The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-05

wAsH1NGToN, D. c.. Jan. 1.-The
tobacco schedule was the subject OF the
hearing before the ways and means
committee to-day. Michael Tobln, OF
Baldwlnsvllle, N. Y, representing the
New York state tobacco ErowerS aeso-
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 Sl25 an
sere such farms were now generally
mer,gaged and would not to-day llqul-
date their encumbrances. He did not
think /; fair that the Holland syndicate
which employed coolie labor at twelve
cents day should be allowed to annl-
hnste the great leaf tobacco industry
in this country. He denied that Amer
lean leaf was not suitable for wrappers.
sumatra, he sldd. had no merit, except
It's appearance. He complained Of the
elastic language in the act OF 1894 and
eald that the schedule in the act OF
1880 would be satisfactory. The con-
sumer he said. would NOT be injured by
an adequate duty, but would get his cl-
gars at the same price at retail.
He said the quality OF the American
wrapper leaf had not improved OF re-
cent years. because there had been no
lnducement TO growers to care for thelr
leaves. Cuban tobacco ranked FIRST In
quality and Sumatra was decidedly the
worst. lie had no doubt. he said, that
any importer Of SumqtrA would rather
have Sumatra EXCLUDED than smoke 4
cigar made wholly OF Sumatra.
"Why?" he was asked.
Because II he smoked II he would
lose his breakfast" lie said the grow
ers cared nothing about -itllers. They
were interested primarily-in wrappers.
Chairman Dingley called attention to
the fact that under the reduction OF du-
" Of 30 cents per pound ch- wrappers In
the act Of 1894, the lncrease OF imports
OF Sumatra had been over-40 per cent.
Moreover, said Mr.. Dlngley. II was
remarkable flct that the price of Suma-
ira tobacco increased 90 cents u pound
as soon as the duty was, reduced 30
cents, Mr.. TObin confirmed this, but
had no explanation 10 offer.
j. S. Van DuZer, OF HOrseheads, n. Y,
representing the growers OF the Che
mung Valley, also asked for protection
for wrapper tobacco. He admitted that
81 seemed an adequate rate, but SAID Il
was not a question of rates, but of pros
tectlng our citizens from ruInously
cheap labor abroad and saving a great
industry from extinction. He said 2O,,
100000 pounds OF foreign tobacco was
imported annually, Of which 1000, 900
we're wrappers.
APOpular Fad.
How do you account for the fact?"
asked Mr.. Mcmillan, that sumatra to-
bacco, which costs from 81 cents to 81 21
at the port Of export dlsplaces American
tobacco which costs l. cents to pro-
duce?"
ut Is due" replied Mr., Van Duzer
''to the foolish idea OF the American
people that anything foreign is better
than anything domestic"
''ls that all?"
at Is; II Is the fad"
Mr.. Van Duzer created much amuse-
ment when he replied In answer 70 a
question as TO what duty he wanted,
that he wanted 50 much duty nc WAS
afraid to suggest Il. He would like 20
see prOhioitOry duty.
Frederick Schroeder, ex-mayor OF
Brooklyn. large uealer IN domestic
and imported tobacco, opposed 4 higher
duty on tobacco. He asked for a new
classification OF the tobacco schedulc ep
as TO do away With the specific duty OF
81 so on wrappers and IS cents on fillera
and substitute therefor an ad valOrem
rate on unstemmed. with a differentlal
on stemmcd not exceeding 10 per cent.
Mr. Schroeder 6rgued that Il was i'm
FNNugfttn
spectlOn between wrappers and filler
grades except In Sumatrl. Mir
Schroeder said the act OF 1880 had prov
ed disappointing 10 the dnmestir grow
ers who mad made dismal failure OF an
attempt 10 Introduce American wrap-
perS. The reduction OF duty In 1894 had
not caused the generalization OF ths
tobacco growers trade. II was due 10
Increased demand for the finer imported
grades and IN the enormous Increase In
the cigarette consumption. Southern
leaf was used almost altogether IN cl-
garette manufacture. The price OF Gu
ban tobacco he said. had been doubled
owing TO the decentralization produced
by the wor. He proposed n uniform
rate Of 80 cents on wrappers and filters
per pound. That rate. Mr.. Russell, one
OF the committeeman. figured would re-
duce the revenue on tobacco about 81
100000 below 1896
Want Moderate Protection.
At the afternoon session n delegation
appeared representing the national ag-
ISOLATION OF cigar manufacturers. Moses
Krahn, Of Cincinnati, spoke first for the
manufacturers The interests OF the
many, he said demanded uniform du-
~ on tobacco. and he asserted TINT only
small traction or the tobacco growing
farmers was represented by those who
had spokon at the morning negsion.
4 uniform specific duty OF 62is ccntg
n pound on all imported leaf tobacco,
the manufacturers urged, would nut aIi
branches OF tho trade on q parity. saye
tnr government CxpCnEe. logs and an
n0yance In the collection OF duty md
yield revenue equal 20 the average az
any year OF the last Gcvcn. Thev COM
batted the probable complaint of III.
growers that this rate would give sum
Client protection by urging that The hiEh
duty of s. pound on wrappers ala not
Lesson tho use OF imported wrappers or
incroagc tho consumption or permanent.
" Increase the market value OF domcs-
tic cignrg, while. on the other hand
tho reminder OF domestic cigar lcnf 10,
bacco being 50 per cent ~ the total vyas
injurlously affected IN price by tho In
crease IN duty, Tho proposed duty
would give complete protection to do
nestle hllcrr, which constitute so per
cent OF the domestic product.
The manufacturers also asked uni
form duty of not exceeding o. cents per
pound on all unsiemmed tobacco, cor
tending that this would at the present
nverHre price ~ domestic leaf iobncc0
be protection OF 100 per cent. would In
Crenrn the rOvnuuN nbOut 4 uer rent ~
the average of the last seven ycnrs,
The manufacturers claimed TO employ
ten times an many people M nte employ
Cd In rnlnlnn i.Il.n = lDaf Luhnnnr - ~.