The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-04
SURPRISE TO III TOBACCO TRADE.
Tho Closing or Cuba to the Porto RIcau Prod
uct was Unexpected.

Tho CIosiug or Cuba to the Porto RIcan Fred.
uct Was Unexpected.
The closing of the island Of Cuba to tobacco
grown in Porto Rico comes an q surprise to tho
trade st large. For many years this was the
only tobacco permitted to be taken. into. the
island. and this regulation was very vigorously
observed, as the cigar manufacturers and the
leaf tobacco dealers in tho Cuban product
knew that to retain the prestige and high
prices of their product. it must be above
suspicion. Even American buyers of RENE.
dos tobacco, the type 80 largely used in
what are known as seed and Havana" cigars
were put to considerable trouble by the red-tape
regulations which had to be observed to enable
them to take into Havana a handful of our do
mestic-grown leaf tobacco and a corresponding
amount of that grown in Sumatra for the pur-
pose of testing the Romedios growths. Hence.
any tobacco coming out of Cuba was implicitly
rolled on by the world at large as being tho
strictly legitimate and pure article.
The product Of Porto Rico much resembles
the tobacco of the Remedies district, and is not
considered suitable for the high-grade cigars
known as clear Havanas. 1t has been permitted
to enter Cuba for use In the cigarette manufac-
tories, and also for the manufacture of what
arc called plantation cigars" made by the
farmers and people in tho country mainly for
of such low value that, it is said. they can be-
sold for about SO per thousand. They must be
low priced or those nations would have no
demand for them. Because of the tobacco
famine caused by the war in Cuba and the con-
sequent non-plantinR of Vuelta and Partido to-
baccos, however. there was a great demand for
the Porto Rico. Forty thousand cases of this
tobacco were admitted into Cuba last year, this,
II Is broadly stated, being used by some of the
local cigar factories in the cheaper goods. in the
cigarette factories. and also exported to this
country.
The sudden prohibition of this class of tobacco
IS said TO be due to the fact that its admittance
to Cuba would now seriously injure the reputa-
tion OF the native high.grade growths, inasmuch
as well'founded rumors exist that domestic
grown tobaccos Of the United States have found
their way into Porto Rico. thence TO Cuba, and
have there been sold again to American cigar
manufacturers as veritablc Havana. Owing to
the handsome appearance of the leaf 1t has been
almost impossible to detect 1T by sight.
wrappers (of which there are practi.
cally none in the Porto Rico CROP the matter OF
aroma and taste has not been watched too
closely. 1t is currently stated that a certain
manufactures in a State not far south OF New
York bought six bales of tobacco from Havana
as wrappers. paid the wrapper duty on them into
this country, costing him in all over So. 600, and
then, finding such tobacco as he In all his ex-
perience had never seen come from Cuba, sub
mitted them TO an expert In domestic leaf to
md they were choice Connecticut.
to believe it ia SO. tho Madrid Government has
acted very wisely In prohibiting the Porto Rico
tobacco from the island. Nothing is said about
the permission accorded one OF the largest cigar
firms in Cuba to grow tobacco on the Isle Of
tlnc5, an island adjacent to Cuba.