatra leaf is used as wrappers because
. ia necuIar smoothness and lightness OF color,
not because the quality is superior to our own
A prominent manufacturer said yesterday
,one that in time we will be able to grow leaf
equal in appearance to that of Sumatra, ana In
onaltv 70 that Of Havana. Our farmers certainly
are receiving abundant encouragement. non
know any reason why we should not raise leaf
that would serve as we'll for wrappers as any
thing we now import 1t is all matter Of looks
ANYWAY for 50 far as quality is concerned onr
Connecticut virginia and Florida tobacco Is TAR
botter than the Sumatra. The Sumatra wrapper
ia used solely because il Is pleasing 10 the eye
Consumers prefer it, and, Of course, we have 70
give them what they want. The most expert
connoseurs, who Judge the quality OF TOBACCO
by the taste rather than by the eye, prefer the
Havana wrapper b. the Sumatra. Now as our
own leaf is Of a higher grade as to quahty IMAM
the Sumatra, doesn't it stand TO reason that In
time we will he able to get along without the I'M
ported wrapper?
I'VE do not profess t. be able to raise as hne
n quality of filler as they do in Havana, so we
have to import filters for our best American-made
cigars and wrappers, too Under the Mckinley
tariff we can import beth filters and wrappers, pay
a good price for labor, and turn out better CT
oar than can be made in Havana and s)ld here at
even much higher price. We are making cigars
that retail for 10 cents each that are far better
than the imported lj-cent cigar. We use bet
ter quality of filler. and owing TO the added duty
of 81 pound on cigars we can undersell even
tho cheaper qualities of the imported manu-
featured product.
with the increased production Of the domestic
leaf there has been, naturally, large increase
in the amount manufactured. This has resulted
in the marketing of vast quantity of domestic
made cigars which are sold in competition with
those imported. There has been no decrease or
wages amonr cigar manufacturers since the new
tariff adopted; on the contrary, the tendency
has been toward an Increase IN wages tlSir-
makers are paid BY the thousand, according to the
grade Of cigars upon which they are employee.
receive $50 thousand. The higher grades or
cigars made entirely Of imported Havana
tobacco and Sumatra wrappers. The cigar-makers
earn anywhere from SIa to 500 per week. the
weekly compensation depending LARGELY upon IN
dividua energy and industry. The cheaper
grades of cigars are paid for at the rate OF from
81 80 to IS a thousand
One of the most exclusive importers in the city
said that the duty Of - pound on cigar wrap,
cents on each cigar sold Certain brands, he
said, which formerdly sold for IL cents apec" or
two for a quarter. now commanded Is cents
straight. That particular grade of cigars had now
10 compete with the best of those made in Amer
lea. and sold AT | o cents straight. Most smokers.
he said were beeinnns TO learn that the American
article sold for - cents. There was reason.
he sqd why it should lie. While the duty on
nllers was so much less than on the manufactured
article the American manufacturer able 10
nut better grade Of tobacco in l0cent cigar
than the foreign manufactur"r could in one that
sold at - cents after the duty on manufactured
cigars was paid. To meet this competition: forc IN
manu- facturers had turned cut much better cigar
at Il cents than formerly. and it orly by
making superior cigors that they could success
fully compete with those made here.
All Of the manufactured smoking and chew ne
American labor from the domest, leaf Not
withstandng the large increase in the price of
domestic leaf. the output Of all of the great fac
tories has largely increased. without any advance
in the cost TO the consumer or any decrease in
wages. This has hcen made possible by the in