Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-24
TOBACCO EXPORT RESTRICTIONS.
House Resolution Thereon-hr.
SNansOn's Speech-Personnls.


WASHINGTON, d. c., July 23.-(Spe-
cial)-The senate yesterday passed the
House joint resolution requesting the
President TO make such inquiries as viii
bring out the facts In reference TO the
| restrictions upon the sale Of American
| tobacco i'm foreign countries, under what
| is known as the "regie" or government
contract system. This resolution is Of
peculiar interest 10 Virginia, where so
much tobacco is purchased by the French
| Austrian. and Italian governments. 1t
also REQUIRES the President TO enter into
NEGOTIATIONS with those governments
for the purpose Of securing a modifica-
tion. if not the absolute removal, Of these
restrictions A vast quantity of the to-
bacco grown and manufactured in this
country is exported, and the necessity
of some such action as IS contemplated
in the resolution is apparent.
II is contended by the tobacco pro-
ducers and trade that there Is no other
uroduct of this country so unJustly ana
unfairly Disseminated against by tor-
eign governments as American tobacco.
While one half Of our tobacco crop Is
exported and sold in Europe, yet there
are only two nations there the markets
of which are freely open to the sale OF
mis- nroduct. shipped by the trade in the
United States, and even in those TWO
countries the import duties are excessive.
TOBACCO IN EUROPE.
The tobacco trade in all the other coun-
tries of Europe is government monopoly.
No nerson in those countries can import
tobacco from this country. in France
no person is permitted to sell tobacco
cvcspt a government official, and there II
Is known and sold as government tobacco.
,rhe same conditions practically obtain
I'm the other countries, except that IN
some of them the government sells the
privilege to private persons VINO alone
can sell tobacco, and who, having the
exclusive right 10 import. can TX the
prices and charge what they please
CONGRESSMAN Swanson, OF Virginia,
who made an elaborate speech In the
House on this subject, and who has
made q study Of it. said: Tobacco in
All the European countries, excepting
England and Germany, is sold to the
consumer at about 500 per cent. more
than is paid for il here. These govern
ments usually appoint one persop 10
mako the purchases here for their entire
country. and, OF course, this prevents
all competition. and enables them 10 buy
the product at their own price. The pro-
ducer or his agent. being prohibited by
law from shipping his tobacco TO these
countries. is almost compelled to take
whatever the agents of the governments
choose TO pay for it. 1t is safe 10 say
that these reggie contracts have resulted |
in reducing the price Of American to- !
bacco on an average, 81 per hundred |
weight This would make our loss |
amount 10 more than 100000 a year |
on our foreign salea alone. II we add TO /
this the loss in our home market, we |
lose on our tobacco more than SlSOV,c0 |
a year"
Under the resolution as adopted in the /
House. and the Senate having now con-
Cured o full investigation OF the ''regie" |
will be made. and the Presi-
dent Will either appoint a commission |
OF tobacco experts 10 carry IL into effect,
or this will be done through our con-
sular agents and other representatives
abroad.
PERSONAL.
Representative Skinner, OF North Car
olina, who has been indisposed for some
weeks left yesterday 10 join his family
at Morehead City, n. c.
f. S. Shirley, III. Bensley. and A. NJ.
Wray, OF Lynchburg Va, and C. l..
OF Harrisonburg Va, are at the
large delegation OF Epyorth
Leaguers from North Carolina are in the
city. sightseeing.
Colonel Il. W. Burke and family. OF