The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-15
TOBACCO AND PEACE.


or course. the United states army
viii occupy Cuba preliminariIy only as
a guardian for the Cubans. but this
military occupation may last for years.
And while It lasts Cuba will remain
foreign country TO us as far as our and
it, own tariff laws are concerned. OF
course. IL the military occupation Of
Cuba by the United States should &C
last turn into annexation. either by
plebiscite of the Cubans themselves or
from some other Gauss as yet unfore-
seen, then naturally all the customs
barriers between the two countries
would fall and tobacco would pass as
free from one to the other, and vice
versa. as 1t does today from one part OF
our country 10 another.
Then. indeed, would come revolu-
ton in our tobacco trade and cigar in
dustry. But that eventuality Is yet too
far Off to cause. for the present at least.
any anxiety. A question for the pres
ent more to the point Is what effect the
reopening of the port OF Havana. which
will occur the moment peace Is signed.
and which is likely TO occur now any
day, would have on the trade. Anxiety
has been expressed and is given vent
TO in our Lancaster, Pa. letter that the
reopening of the port OF Havana woul0
have bad effect on our domestic cropa.
On the other hand, Ii Is reported that
the manufacturers have stopped buy
ing Havana for the present, waiting tor
the expected peace, which will permit
a new supply of Havana leaf at lower
figures
Neither the expectation Of the one.
nor the anxiety of the other will b
realized. The moment the port OF Ha-
10 ha r.
rush of eager buyers that prices will
be driven up right In Havana to
higher point than the present market
price here. Besides, the supply there
will barely be sufficient to go around.
The stocks in this country have become
so exhausted that the hrst rush VIII
grab up everything in sight and leave
barely anything for the general market
Consequently. those who are holding
last years filler crops need not tahe
any alarm as to the profitable invest
ment OF their packings. For aside rom
the fact that the Havana leaf Will Tor
a year to come at least rule as high as
at present, and thus make 1t unpront-
able for service in nickel goods and
partly in the so-called jobbing dine
goods. the manufacturers themselves
will not i'm hurry change the mode OF
manufacture which has been forced on
them by the exclusion OF the Havana,
ana WHICH SeeHs 10 give SthoAei Sde-
isfaction. Besides, there Is more money
i'm nickel cigars without Havana than
with, and the manufacturer will not
make haste to part with his larger
profits Last years packings OF domes-
tic leaf suitable for filler purposes are,
therefore. all right. They Will sell and
bring their price. They need not fear
the competition of Havana released
from freed Cuba as long as the Havana
does not come in free.
But some foresight should be used IN
the speculations with this years crops.
Reports are coming in from the Con-
necticut Valley that as high as 20 ana
30 cents are being paid already for the
new crop. Somebody Will md himself
on the wrong side of the ledger In pay
ing such prices. These prices are un-
doubtedly paid under the impression
that the figures which the '96 broad
leaf Jumped 20 this year will hold out.
But the condition will be changed ma
terially when the '9S crop comes into
the market. The rs cents and 81 =
pound was paid this year for the broad
leaf because no Havana wrapper lear
was to be had at any price, and some
clear Havana manufacturers preferred
II as a substitute to any other leaf.
But with peace reestablished clear
Havana manufacturers will no longer
be in such a dilemma. Hence there are
no prospects for such exceptional prices
for the broad leaf next year as pre-
vailed this year during our war with
Spain.--United States Tobacco Journal.