The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-05
TOBACCO MEN TALK.
GRIEVANCES PRESENTED TO
THE COMMITTEE.
Just What They Would Like Con-
gress to Enact in Order That the
Sun of Prosperity May Greet
Their Vision.

Washington, Jan. 4.-Tobacco and
manufactures thereof was the subject
of the hearing before the committee
on ways and means this morning.
Mr.: Michael Tobin of Baldwinsville
n. Y, said that up to within a few
years the tobacco growers had been
reasonably prosperous. Up to within
a few years the tobacco section of New
York grew some $4,000 cases of to-
tion had fallen to about $4,000 cases.
It was not fair, he said, that their
dangerous rival, the Holland syndicate
employing labor at 10 or II cents a
day-should be allowed to annihilate
and ruin a domestic industry of such
magnitude.
j. S. Vanduser agreed that 81
pound on wrappers, while an appar-
emily eXorbitant tax ad valorem, was
really not exorbitant, when the differ
ence in the cost of labor was taken into
consideration.
How is it, Mr. Mcmillan (Dem.,
TENN asked, after the witness made
a rather long political argument, that
Sumatra tobacco which costs $1.20
pound, drives out domestic tobacco
which costs from 10 to Is cents
pound?"
1T is because, the-t' witness an
swered "of the foolishness of the
American people in thinking that be
cause tobacco is imported it is of neces-
sity better"
Mr.. McMillan-Do you think that is
all there is in it?
The witness-That is all there is in
it 1t is fad.
Mr.. McMillan-What rate of duty do
you suggest.
In an incidental manner, the witness
suggested Sc a pound as the rate of
duty which he would like to have i'm
posed.
Mr.. Frederick A. Schroeder, ex-
mayor of Brooklyn. recommended the
change of duty on leaf tobacco from
differential Of $1.50 per pound on wrap
pers and 35 cents a pound on filters, to
uniform specific rate on all un-
stemmed leaf tobacco, with reason
able addition. also specific, not exceed
ing 40 per cent on stemmed leaf. He
added that there was no market any
where for American wrappers. You
might as WELL" he said. tell a woman
that calico is just as good as silk; that
it will wear as we'll and is much
cheaper. While silk is on the market
the woman will have the silk
After recess Moses Krohn OF Gin
cinnati, president of the National AS
sociation of Cigar Manufacturers, pre-
sented their case. The total amount
of tobacco withdrawn for consumption
for the seven years ended June 80 last
was 14S,4S2,72S pounds, on which was
paid duties amounting to $T471S,013
which showed an average duty on all
kinds of tobacco of SIS cents per
pound, and an average duty upon IN
stemmed tobacco of 52.35 cents per
pound. The output of cigars in the
United States for the past fiscal year
was 4,O39, 13l ,S35, which was a decrease
of over 81, 10000 from the preceding
year. whereas the output of cigarettes
had increased by nearly $4,000. 600. The
business of manufacturing cigars was
not an increasing nor profitable one,
as compared with other industries The
difference in duty on wrapper and filler
tobacco had also begotten an unfair
in the trade, because in
many ports of entry fully 95 per cent
of all unstemmed tobacco imported
from Cuba, and perhaps even a larger
had been entered under
the 80 cents per pound filler duty Not
only had the government lost a large
amount of revenue, but an unhealthy
unfair and most inequitable competi-
ton had, been rendered possible He
a uniform duty of not ex-
So cents per pound on adj to-
bacco unstemmed.
E. r. Gumby of Tampa, Fla, spoke
for the makers of clear Havana cigars.
Referring to the request for a uniform
specific duty on all tobacco, he said,
that it would probably yield a reve-
nue. equal to the present, but if what
the tobacco growers said today were
true, there would not be much left of
Inc poor New York and New England
tobacco farmer.
j. L. Ellison, editor of the United
States Tobacco Journal, desired to cor
rect a statement made heretofore that
Sumatra tobacco was raised by pau
per labor. He asserted that the cost
IF raising this tobacco was 241s cents
per pound.
The committee adjourned until to-
when the agricultural sched-
lie will be taken up, including live
stock, dairy product, fish, meats and
salt.