New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-05
THE DUTIES ON TOBACCO.
DIVERGENCE OF OPINION DEVELOPED
AT THE TARIFF HEARING.

DUTY-MANUFACTURERs AND IMPORTERS
URGE A UNIFORM DuTY-ALL IN FAVOR
OF SPECIFIC RATES.
fey TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrsuNE.l
Washington. Jan. 4-Those branches OF the
tobacco industry which are affected by the tarin
have Jared badly under the legislation OK 1904
according to statements submitted to the Conn
mittee on Ways and Means to-day by the rep
resentatiyes OF the cigar leaf-growers, OF the
importers of Sumatra leaf for wrappers. OF the
dealers In domestic cigar leaf and OF the manu-
facturers of cigars They represented conflict
Ing as we'll as different interests, and the near
ing. therefore. was unusually lively one Inc
importers Of and dealers In Sumatra Wrappers
well the cigar manufacturers VINO use
those wrappers. advocated a uniform duty OF oV
or 81 cents a pound on all unstemmed leaf to-
bacco. which WAS strongly opposed by tho
growers as we'll by the domestic manufact-
urers OF cigars from Cuban tobacco. The SUI
matra competition was the leading topic OF DIS
cussion by all who appeared before the COM
mittee and the statements in regard TO II were
| very contradictory. were also the statements
| In regard to evasiOrs OF the law by the I'M
| porters Of Cuban cigar leaf-tObaccO.
| The domestic growers had their innings at
| the forenoon sitting OF the committee. as also
| did the importers OF Sumatra wrappers and deal.
ers in that commodity and domestic cigar leaf
tobacco. who were represented by ex-Mayor F,
A. Schroeder. Of Brooklyn. VINO appeared In the
role Of everybody's friend. The hearing was
opened by Michael Tobin. Of Baldwinsville. ~
Y. the representative OF the Tobacco
| Growers Association Of that State. He saii
that the growers were greatly In need Of re-
lief legislation. and at once took UP the sub
ject of SImatra competition Before that had
assumed large proportions the cigar leaf-growers
OF the United States fairly prosperous.
They had made heavy investments IN lands.
buildings. and appliances for the curing Of their
| tobacco. and had given employment to large
| number of persons In sorting and otherwise
| preparing their crops for market. These lands
| and improvements won not now sell for one
half their cost and the condition Of the indus
| try deplorable Unde- the tariff Of 1890
| the production OF the Onondaga and Big Flats
| districts amounted TO $4,000 year; un-
der the existing tariff it has fallen To about -.
| coo cases Sumatra wrappers. imported,
| product upon which a large amount Of cheap
| labor has been expended-labor that did not re-
| ceive more than one-tenth Of the wages paid to
! American labor
SPECIFIC RATES ONLY WANTED
Mr. Tobin insisted that only specific rates
| should be laid on tobacco and that the language
Of the law ought to be clear, plain and as free as
| possible from antiquities and he sharply criti-
cised the 10 per cent proviso' in the law OF 1894,
which, he asserted. offered a premium for de-
| frauding the revenue. The duty ought to be not
only specific In form. but high enough TO relieve
the depressed condition Of the domestic indus
try. No matter what rate might be fixed on
sumatra wrappers. importations would continue.
and in his opinion 81 a pound would yield as
much revenue as is now received and would not
| increase the price paid by buyers Of cigars at
retail. Mr. Tobin, who in 1890 advocated the
rates then fixed. said to-day they had been found
inadequate. and that the reduction made in 1894
had been exceedingly injurious to the domestic
growers. In the course OF the discussion pro-
voled by Mr.. Tobins statements Chairman
Dingey called attention to the fact that the In
crease in the invoice price OF imported Sumatra
wrappers Immediately after the reduction OF the
duty in 1894 was very nearly equal to the reduc-
ton of duty. which ~ cents pound.
j. S Van Duzer Of Horseheads " Y, presi-
dent OF the Chemung Valley Tobacco Growers
Association next addressed the committee. He
has been engaged in the tobacco growing indus
| try for twenty years. and he thinks he knows
Just where the growers shoe pinches. He de-
clared that under existing rates of duty foreign
try and that its total humiliation certain
unless the duties were increased. duty OF 81
a pound would be restrictive. but by means
| prohibitory: would yield more revenue than the
existing law. and would give the domestic indus
try a chance for its life. The crop Of 1896 in the
Chemung district above the average to
quality. and would probably yield 10 to - cents
a pound This was not much IL any above the
cost Of production. In 1891 domestic wrappers
were worth 81 to 30 cents pound; in 1896. II to
90 cents pound
GEORGIA WANTS HIGHER DUTIES.
A letter was read from Congressman Russell.
OF Georgia, who was unable to be present on
| count of Illness saying that the cigar leaf-to-.
| bacco growers Of that State not only OPP
posed to any reduction Of the existing rates Of
duty. but In favor of an increase Of rates.
H. s. Frye Of Windsor. Conn. represented the
cigar leaf tobacco growers Of that State. as
well as other States in New-Enslard. He
strongly opposed the adoption II uniform spe
cifc rate OF 80 or % cents a pound on all i'm
ported leaf tobacco whether wrappers. binder
| or filler, II unstemmed. The speedy effect Of
such rate would be to wipe out the domestic
industry. at least in the NewEngland States.
The salvation Of the industry depended upon the
preservation Of the small remnant OF the homo
market remaining after the disastrous foreign
competition Of the last few years. The duties
OF 1890 did not remain long enough In force
to show what their ultimate effect would be.
| but the indications were that the rates were too
| low. These rates were reduced - per cent in
1894 and prices Of the imported product had
risen to meet the reduction In New-England
the product fell off from about 10000 cases In
1892 to $1,000 cases in 1896
Mr.. Frye. who is a tobacco grower OF many
years experience. estimated the labor cost Of
raising and preparing a crop OF tobacco for
market at two-thirds OF the tota, cost. He pays
the labor employed by him 81 - a day the
year round" Average wages In England