The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-09-22

conclude to wait awhile and allow time
to soften their ideas along this line. At
any event the present prospects do not
point to an early general movement of
the crop.
Xxx
Frank B. Carpenter, a correspondent
employed by newspaper syndicate
writes as follows concerning the tobacco
interests of Porto Rico:
II have spent some time in travelling
in the tobacco districts of Porto Rico.
These are to be found up in the noun
tains high above the sugar lands. They
are exceedingly rich, the dark green
plants covering the hills and climbing, as
it we're, clear to the. SUBMITS of the
mountains. Many of the tobacco fields
are on the sides of hills SO steep that you
would think the plants would fall out of
the soil, and some of them SO steep that
the men have to almost lean backward
to hoe the crop, which grow almost
straight over them. Scattered here and
there through the tobacco fields are long,
thatched sheds in which the leaves are
dried and cured for the market. Some
of the sheds are built up and down the
steep hills, the slope of the hills forming
the fall which makes the rain roll off.
One of the richest tobacco districts is
that of Cayey, about half way across the
island. The tobacco raised here is as
fine as the best Havana tobacco. 1t COM
mar Is a high price in the Porto Rican
markets. Much of it is shipped to Ha
vana and there made into Havana cigars
to be exported to the United States. [
doubt in fact whether you can get good
cigars anywhere SO cheaply as in Porto
Rico. [ can buy cigar for cent here
in Ponce which is as good as the best
straight scent cigar sold in the United
States, and for cents can get better
cigar than you can buy in New York for
10 cents. Very fine medium sized cigars
are sold at the factories here for from
S27 to $50 per thousand, the very finest
bringing $45 per thousand. Such cigars
would sell for from 500 to 5000 per
thousand in New York. There are cigar
factories everywhere in the tobacco dis |
tricts. You find them also in the Cities
and in San Juan there is cigarette fac |
tory which makes about 100000 cigar |
cites day.
It seems to us that the tobacco grow |
ers of New England are unnecessarily |
alarmed:
"a meeting of the executive committee |
Of the New England tobacco growers
association was held at Hartford last
week, practically every member being
The situation was gone over in
great detail, and finally letter was un-
adopted, addressed to the
Connecticut senators and representatives
n congress. This letter shows that on
most conservative basis the cigar leaf
crop in Connecticut and Massachusetts,
should bring to the farmers at least S4,-
100000 in cash this year. This is but a
small fraction of the total leaf tobacco
product of New York, Pennsylvania, |
Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida, with small
,r areas in Georgia, Texas, etc. Serious
alarm is felt by growers everywhere
over the possibility of free trade with
Porto Rico and the Philippines, and pos
'ibly Cuba later on. In an able legal |
eview, the latter proceeds to show that
my legislation by constitutional status
Is territories of the United States, would
esult in free trade in tobacco, the dis
lsterous effects of which on domestic
,rowers and cigar manufacturers and
he labor employed therein is emphasized.
The letter, therefore, asks the Connect
ut delegation in congress to prevent
his result by continuing the present
military government of these islands,
*** 1t
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue
las issued a circular of rulings on the ,,
question of special warehouse tax, put :
ing the matter in light that dealers 6
an comprehend. which says: j
"a person who at some particular place is
ngaged In a trade or occupation upon which
pecial tax is imposed by law is required to /
be Collector of the district, within the calen-
ar month in which the special tax liability
This return must show the name
r style, place of business or trade, place OF 7
eSidence etc. -
If the occupation is that of dealer in leaf '
obacco, and the person to be charged has a
made return and paid the special tax at some | i
ther particular place, or in some other dis :,
rict and is in doubt as to his liability to special
ak at local warehouse in a tobacco growing {
istrict, which he occupies solely for storage
purposes, he should disclose to the Collector !
he nature and extent of the business carried
n at that place, and, if from a presentation of Z
Ii the facts, the Collector of the opinion that
e is carrying on business as a dealer in leaf | I
obacco he should render his return therefor; | :
t. %1,1 .o&1