The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-05


a luxury, and ne had been told by cigar
makers that even if a duty of 81 or IS
per pound were placed on this tobacco
II would not decrease its Importation. But
cas- Sumatra was a luxury and a matter of
fancy, he held that it should have been
taxed as such, and on this ground he asked
Tor high rate of duty, which would al
low American growers to furnish wrap
pers for the scent cigars. Wages in New
england were $50 per cent. higher than
in Sumatra, he stated.
After recess, Moses Krohn, president
of the National Association of Cigarmak-
ers, presented their case. The cigar man
ufacturers, he said, we'll understood the
conditions which rendered a revision of
the tariff necessary at this time. They
knew full wei that not only was it neces-
sary TO place the revenues of the govern
ment upon a basis which would meet the
current and necessary expenses, but they
were also advised of the fact that the
theory of the proposed tariff revision
would be in line with the theory of pro
tecting American labor and Amer
lean industries" In common
with all other American manu-
facturers, they were in harmony with
the principles of protection referred 20.
He gave some statistics of the tobacco
importation, and the revenue from that
source, which indicated an average duty
on all kinds of tobacco of 81 3S cents per
pound, and an average duty on unstem-
med tobacco of 5235 cents per pound.
He suggested a uniform duty of not ex-
ceeding 80 cents per pound on all tobaccos
unstemmed This would afford the grow
ers as full and fair protection as could
be given by any tariff not virtually pro-
hibitory and would yield a proper revenue.
A 0o-cent duty at the present average price
of tobacco would be protective tariff
of about 100 per cent. The growers Of
tobacco IN n
should receive the fullest protection posi-
BILE; yet the fact should not be lost sight
of that the cigar industry was a great
one which, with its kindred branches
employed many millions of capital and full
ly ten times as many Workmen as were
engaged in raising the leaf. The manu-
facturers simply asked that they be not
sacrificed or injured in carrying the
scheme of protection too far; and it was
certain that no higher rate of duty than
So cents per pound for unstemmed tobacco
could be borne by the makers. The man
ufactureTs, he thought, were entitled to
protection of S. per pound and 25 per cent.
ad valorem on imported cigars.
Replying to a question as to the amount
of wrappers that came in unfairly as
filters at 80 per cent, he thought it was
enough to cover about 100000 cigars. 1t
was extremely difficult to determine the
difference between wrapper and filler to-
bacco-especially on the Cuban product
and no plan had yet been devised for en-
actment into law to distinguish between
them.
e. R. Gunby of Tampa Fla, spoke for
the makers of clear Havana cigars. 1t
took about five pounds of Havana tobacco,
he said, to wrap a thousand cigars, where
as but two pounds of Sumatra were re-
quired. 1t was true that only about 5
per cent. of the Havana tobacco imported
paid duty as wrappers. No one was de-
ceived in this matter as the attention of
the treasury had been called to it and it
had been finally decided by the board of
appraisers. There was not over per
cent. of the Havana crop saleable IS
wrappers. These goods were imported in
bulk and the wrappers selected after i'm
portation. Until this tobacco was un-
packed, stripped and prepared for use.
no one could tell the wrapper from the
filler. If high rate of duty was placed
on this class of tobacco it would
prohibit it's importation and drive
the makers of clear Havana
| cigars out of business. AS a matter of
fact, the makers of Havana cigars paid
about as much duty on wrappers as did
importers of other wrappers.
Referring to the recommendation of an
uniform specific duty on all tobacco, he
said that it would probably indicate a
revenue equal to the present, but if what
| the tobacco growers said to-day were true
there would not be much left of the poor
New York and New England tobacco
! farmer. George j. Smith, a cigar manu-
| facturer of New York, replying to Mr..
| Gunby, said that the Florida manufac-
| t11rers performed the miracle of wrapping
| 100 100000 cigars annually with 5000 pounds
of tobacco. II was well known that the
| law was evaded in Florida. There were
| about $4,000 cigarmakers in the United
| States, employing 100000 hands, using the
! Sumatra goods, and he asked if it was
! fair to discriminate against these in favor
! Of a few makers in Florida. Last year
! there were imported, on which duty was
paid. but %, 900 pounds of Havana wrap
| pers, while there was produced here $780,
! COO, 900 clear Havana cigars.
T, II. Neudecker of Baltimore said that
the cigarmabers of his city favored a duty
| of 80 cents a pound, and none other, on
all imported leaf tobacco. This, in his
opinion, would give adequate protection
| and Weld sufficient revenue.
| r / Ellison, editor of the United States
Tobacco Journal, desired to correct the
statement made heretofore that Sumatra
tobacco was raised by pauper labor. He
asserted that the cost of raising this to-
bacco was 241a cents per pound. The la
borer who worked the tobacco was hired
bv the season, housed, fed and clothed.
George Nicholson, a grower of Connec-
| ticut tobacco, also wanted a duty of S.
ner mound on Sumatra tobacco. It was,
he said. an interloper and did not belong
| here. and he wanted to see it kicked out.
If it could be kept out the growers of this
country could make their business pay.
They made money and were prosperous
before Sumatra was so generally used. In
his opinion, its exclusion would advance
the price of the domestic product to 30
| cents a pound.
| The committee adjourned until to-mor-
row, when the agricultural schedule will
be taken up, including live stock, dairy
products, fish, meats and salt.
RTOXHAM,s INAUGURAL.