The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-05
The Ways and Means Committee Hears
from the Growers and Manufacturers.
THEY WANT TO KEEP OUT SUMATRk LEAF
EOrtncrn Growers urc Particularly
Desirouv OF Excluding the Foreign
Grown Wccd-A Duty of Five or
Six Dollars per Pound -QucstiOn
of Taste Among Smokers Comes Up

"
the duties to be laid on imports of this
product.
Mr.. Michael Tobin, of Baldwinsville
~. y, was the first speaker He said
that he had been appointed by the New
York state Tobacco Association. The
sobacco growers OF New York State were
badly in need of relief ut the hands of
Congress. They had suffered through
the Importation of Sumatra tobacco TO
the extent that their production had
fallen from $4,000 cases annually to 1900
cases. He thought that a return to the
rate Of duty imposed by the Mckinley
bill t$1.5O per pounO on Sumatra wrap
per would not be adequate to protect
the domestic producer.
y HARD QUESTION ASKED.
The chairman asked Mr. Tobin if he
could account for the fact that the for
eign price of Sumatra tobacco had gone
UP in the same proportion as the rate of
duty had been reduced-from 81 Il pound
under the Mckinley act to Sl.jO under
the Wilson act, but MI Tobn could
Eive no reason for il unless 1t was under
the law. OF supply and demand.
ihe chairman, however. intinated his
opinion to be that the foreigner had
simply taken advantage of the reduc-
tion OF the duty.
'fhc NEXT witness was Mr.. j. s. Van
-ueser, OF Horse Heads. y. Y. who said
that he represented the tobacco growers
OF the Chemung valley, which com.
priser few counties in southern New
York and few of the northern coun-
ties of Pennsylvania. He argued that
s2 pound on wrappers. white an APP
parently cxorbitant tax ad valorem, was
IN No cnst "r iatnr ',,tr'
eldcrat!on.
Low is is,s;-Mr. McNlilin asked the
witness: who had made rather a long
political argument, that Sumatra to-
bacco which costs 81 % n poun0 drives;
out domestic tobacco which costs from
10 TO 10 cents a pound?'
AN EASY ANSWER
,-
-. IS neShnse, the witness answered.
"a me ,o"ilSHhcSS ol me American peu-
~ ~ uiNIhf .lat h'ciusr thinS Is
.IoiI,i; \, ~ VI i'etesSllN ptucr'
,r.ra c';n ~ ." '"'ts 'h"' IS al
~ th ~ ~,
g., Ha' is All ihere Is IN II. 1t
~ i"u
~, w ~. !, ''--N hat rate OF duty do
nv Wi.oo !. -
ny " Nl,llcS9 90 hoi want AT TINS
Mnoe 10 ndVise the committee. | would
.'S ~ nv rae o! uutE winch ! do
~, 80 .n.,k .ile't Is oouFaSe enough in
-, KIM ,;, ~ Ih!"Sr. 'lauEhter)
7 u,;,,, ~ -, :" tns @ : rIic .' "i'E whlch
t,a .,rn, ~ -. H'tN' tnt ltal men.
go. - a." a e's an" 'he smokers would all
o,a
,.o,,ld ",,t.,uu ~ ~ VI uu'E "hlcii
,,ct,a ,i ,ttP "ut inns Su-
tp,rOr,,.t,,, ,.',- -, -, - 'S'' 81 - =
tiis nf ~- ~, ge.S. G"Ee nor ask
vo,, az, ntrE.it 90 not believe
;r ,eugh,nr 9''""'''" 10 give II TO us.
y SIN DOLLAR DUTY.
cubsenunntlv ir an irotd.,,,o,
ner tho wi,nn.s eurrr,s,,,l1 - ,i,' ',i",'
n n1,ird ns tha ,.5ti - - HH.''' =, >
vyoulI like In h,[a ir,n,sod WISH ~
Mr.. iTredericit 4 l;r',rrgfI,.
OF Brooklyn. meyt odarassod ,,o ,tl
Tee. ae y rarrasnr,o,i,. oF ~ ~ ~ ,un'Illit :
prnrd nf ,TraIa - ", " NE "o"Ggo
said his firm dealt ns Ior,-a,,. H., ,,'S, IL ~
tobacco ms in fnraion ,nhSoma '' ,, ,G 't
did no. wish 10 hc ,tao,'Sa5 ,,n'Jr9' ,', ana ne
mlttee as represnn,,ti,n ~. ne .' con- m
porlgrs oS tobacco. The las, time he
in ' l:cn ai'. anI ~ ,,siorG 3 'he committee was
bn;,o,c ct ~, t., ,,, ,," ,n.n protested on
nrtia, ,a,n 80 "saihst differ
III 10 Na,, - on Ihc wrapper
rott, ,vn,,r1 ~, ,,,..l', ~, o,'.is 'iat such q
lon,oSsie ,.',,.n,i ,,,',,t'.IS nenciit the
d;.o,,or, - V.t N'u!u very much
r,~or ,,o,s,,, ~" ,iio business of
coma nrnyn ,i,o. ,u,,. ""EnL I @ mat lie
,ad on,,,, ,,,,l ,.l"' f,Il be M" said then
.''N' N'''iiN ~ w l.l ildi put III writing