Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-12-20

Weimer II Worker.

a visit by the writer to Weimer'
Cigar Factory was we'll repaid, as o
Il few lnterrogations we gained som
surprising information and astonish
ing facts from the genial, ever
obllging proprietor, who is still walk
ing with one crutch and not yet adj
to resume work, owing to the acct
dent he met with twelve weeks ago
Mr.. Weimer was born in the littl
city OF Orb, Germany, near Frank
tort-on-the-Aiain, where, at the ag,
OF 20, he filled the position o
superintendent of a cigar factor,
employing 100 people. He emigrateC
TO America in 1874 and was con
nected with his brother Charles 4
Nelmer' cigar establishment a
Carrollton, H., till September Is
1883, when he embarked in bushes:
Tor himself in Mexico. Being an ex
pert in every branch of the business
bis cigars soon gained an enviabIt
reputation and they are to-day a.
staple as sugar and coffee. His
brands became very popular with the
smokers, as the "Signature''-
though first introduced in April,
lHS4-is still a good seller to-day.
Owing to the ''robber duty" of 81
per pound which the Mckinley ACT
imposed on wrapper leaf and which
was admitted by him afterwards as
a grievous mistake, the cigar indus
try has suffered as much and more
than many others for when asmoker
cannot get the cigar he wants be
stops smoking cigars. The official
report OF the Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue for the fiscal year end
ing June so. 1894, shows the ire
mendous decrease in the cigar in
dustry of 1872 ,S22 ,439. According
to his statement, this decrease en-
tailed a loss TO the leaf trade and
cigar industry Of nearly fifteen mil
lion dollars andto the government a
loss in their internal revenue receipts
alone, not to speak of the loss in
duties, of $2,241, S39.05. The cause
a two-fold: First, hard times;
second, the robber duty on leaf to-
bacco, which reduced the output 20
per cent. Lunacy economy!
Mr.. Weimer employs from 10 to
20 people and has one of the best
lighted, ventilated and most prac-
tically arranged cigar factories in
Missouri. He has given special at
tention to the manufacture of fine
grades within the last two years and
his ''Club House" cigar has become
Justly famous as a ten cent cigar and
is found in all first class places.
They have found their way to the
Governors mansion even, to the de-
light Of the distinguished visitors.
The celebrated piano virtuoso, Prof.
NaverScharwenka, (who has smoked
with Emperors) sends all the way
from New York for Weimer's Club
House. Among his various five cent
cigars may be mentioned especially
the latest, "Weimer's Cubans,"
which cannot be exceiled.
He has all the fine tObaccos, skill
ed Union workmen and facilities re-
quisite to a first class cigar factory
and can make any special private
brands for dealers to order to capti-
yate the most fastidious.
A perusal of his Internal Revenue
books showed that he has manu-
featured from September Is, 1888,
to December /, 1894, 3,413,150
cigars and paid into the United
States Treasury for internal revenue
tax S10,419. In addition he has
contributed to the United States
Treasury robber tariff duty since
May /, 1898, $1,139 (Mckinley
rate $500 per pound) and $439
since August, 1894, a total of ST.
SIT. (Gorman, Brice Il Co. rate,
$3.50 per pound) a protection of
600 per cent. on the home grown
wrapper, which cannot be compared
in fineness and texture to the I'M
ported wrapper leaf and the quantity
that can be produced in this coun-
try, which, in IA good year, is not
one.half adequate to supply the re-
quiremen's.
Mr.. Weimer asks why tax an ar
ticle of raw material so excessively
when we have not the soil nor
climate to produce what is so essen
tial in an industry that gives EN-
ployment to thousands OF people?
Some say it is a luxury. Tobacco
cannot altogether be called such, as
many a tired laborer, whether in
the field or at the desk, finds solace
and comfort in a cigar or pipe after
work. Yet tobacco has a tariff duty
of 179 per cent. ad valorem while
champagne, which we all know can
UnIy U6 aEUTueu Uy- snU wealthy,
Zone of the necessaries of iife) is
protected By 56 per cent. ad valorem
ONLY.
We learn that Mr.. Weimer has
paid for labor in this town, approx
imately, $4,000, which was no
doubt all spent in Mexico by his
emnIoves and our merchants receiv'
ed the benefit; but, upon examina-
ton, we find that only one sixth OF
his output was sold at home and
the remainder abroad. Figures
prove here that factories make towns.
But few appreciate and reciprocate
the good they derive. 1t is every
n,erchaut's and smokers duty who