Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-05

J Not ucci case its importation But as
/ Huhatta was luxury and a matter Of
fancy. hc held that II should have been
/ taxed as such. and on this ground he
/ asked for "a high "a Of duty. which
would allow American grower. 10 fur
! hlsh Wtappcfs for scent cisars Wages
/ ln New ENGLAND We're ls0 per cent, hign-
/ cr Than In Sumatra. he stated
After recess Air. Moses fohn. president
/ OF the National Associatian Of CIGAR
/ Manufacturers. presented their case.
| The cigar manufacturers nc sSid well
/ understood the conditions which reu-
| dcrcd revision Of tariN necessary at
+ this time. They knew fuH well ihat rot
/ only was 10 necessary % place the feve-
/ MUGS Of The government on a basis which
/ would meet the necessary expenses. but
/ they We're also advised of the fact thar
/ the theory Of the proposed tariff revision
/ would De- In line with the theory Of pro
/ tccting American labor and American in
dustrics."
In common with all other American
manufacturers. they were I'M harmony
/ with the principles OF protection referred
| 10. and they consequently did not appear
/ fer the purpose Of asking any exemption
/ from bearing a just and proper share Of
/ the burdens Of maintaining tho govern
mont which, compared with other in
dustrics. they had borne I'm excess Of
/ their proportion.
lie gave some statistics Of tobacco i'm
/ portatiOn and the revenue from that
source. which indicated an average duty
on all kinds OF tobacco Of 5l.3S cents per
/ pound, and an average duty on un-
stemmed tobacco Of 523j cents per pound.
/ Tie suggested q uniform duty of not ex-
ceciing % cents per pound on an to-
baccos, unstemmed This would afford
! the growers as fun and fair protection
as could Doe given by any tariff. not virtu-
ally prOhibitive. and would yield a proper
revenue a 5j-ccnt duty at the present
average price of tobacco would be pro-
tectve tariff of about 200 per cent The
growers of tobacco We're certainly en-
titled TO. ana should receive, the fullest
protection possible; yet the fact should
not De lost sight Of that the cigar indus
try was "a great one which. with It's
kindred branches. employed many millions
of capital and fully ten times as many
wOrkmcn as were engaged IN raising the
leaf. The manufacturers simply asked
that they be not sacrificed or injured in
carrying the scheme of protection too
far: and IL was certain that no higher
rate OF duty than 5j cents per pound for
/ unstemmed tobacco could be borne by
the makers The manufacturers. he
thought were entitled TO "a protection OF
81 per POUND, and % per cent. ad valorem
ON imported cigars.
Replying TO a question as to the amount
of wrappers that came In unfairly as
filters at 35 per cent, he thought il was
enough 10 cover about 100000 cigars. 1t
was extremely difficult TO determine the
difference between wrapper and filler to-
/ bacco-cspecialy i'm the case Of the Gu
/ ban product-and no plan had yet been
dcvi .ed for enactment into law to dis
y sf f.... I'D 1.t.fr
CLEAR HABANA CIGARS.
d. r.. Gumby. of Tampa Fla, spoke for
the makers of clear Habana cigars. il
! took about five pounds Of Habana to-
| bacco. he said to wrap a thousand cigars,
| whereas but two pounds Of Sumatra were
required. II was true that only about 3
/ per cent of the Habana tobacco i'm
! ported paid duty a. wrappers. NO one
/ was deceived in this matter, as the at
| tention of the Treasury had been called
| TO it and % had been finally decided by
/ the Board OF Appraisers. There was
not over per cent Of the Habana crop
salcable as wrappers. These goods were
imported in bulk. and the wrappers Sc
lccfcd after importation. Until this to-
bacco was unpackod. stripped. and pre-
pared for use. no one could tell the wrap
per from the filler. If a high rate of duty
was placed on this class Of tobacco. 10
would prohibit its importation, and drive
the makers Of clear Habana cigars out
of the business. AS a matter of fact, the
makers of Habana cigars paid about as
much duty on wrappers as did importers
of other wrappers.
Referring TO the request for a uniform
specific duty on all tobacco, he said that
it would probably yield revenue equal
to the present one but if what the to-
bacco-growcrs said to-day were true
there would not be much left Of the poor
New York and New England tobacco
farmers
George j. Smith, a cigar manufac-
tuIer of New York, replying to Mr.
Gumby said that the Florida manufac-
| turers performed the miracle of wrap
ping l20O0JOJJ cigars annually with 5000
pounds of tobacco II was we'll known
that the law was evaded in Florida.
There were about 5000 ciear-makers I'm
The United States. employing 10000
hands, using the Sumatra goods and he
asked if IL was fair 10 discriminate
against those ia favor OF q few makers in
Florida. Last year there were imported,
on which duty was paid but 1900 pounds
! of Habana wrappers. while there We're
produced here l5000O,0O clear Habana
cigars
L. II. Neudecker. Of Baltimore. said
vored a duty of 80 cents "a pound, and
none other ON all imported leaf-tobacco.
This i'm his opinion, would give adequate
protection and yield sufficient revenue.
j.. l. 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
raising this tobacco was a - cents per
pound. The labOrers who worked the
tobacco were hired by the season. and
were housed, fed, and clothed
George Nicholson, grower Of Con-
n,cticut tobacco. advocated a duty of s.
Der pound ON Sumatra tobacco. IL was,
he said am interloper and did not be-
long here and he wanted to see IL kicked
out If it could be kept out, the grow
ers Of this country could make their busi-
ness pay. They made money and were
prosperous before Sumatra was so gene
rally used. In his opinion. its exclusion
would advance the price OF the domestic
product 10 so cents "a pound
The committee adjourned until to-mor-
row. when the agricultural schedule will
be taken up including livestock, dairy
products. fish, meats, and salt.
THE RICE INTERESTS.
Represcntati,es 10 Appear Before
49, .,nd Menus COmmirtep