The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-05
CAN'T PLEASE ALL
TOBACCO SCHEDULE HEARING DE-
VELOPS so MUCH.


Growers, Importers and Manufacturers Be
fore the WAYS and Means Committee
the Last-Named Glass Being Again Sub
divided in Three Glasses According te
the Source of Product Handled, and
Seeming as siuch at Variance Among
Themselves as From the Other Main
CIasses-Abstract of the Days Hearing.
Washington, Jan .4-The tobacco
schedule Of the tariff was threshed over
by the representatives of various tobac-
co interests today before the ways and
means committee with great minute
ness. Several branches Of the business
were represented, the native growers,
the importers, and manufacturers using
native goods, those using Havana and
those handling the Sumatra product.
Between these classes there was much
discGrd, no two Of them being agreed on
any schedule of rates, and contradicting
onc another on questions and statements
as 70 the effect of the present law, rates
= &c labor and cost of production and man
ufacture.
The National Associate of Tobacco
Manufacturers was represented by a
large delegation, with it's president, Mo-
ses Krahn of Cincinnati, for spokesman.
The association asked for duties of 521ac
a pound on all imported leaf tobacco, or
not more thar % cents on all unstemmed
tobacco, and So pound, with % per cent
cd valorem, on imported cigars. Under
any higher rates, they declared, their
business would be ruined.
TIE principal representatives of the
growers were Michael Tobin Of Bald
winsvilie, N Y, and J. H Van Dusser,
OF Horseheads, n. 7. They asserted
that the native growers had made no
money under the Wilson bill and asked
for rates higher than those of the Nc
Kinlev act.
George ]. Smith of Kingston, Y. Y,
spoke for the users Of Sumatra tobacco
and P. Gun5y, formerly collector of the
port OF Tampa Fla for the manufacture
ers Of the Cuban product. 1t was repre-
seutei that only 5 per cent Of the Ha-
vara tobacco used as wrappers had paid
duty as such under the Wilson law.
The others who spoke were EX-Mayor
Fred Schneider, Brooklyn; II. 5. Frye,
Windsor, Conn; L. II. Neudecker. Balti
moe; J. ]. Ellison, New York; and Geo.
Nicholson, ST. Paul
NEW YORK GROWERS.
Washington. Jan. 4.-The tobacco
schedule wa the subject of today's hear
Ing before The ways and means commit
tee Michael Tobin of BaldWnsville, Y.
j. represent ing the New York State To-
bacco Grove rs association. said that the
tobacco growers were badly in need of
relief They had expended vast sums in
warehouses. etc, and until the importa-
ton OF Sumatra began, had been fairly
Tobacco farms were then
worth S125 an acre. Such farms were
now generally mortgaged and would not
today liauidate their encumbrance. He
did not think it fair that the Holland
syndicate. which employed coole labor
at IL cents a, day, should be allowed to
annihilate the great leaf tobacco indus
try in this country. He denied that
American leaf was not suitable for
wrappers. :5unatra, he said, had no
merit except its appearance. He COM
planned of the elastic language IN the act
of 1894 and said the schedule in the act
Of 1890 would be satisfactory. The con-
sumner, ne said. would not be injured by
an adequate dIrty but would get his CT
CARS at the same price at retail. He said
the quality of the American wrapper
leaf had not improved of recent years be-
cause there had been no inducement TO
growers to care for their leaves. Cuban
tobacco ranked first in quality and Sum-
atra was decidedly the worst He had
no doubt, he said, that any importer OF
Sumatra would rather have Sumatra eX-
cluded than smoke a cigar made wholly
of Sumatra.
WHY" he was asked.
Because if he smoked it he would lose
his breakfast"
Said fbo narad patbino
about filters. They were interested prin-
cpally in the wrappers. Chairman Ding
sey called attention TO the fact that I'M
der the reduction in duty of 50 cents per
pound on wrappers in the act of 1894 the
increase of imports of Sumatra mad been
over 80 per cent. Moreover, said Mr..
Dingley, it was a remarkable fact that
the price of Suma.tra tobacco increased
so cents pound as soon as the duty was
reduced 30 cents. Mr.. Tobin confirmed
It's but had no explanation to offer.
SUMATRA ONLY A FAD
]. s. Van Dusser of Horsehead. y. Y.
representing the growers of the Chemung
Valley. also asked for protection for
wrapper tobacco. he admitted that 500
would be an adequate rate but said il
was not a question of rates but of pro-
tecting our citizens from ruinously cheap
labor abroad and saving a great indus
try from extinction. He said that 20,000.-
coo pounds of foreign tobacco was i'm
ported annually, of which 100000
pounds were wrappers.
How de YOU account for the fact?'
esked Mr.. McMillin. that Sumatra TO-
bacco. which costs from 81 cents 10 S1.2l
ct the port of export, displaces American
/ 3acco, which costs u cents 10 pro-
uuce?'
1T is due" replied Mr.. Van Dusser,
Ito the follish idea of the American peo- |
pie that anything foreign is better than
anything domestic
rs that all?"
at is; it = the fad
WANTS IT PROHIBITORY.
Mr.. Van Dusser created much amuse- |
ment when he replied in answer TO !
question as TO what he wanted, that he
wanted SO much duty that he was afraid !
TO suggest it. He would like to see a pro- /
hibitory duty.
Frederick SCHROEDER. ex-mayor of
Brooklyn. a large dealer in domestic and |
imported tobacco. wanted imposed /
higher duty on tobacco. He asked for \
new classification for the tobacco schei- /
ue 50 as 10 40 away with the duty OF 4
sl.50 on wrappers and 50 cents on filters I
end substitute for this an ad volerm rate
on stemmed, with a differential on
stemined exceeding 40 per cent. Mr..
Schroeder urged that il was impossible /
10 discriminate by ocular insAection be- /
tween wrappers and filler grades except |
IN SUmatra. Mr.. Schroeder said the act 1
Of 1850 had proved disappointing to the /
growers which caused a dis /
mai failure to import American wrap |
peTs The reduction OF duty in 1894 had /
not caused the decentralization of the to- 1
bacco growers trade. Ii was due 10 in