The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-05
Much Discord, No Too Agreeing
Upon Schedule of Rates.
GROWERS NEED RELIEF
Farms Once Worth $125 Per
Acre Now Mortgaged.
TARIFF OF 1890 SUFFICIENT
But Mr.. Frye, of Connecticut, Admitted
That Growth of Tobacco in New
England had Decreased TO-
600 Gases Since 1892.
600 Cases Since 1892


Washington, Jan. 4.-The tobacco
schedule of the tariff was threshed over
by the representatives of various tobacco
interests to-day before the Ways and
Means committee with great minuteness.
Several branches of the business were
represented, the natives growers, mn
norters. manufacturers using the native
goods using Havana and those handling
the sumatra product. Between these
classes there was much discord, no two
Of them being agreed on any schedule OF
rates. and contradlcting one another on
questions relating to the effects Of the
present daw, to rates of labor and cost Of
production and manufacture.
The National Association of Tobacco
Manufacturers was represented by
large delegation with its president, Moses
Krahn, Of Cincinnati, for spokesman.
The association asked for duties of 5515
cents per pound on all imported leaf to-
hacco of not more than 55 cents on all
unstemmed tobacco and five dollars a
pound with 25 per cent ad valorem ON
imported cigars. Under any higher rates
they declared their business would be
ruined.
The principal representatives of the
growers were Michael Ttbin, Of Bald
winsyille, n. Y, and j. s. Van Duser, of
Horse Heads, N. Y. They asserted that
the native growers had made no money
under the Wilson bill and asked for rates
higher than those of the Mckinley act.
Geo. J.. Smith, of Kingston, n. T.,
spoke for the users of sumatra tobacco
and E. =. Gumby, formerly collector Of
the port Of Tampa, for the Florida man
ufacturers of Cuban products= 1t was re-
ported that only five per cent of the
Havana tobacco used as wrappers had
paid duty as such under the Wilson law.
Others who spoke were: Ex-Mayor Fred
erick Schroeder of Brooklyn; Il. S. Frye,
Windsor, Conn; l.. III. Neudecker, Bal
timore; j. l. Ellison, New York; and
Geo. Nicholson, st. Paul.
Mr. Tobin was the first witness. He
said the tobacco growers We're badly in
need of relief. They had expended vast
sums in warehouses, etc, and had been
until the importation of sumatra began,
fairly prosperous. Tobacco farms were
then worth $125 an acre. Such farms
now were generally mortgaged and would
not to-day liquidate their encumbrances.
He did not think it fair that the Holland
syndicate which employed coolie Labor at
II cents day should be allowed TO anni-
hilate the great leaf tobacco industry in
this country. He denied that American
leaf was not suitable for wrappers. Suma-
ira, he said, had no merit except its ap-
pearance.
J. S. Van Duser, Of Households, N. Y,
representing the growers Of the Che
mung Valley, also asked for protection for
wrapper tobacco. He admitted that 50
seemed an adequate rate, but it was not
a question Of rates. 1t was question Of
trying to protect our citizens from ruin
ously cheap labor abroad and saving a
great industry from extinction. He said
20,000,000 pounds of foreign tobacco was
imported annually, Of which 100000
were wrappers
Frederick Schroeder, ex-mayor OF
Brooklyn, large dealer in domestic and
imported tobacco appeared to oppose
higher duty on tobacco. He asked for
a new classification of the tobacco sched-
ule so as to do away with the specific
duty of $3.50 ON wrappers and 35 cents
on filters and substitute therefor an ad
valorem rate on unstemmed with q diff
ferential on stemmed not exceeding 40
per cent. Mr.. Schroeder argued that it
was impossible to discriminate by ocu-
lar inspection between wrappers and
filler grades except in sumatra.
In proof of this he said that last year
there were imported at Key West and
49, ~.x al, ia
of wrappers, only sufficient to wrap l.
100000 cigars, yet the lowest estimate of
cigars wrapped at those points was 120,-
100000 while over 100000 pounds Of
fillers were imported.
I'll. S. Frye, of Windsor, Conn, opposed
the 80 cent per pound rate proposed by
Mr.. Schroeder. He and those he rep
resented believed the act of 1890 would
fairly protect them. But it had been
evaded and they had not received the
full benefit from it owing to the excessive
importations just previous to its enact
ment. lie said the growth Of tobacco had
been reduced in New England from Co.
900 cases in 1892 to $4,000 in 1896
There was TO substitute crop. All the
American growers desired was a duty
which would allow them TO wrap the
cheap five cent cigars.
At the afternoon session q delegation
appeared representing the National Az
sociation Of Cigar Manufacturers. They
were Noses Krahn, Of Cincinnati; Nor
ris S. Wise, of New York, secretary;
Walter A. Schiller, Of New York; Geo
Smith, Of kinestown, n. Y; Richard
II. Gumpert, Of Philadelphia; John
Hernscheim of New Orleans; Mr. Allen,
Philadelphia.
Another delegation appeared for the