The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-01
HAVANA CIGARS SCARCE.
Wiz Have to BE Content for
n While with other Brands.

New iOih ENeNllS gun.
For the past two years there has been a
scarcity of Havana tobacco in this country.
and the prospects for a larger supply in the
very near future are not good. Just be-
trade from Cuba was cut off. But there
were on hand some 10000 bales of Havana
tobacco in his country, and; in eonse-
That stock has. however, been used up,
and there is not now either in this country
or in Cuba any of the old tobacco, so to-
bacco merchants of this city said to-day.
At least there is not now on hand any high
glade leaf tobacco, though there is a small
supply of an inferior quality.
''The crop of 1899" said a large dealer in
Havana leaf tobacco, has begun to arrive
In Havana from the outlying country. We
learn that some of this crop is fair. and
that some of it is very good; but that the
bulk of it is far below the average. In adj
dition, the crop is said. to have been small,
and the pri ces that have been paid for IL
exhorbitant. High prices were demanded
for all grades but the prices that have been
asked for the finer grades have been out of
all reason, and American manufacturers
have refused TO handle the goods. The bulk
OF this new crop having already gone to
Havana, two syndicates-one English and
they paid dear for it, they are now holding
1t, expecting to get an advance. / do not
mean to say that the market has been cor
nered by these syndicates, for there is no
such thing as cornering the tobacco supply.
The syndicates may own or control the lar
ger part of the output, but they cannot force
manufacturers to buy at whatever prices
they NAV demand, because the manufac-
turers can do without Havana tobacco and
lse other kinds that will give results al
most as satisfactory to the consumer who
desires a good smoke, and far more salts
factory to the smoker who does not care
particularly for a Havana cigar. There are
those who will insist on Havana tobacco.
however. but unless the price of the leaf
goes down considerable, those persons Will
find that they cannot get what they want.
1t is simply impossible for the cigar max
ers to touch the Cuba leaf at present prices.
A doa1ina &c nynanta6 hIrf Union n uri1 anrnn
no one can say. Having paid prices much
above the normal for what they have
hold on to their stores just as long as they
can, but / am sure that they will realize
they have acted unwisely., and that in the
end they will be compelled to unload at a
material loss. In the meantime the cigar
makers of this country will use larger
quantities of Mexican and Jamaica leaf.
made from selected leaf grown in Connecti-
cut. New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Wisconsin. The tobacco raised in the South
ern States is worthless, except for pipes.
cigarettes and chewing. When Ii comes to
making Decent cigars, a Havana filler,
Sumatra wrapper and Connecticut binder
Taking these facts into consideration, it
will be readily seen that for the next few
and dear. In this country the manufacture
Of cigars from Havana tobacco Will be al
most entirely discontinued and those smok-
ers who cannot, or will not, use cigars made
from strictly American goods Will find that
they must pay almost twice as much for
their cigars as they have been accustomed
to, for they will be compelled TO buy cigars
that are manufactured In Cuba of tobacco
that costs more there than ii ormerly did.
But it will be a hardship that cannot last,
for i'm the meantime there will be a new crop
of tobacco coming in. The prospects for
this new crop are, so far as quantity is
concerned, better than for years past. but
there is no way of knowing what the quality
Of it will be. The plants are set out usually
in November, and the first cut is made in
t. 1890 E-4-2 h. 6rr at h4 Co.
grades are generally obtained. though fine
grades are obtained from the second cuts.
There will be then a large crop ready for
market and If the syndicates have not un-
loaded their stocks by the time that the
1900 crop has been dried it is not probable
that they will buy heavily, because they
will nave ascertained by that time that it
is next to foolishness to attempt to force
cigar manufacturers 10 take leaf at prices
sc greatly above the normal. The tobacco
grower will have been the only person TO
derive benefit from the high prices"