The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-15
PRODUCTION OF CIGARS.
Remarkable Decrease i'm the Number
Now Manufactured.

Remarkable Decrease i'm the Number
Now Manufactured.
New York Mail and Express.
Despite the horrible example,, moral
suasion and statutory laws, cigarette smok-
ing is on the increase in the United States:
cigarettes comes a decrease in the produc-
ton of cigars, showing that while man
smokes as much as he did last year some
smoking at less expense than formerly
The statistics of 1896 show a decrease
in the cigars produced of .9S666o; and an
increase in the cigarettes produced of 323-
6S, 3i0 The figures employed TO tell the
story of the industry are enormous and al
most beyond comprehension. Last year ;
production OF cigars IN the country was
.12595S. $40 and Of cigarettes 4.0S1 .90S. 500.
Even this gives no idea of the consumption
of tobacco by the nation. as 1t does not
include the cigars imported from Cuba and
Mexico. 1t does not tell of the pipe and
smoking tobacco, nor of the solid comfort
derived in the South and West from mil
lions of pounds of plug and 'hne-cut
chewing tobacco. not to mention the snuff
clippers and ''rubbers.
There is curious significance in the fact
increase in cigarette making began last
July. about the time Bryan and free silver
were launched in Chicago. The first six
the cigar production over the corresponding
time in 1895, but just as soon as the Dem
ocratic national convention started the free
silver craze the cigar industry fell off, 1t
did not recuperate until December. when Ii
began to show an increase. The four
months of the presidential campaign cost
the cigar makers .326 cigars.
This does not necessarily mean that the
excitement of politics made men lose their
taste for cigars. On the contrary. it is
probable that more cigars were consumed
during these four months, because of pol
itics, than during any corresponding period
OF the year 1t is poor and unwise candi-
date for any office who doesn't have a box
of cigars continually open at his headquar-
ters. The free-silver craze did not scare
the smokers. but Ii did scare the iobbers
and they reduced their order to the man
ufacturers. The jobber who was expected
to order 100000 cigars last summer ordered
$1,000, with the explanation that he would
wait to see what was going TO strike him
in November
For the whole year fewer cigars and more
cigarettes were smoked and one notable
cause for this is the great cheapening of
cigarettes and competition in their manu-
facture. Ten cigarettes used to cost 10
to smoke them all can get twice that num-
Der for dime these days. He Is reaping
the pecuniary advantage and the sanitary
disadvantage of the big fight which is on in
the cigarette trade. The Eastern trust used
TO make all the cigarettes. and stuck TO its
speciality but it finally entered the chew
ing tobacco field, and in retaliation the big
makers of chewing tobacco in st. Louis
began the making of cigarettes, and the
bottom fell out of all prices.
Hard times have affected the consumption
of cigars since 1893. they have the con-
sumption of champagne. Many man who
used to smoke cigars-who felt the neces-
sity of economy-is now smoking pipe or
aIl-tobacco cigarettes. A still more subtle
and perhaps more influential factor in the
decline of the cigar is to be found in the
tariff on ''Sumatra leaf, which is used ex-
elusively in the manufacture of medium and
high priced cigars. The two sides of this
question are clearly presented in the state
ments to the ways and means committee
of the 'cIear Havana manufacturers and
the. Cigar Manufacturers Association OF IN
diana.
The 'clear Havana makers in their adj
"Sumatra leaf tobacco is to-day under a
duty which it has to pay. driving out of the
market all domestic leaf as a wrapper Tor
the medium-priced or high-priced domestic
cigar and now importers of II and those
manufa cturers who do not make clear Eia-
vana goods want to put a duty on II which
will drive out of the market every pound OF
American-gro wrapper.
EFT has been stated by the importer. not
the farmer that the 81 levied under the Nc
Kinley bill was not success. we CONN.,
IDENTIFY assert that these people do not know.
The farmers said 1t was benefit 10 them
for about two years. but the record SHOWS
that i'm anticipation of the high duty the
enormous quantity of 100000 pounds was
imnorted: about enough, by the statistics
of mast and subsequent years, TO supply the
demand for three years. and sui the fafm-
or was benefited by the act.
"They say further that the. Wilson Dill
retained a duty of $3.50 a pound on wrapper
his product This may be true but the real
reason was that as soon as the wilson Dill
was passed the business of the country OF
every kind was so thoroughly demoraliZed
and depressed that the people were COM
PEELED to give up the luxury of cigars Men
who had used Havana SMOKED SumaIra
vranners: those who had INDUCED In Su-
matra-wrapped cigars were compelled 10
smoke cheaper ones: and ne VINO smoked
the New York and Connecticut cigar
smoked his pipe or gave up tobacco aIto-
.!This state of affairs has continued even
until now. and the farmer has not yet mad
an opportunity OF testing the merits OF the
Mckinley bill"
The Indiana manufacturers. voicing the
desire OF all the small makers In the coun-
try say to the committee III giving their
reasons why the tariff on wrapper leaf
should be reduced:
; .'vhile the cigar-making industry en-
ploys many times more persons than all
the other branches combined including to-
bacco growers, we do not ask that the
greatest good shall he done 10 the greatest
number. but that there should be no dis
elimination against our branch of this in
dustry.
.'The cigar-manufacturing industry is one
i'm which machinery Is of little use. the
work being done by hand. thus enabling
the man of small capital TO embark in IL
II is therefore unjust TO have rate OF
duty so high on his wrapper leaf as TO pro-
hibit him from buying in original pack.
ages. but compelling him to buy In small
quantities at much higher prices. thereby
preventing him from participating in that
competition which is said 10 be the life OF
trade.
Being absolutely essential in the making
Of the medium and the finer grade oi
cigars. we can see no reason why this higt
rate OF duty should be continued. II has
been OF benefit TO no one. but has reduced
wages. obliterated profits, diminished i'm.
ternal revenue receipts, cheapened the
product of the American grower, puts 2
premium on smuggling. Is menace 10 goot
morals by gint false custom-houst
entrfeS-in fact. is q blight on the whole
cigar making industry"