The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-27
TOBACCO IN THE NEW TARIFF.
MANUFACTURER MEET TO ENTER
PROTEST.

A Total of $50 manufacturer Present
or Represented at the Meeting.
Total Tobacco Output OF the COun-
try Exclusive of Cigars AbOut 3OO,-
OOO,0OO POunds-The Manufacture
ers object More TO the Expense En-
tailed Upon Them IN Changing the
Size of Their Packages Than to the
Amount of the Tax in Itself
Washington May Representative
of practically all the tobacco manufac-
turers in the United States, with the eX-
ception of the cigar manufacturers, met
here to-day TO protest against the pro-
posed advance of 2 cents a pound in the
tax on tobacco contemplated in the Sen
ate amendment to the tariff bill. There
were present and represented about l5O
manufacturers. The total tobacco output
exclusive of cigars, of the United States,
is about SOOOOO,OOO pounds annually. and
of this amount over 25OOOO,OOO pounds was
represented.
Gen. f. McAlpin of New York was chair
man and T. e. Allen secretary.
Resolutions were unanimously adopted
which briefly cite the injury inflicted upon
the trade by the frequent changes of the
tax rate, and protest against the adoption
of the Senate amendment The meeting
adjourned to present the resolutions at
the capitol.
Mr.. Allen in speaking of the proposed
tax increase, said: 1T is not the amount
of the tax we object to so much as the
expense involved in any change at all. An
increase of 2 cents q pound means smaller
packages. That is the only way the man
ufacturers could pay it, and a change in
the size of the packages means an out
lay of just about $,00O000 in changing
stamps dies moulds ana wrappers. We
have had three changes of tax in the past
twenty years, cents. 16 cents and cents,
which il Is now When this change was
made in 1898, congress was going to re-
duce it TO cents but we told them rather
to make it cents, and then let 1t alone.
What we ask is stability. The fluctuations
are what ruins business"
The delegation was at the capitol to-
day and conferred with representatives
from the tobacco-growing states.
The Senate committee which has charge
of the tariff bill gave a hearing to dele
cation of the tobacco manufacturers at
the Arlington tonight. The tobacco men
were represented by a committee Of six,
consisting of Harry WeIssinger Of Louis
vile, c. 3. Hall OF Detroit, p. Lorillard,
Jr., of New York. John Haines of Winston,
n. c., r. l.. Booker of Richmond and
r A. McAlpin of New York, the chairman
of the days meeting.
Their spokesman was Mr.. Weisslnger,
who presented the case of the tobacco
men, and, at the suggestion OF the sena-
tors briefly.
The contention of the committee was
that an increase of the Internal revenue
tax would lessen the consumption of man
ufactured tobacco, diverting IL TO the raw
materials That the manufacturers had
adjusted their business to the 6-cent tax,
and would be put to a heavy expense to
change the sizes of plugs and packages,
a change which would greatly disturb
trade, If Il should be made The only al
Tentative beside reducing the sizes of
plugs and packages would be to use ma
terials of an inferior quality that they
might sell the same quantities of tobacco
at present prices An argument upon
which stress was laid was that the effect
of the increased taxes on tobacco would
be to concentrate the business in the hands
of few great firms.
While the senators asked several ques-
tions they gave no Indication Of whether
the arguments of the tobacco men would
result in any change In the bill. They were
particularly desirOus to know upon whom
the burden of the increased taxation
would fall
Mr.. Weisslnger replied that It would be
felt first by the manufacturers, but that
in the end 1t would be shifted to the grow
ers of leaf tobacco.
Great secrecy surrounds the delibera.
tions of the Senate committee. Members
OF congress from the tobacco producing
states sought admission to the conference,
but said that they were barred out and
felt considerably aggrieyed because Of
their exclusion.
Most of the tobacco men will stop In
Washington for a time. They do not ex-
pect so great results from their formal
appearance before the committee tonight
as from the personal canvass of senator's
and representatives which they are prose-
cutting.