The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-05
ASK FOR PROTECTION.
Tobacco Men Before the Ways
and Means Committee.
THE IMPORTATION OF sUMATRA.


cages ON the Tobacco Farms of This
Country-American Growers Offered NO
Inducement to Improve the Quality of
Their Wrappers-AboutT Twenty Million
Pounds of Tobacco Imported Annually.
Washington, Jan. 5.-The tobacco
schedule was the subject of the hear
ings before the ways and means COM
mittee Monday. Michael Topin OF
Baldwinsville, N. Y, representing the
New York State Tobacco Growers asso-
citation, said the tobacco growers were
badly in need of relief. They had ex-
pended vast sums in warehouses, ETC.,
and until the importation of Sumatra
began had been fairly prosperous. To-
bacco farms were then worth $l25 an
acre. Such farms were now generally
mortgaged and would not today liq-
udate their encumbrances. He did not
think it fair that the Holland syndicate
which employed coolie labor at IL cents
a day should be allowed to annihilate
the great leaf tobacco industry in this
country. He denied that American lear
was not suitable for wrappers. Sumatra
had no merit, he said, except its ap-
pearance.
Would Not IDjure Consumers.
! He complained of the elastic lam
! guage in the act of 1894 and said the
schedule in the act Of 1890 would be sat
| isfactrry. The consumer, he said, would
not be injured by an adequate duty,
but would get his cigars at the same
price at retail. He said the quality OF
the American wrapper leaf had not
improved Of recent years because there
had been no inducement to growers 10
care for their leaves. Cuban tobacco
ranked first in quality, and Sumatra
was decidedly the worst. He had no
doubt he said, that any importer Of
Sumatra would rather have Sumatra
excluded than smoke a cigar made
wholly of Sumatra.
"Why?" he was asked.
Because If ne smoked it, he would
lose his breakfast"
He said the growers cared nothing
about filters. They were interested
primarily in wrappers.
A Remarkable Fact.
Chairman Dingley called attention to
the fact that under the reduction OF
duty Of so cents per pound on wrappers
i'm the act of 1894 the increase of imports
OF Sumatra had been over 40 per cent
Moreover, said Mr. Dingley, it was
remarkable fact that the price of Su
matra tobacco increased so cents Z
pound as soon as the duty was reduced
so cents. MIR. Topin confirmed this, bu
had no explanation to offer.
, ]. s. Van Dusser of Horse Heads, y
Y. representing the growers OF the Che
mung valley. also asked for protection
, for wrapper tobacco. He admitted tha
, 81 would be an adequate rate, but sal
il was not a question Of rates, but o
> protecting our citizens from ruinousl,
{ cheap labor abroad and saving a grea
industry from extinction. He said 20,
4 OOO. 900 pounds of foreign tobacco wa
5 imported annually of which 100000
D were wrappers
), Due to q Foolish Idea.
4 How do you account for the fact?
j asked Mr.. McMillin, that Sumatra to
bacco, which costs from S4 cents to Sl2
i at the port of export displaces Ameri
can tobacco which costs IL cents to pro
duce?'
n "It is due" replied Mr.. Van Dussel
: ''to the foolish idea of the America
: people that anything foreign is bette
than anything domestic"
y rs that all?''
y 'It is; IL is the fad"
e Mr.. Van Dusser created much amuse
't ment when he replied in answer to
question as to what duty he wanted
that he wanted so much duty he wa
afraid to suggest 1t. He would like
see a prohibitory duty
a tn AvOIO NOTORIETY