Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-05

crops of Florida and Georgia.
 MT. Schroeder realized that those two states produced crop of about one mill lion pounds, 10 per cent. of which was used for wrapper purposes, and that the bulk of it was suitable only for filling purposes, and was used az a substitute for Cuban tobacco.
 "Is 1t a fair substitute?" MT. Turner asked
 That is matter of taste," MT. Schroeder replied. "It is used for mix ing. do not think it is anything more like Cuban tobacco in quality and flavor than Ohio tobacco is. But it looks more like it gnd will do very well as de- ceiver."
 H. S. Frye, of Windsor, Conn.,, address ed the committee on behalf of the inter- eSts of the tobacco growers of New Eng land. 'eThe only salvation of the tobac- co industry of New England is a duty on tobacco high enough to protect what little is left of the home market to the domestic producer" he said. Sumatra tobacco was luxury, and he had been told by cigar makers that even if duty of four or five dollars per pound were placed on this tobacco 1t would not decrease its importation. But as Sumatra was lux ury and matter of fancy he held that it should have been taxed as such and on this ground he asked for high tariff rate of duty which would allow American growers to furnish wrappers for the five 
 were 150 per cent. higher than Sumatra, he stated.
 After recess Moses Kohn. president of the National Association of Cigar Max CTS, presented their case. The cigar man. ufacturerS, he said, we'll understood the condition which rendered a revision of the tariff necessary at this time They knew full well that not only was 1t nec- essary to place the revenues of the gov- ernment on 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 American industries" In common of all these American manufacturers, they were in harmony in the principles of protection referred to, and they consequently did not appear for the purpose of asking any exemption from bearing. just and proper share of the burdens of maintaining the government, which, compared with other industries, they had borne in excess of their proportion.
 He gave some statistics of the importa- tion and the revenue from that source, which indicated an average duty on all kinds of tobacco of 52.35 cents per pound.
 He suggested a uniform duty of not exceeding 55 cents per pound on all to- baccos unstemmed This would afford the growers as full and fair protection as could be given by any tariff not virtually prohibitory and would introduce proper revenue. A 55-cent duty at the present avreage price of tobacco would be a pro- tective tariff of about 700 per cent. The growers of tobacco were certainly en- titled to and should receive the fullest protection possible; yet the fact should not be lost sight of that the cigar in- dustry was a great one, which, with it's kindred branches, employed many mil lions of capital and fully ten times as many workmen as were engaged in rais- Ing the leaf. The manufacturers simply asked that they be not sacrificed or in jured in carrying the scheme of protec- tion too far; and it was certain that no higher rate of duty than 55 cents per pound for unstemmed tobacco could be borne by the makers. The manufactur- CTS, he thought, were entitled to a pro- lection of $5 per pound, and 25 per cent. ad valorem on imported cigars.
 Replying to the question as to the amount of wrappers that came in un- fairly as filters at 35 per cent, he thought it was enough to cover about 3,0OO,O0O cigars.
 E. R. Gumby, of Tampa, Fla, spoke for the makers of the clear Havana cigars. It took about five pounds of Havana to- bacco, he said, to wrap 1000 cigars, whereas but two pounds Of Sumatra were required. It was true that only about per cent. of the Havana tobacco imported paid duty as wrappers. No one was deceived in this matter, as the attention of the treasury had been called to 1t and 1t had been finally decided by the board of appraisers. There was not over 2 per cent. of the Havana crop sal able as wrappers. These goods were inn ported in bulk and the wrappers selected after importation. Until this tobacco was unpacked stripped and prepared for use no one could tell the wrapper from the filler If high rate of duty was placed on this tobacco 1t would prohibit its inn portation and drive the makers of clear Havana cigars out of business. As matter of fact, the makers of Havana cigars paid about as much duty on wrap pers as did importers of other wrappers.
 Referring to the request for uniform specific duty on all tobacco he said that it would probably yield revenue equal to the present, but if what the topacco growers said today was true, there would not be much left of the poor New York and New England tobacco farm CT.
 George J. Smith, a cigar manufacturer of New York, replying to MT. Gumby, said that the Florida manufacturers performed the miracle of wrapping 120,- 900, ,OO0 cigars annually, with 5000 pounds of tobacco. It was well known that the law was evaded in Florida. There were about 29,000 cigarmakers in the United States, employing 100000 hands, using
 
 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 22,000 pounds of Ha- vana wrappers while there was produced here 150, ,000 GOO clear Havana cigars.
 l.. H. Neudeckor, of Baltimore, said that the cigarmakers of his city favored a duty of 50 cents pound, and none oth- er on all imported leaf tobacco. This, in his opinion, would give adequate protec- tion and yield sufficient revenue.
 R. I. Ellison, editor of the United States Tobacco Journal, desired to cor rect the statement made heretofore that Sumatra tobacco was raised by pauper labor. He asserted that the cost of rais- ing this tobacco was 24k cents per pound. The laborer who worked the tobacco was hired by the season, housed, fed and clothed.
 George Mitchelson, a grower of Con- necticut tobacco, advocated a duty of $5 per pound on Sumatra tobacco. It was, he said, an interloper and did not belong here, and he wanted to see it kept out. If it could be kept out, the grow CTS of this country could make their business pay They made money and