The evening times., 1898-09-03
TIE TOBACCO TRADE.
Cigar Manufacturers Look for N
Great Revival.

American buyers now in Cuba to secure
tobacco for this country. The changed
conditions which will follow the war
promise to make the tobacco situation an
interesting one.
A leading importer of Cuban tobacco in
speaking of the outlook. said
With Cuba as part of the United States
the world would have to come to Ameri-
can manufacturers for cigars. This coun-
try has been the greatest customer of
Cuba and the cream of Cuban tobacco
has been brought to the United States
The reason of this is that American smok-
ers demand the best and American manu-
facturers pay the highest prices for Gu
ban goods. 1t has been said that the best
tobacco has been kept in Cuba and not
exported This is wrong, as the Cuban
manufacturers will not pay the price that
may be obtained by sending the superior
tobacco TO the United States
England comes next to this country
in buying the better class of goods, fol-
lowed by France and Germany The poor
er grades are bought by Spain. English
tories at present in Cuba, and about eigh-
teen or twenty Of the best-known factories
are in the hands of English owners.
American capital going into the manufac-
turing of cigars in Cuba would have to
compete with them.
..These factories have established
brands and the American manufacturers
would have to put up cigar as good
Mt rantuTe the
trade. OF course an advantage Will be
In the superior ability of the Americans
to sell goods and il would probably not
take long before the expert statesmen
frrm this country would establish rep
utation in the markets OF this and other
countries for the goods from American
factories. Cuba has upheld the feputa-
ton OF her cigars by prohibiting the
inporta ton of tobacco from any other
country This policy was modified for
while under Weyler. who. when Cuban
tobacco began growing 50 scarce that
its expectation was stopped. permitted
the importation of tobacco from Porto
Rico. This went for about two years,
but the importations were stopped last
January.
ON my last visit to Cuba | noticed the
Unusual thing of consumers in buying
cigars specifying from which factory
they wanted them Investigation showed
that they had called for cigars from fac
tories which were not using Porto Rico
tobacco in order to be sure of getting
the purely Cuban product. If Porto Rico
becomes part of the United States the
tobacco grown there. which is OF fair
character. Will come into competition
with the American product in our home
markets. j am not sure that this will
h.a ,.yif.
enlarged trade which our manufacturers
will get with the world there may be
ample demand for American grown to-
bacco. With Cuba as part of this coun-
Try and the old law of excluding out
SIDE tobacco wiped out there would b.
good market in that country for Amer
lean tobacco TO be used for cigar wrap-
perS
The consumption of Cuban tobacco in
this country is now about one-fourth of
what II would be under normal condi-
uOns- The causes are high prices the
scarcity of the goods, owing TO the war.
and the conditions which have prevail
ed in Cuba for several years decreasing
production. There has been as result
corresponding increase in the con-
sumption of American tobacco. which
( has been substituted for the Cuban pro-
/ duct
! While the advance in the price of Gu
/ ban tobacco has been about SO Is per
! cent, the American tobacco has increased
! in price from 80 to 100 per cent There
was a time when a pure Cuban filler was
! placed in scent cigar. but the domestic
/ tobacco has taken the place of the i'm
ported article. The proportion of Cuban
/ tobacco has been lessened in many lines
! of hish-prieed cigars High prices in
/ Cuban tobacco are likely to continue for
! several years TO come.
! Next month is the planting time. and
/ some decided Improvements must be
made in the conditions of the planters il
! they are to set out an increased acreag ge
! If they can make the proper financial.
| arrangements. they may be able to put
out a 80 per cent crop. This is provided
! the Spanish soldiers have not destroyed
tobacco houses and ruined plantations
during the war with the United States
Santiago. where the fighting has been
going on. is not much Of a tobaCco-grow-
| ing section. and the damage done there
would not affect the crop If in the TO-
/ bacco-grOwing sections the destruction
| ceased during the war. then the planters
will be in shape 10 put out a 30 per cent
| crop if they can make the necessary
! financial arrangements.
The last crop was about a 20 to q
| per cent crop and was harvested in Feb
! ruary- This would mean about I25 600 to
| 15o.00o bales. and of this number about
! one-third. or 50.g90 bales would be fit
for the American demand But this will
/ not be ready for Use for some time. as
it takes about two years from the time
of planting before the tobacco is in shape
| although under pressure ii may come in
to the market earlier.
| After the tobacco is cured and dried
it is baled. and then has to go through
| the ageing process, during which fer
! mentation goes on. which perfects the
| tobacco for use. 1t will thus be seen that
! for some time to come American to-
! bacco will have TO be depended upon
| largely as a filler.
The first cargo of tobacco and cigars
to arrive in New York from Havana since
the war reached that port Thursday in
the steamer MatanZas, % the Ward
| Line. 1t consisted of 1257 bales of to.
| bacco and Sol cases of cigars A trine
more than one-half of the cargo-79=
| bales and 167 cases-is consigned to the
| steamship company and is probably
therefore, only in transit.
The officers of the steamer said tba,
! the cigar industry was the only one in
Havana that they did not find paralyzed
| 1t was explained to them that the cigar
| factories had an outlet for their goods
| at port on the south coast OF the island
| which was not biockaded and that there
| was at no time during the war and inter.
| ruption of manufacturing.