The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-12-27
TARIFF AND RECIPROCITY AS AT
FECTING TOBACCO.
Views of New England Correspondent.
EAST HARTFORD, Conn, Dec. 10, 1901.

with Cuba, and naturally enough those
interested in the tobacco industry of the
United States at least that portion who
produce a strictly cigar leaf, are some
what anxious to know just what conces-
sions are to be made and what the effect
will be on domestic products. Undoubt-
eddy the item of tobacco will be one of
the most prominent, as tobacco and
sugar are the principal sources of rev.
enue to the island. Long before the
opening of the present session of Con-
gress the Havana union of tobacco deal
ers" petitioned the government at Wash
ington, defining their position and ask
ing that the duty on cigars be reduced
from $3.50 to So 80 per pound, and that
the ad-valorem duty be abolished, and
that one rate of duty be collected on all
tobacco 10 the leaf at the rate of 20 or
% cents per pound instead of the differ
entail duty of $185 per pound on wrap
pers and 35c on filters as now existing.
In the present law there is clause max
ing any bale, box or package containing
over Is per cent of leaves suitable for
wrappers dutiable at the higher rate. A
most unfortunate fact that has been in
strumental in reducing the standard of
our so-called Havana filters, and has
opened the doors for fraudulent packing.
Not only this, hut it has been the cause
of endless trouble and controversies.
Now, undoubtedly the Cubans are
right from their standpoint in wishing
for better opportunities in our market,
and perhaps it is just that we make some
concessions to themin the matter Of du-
ties and imports, yet at the same time
we must protect ourselves first There
seems to be no immediate prospect of
free Cuban government. This pet ideal
of the Cuban population recedes more
and more every day. The next thing
that naturally follows will be demand
for annexation to the u. S. This we do
not want under any circumstance, al
though it is extremely liable to be
brought about. We should make siren
uous efforts to delay such catastrophe,
at least Cuban annexation is the great
est menace to our industry that exists
today, and at any moment the structure
of American cigar leaf tobacco which we
have so carefully built up, may topple
and fall any day. Annexation means, of
course, free trade. When Cuba becomes
an integral part of the u. S. there can be
no duty imposed. upon her products.
She with her climate conditions and sit
uation, would hold an immense advant,
age over the growers of leaf tobacco in
the States. Labor alone is sufficient to
warrant this, the immense and constant
ly increasing demand for their tobacco,
the great opportunity for extension of
the production under the conditions
which would then obtain, would easily
romove what little hold the growers of
the north now have on the tobacco mar
ket. We have an illustration of what
would be the result of such a contin-
gency in the Porto Rican matter. Only
a week ago the largest shipment ever
made from the island arrived at New
York. 1t consisted of 100000 cigars,
100000 all tobacco cigarettes, and 10000
pounds of tobacco in the leaf, all of
which comes in free of duty, thus giving
the Porto Rican producer an actual adj
vantage in our market over the produc-
ers here Porto Rican cigars and tobac-.
CO are not as popular as the Cuban, or
even some domestic, yet they find
ready market, can be produced cheaper,
and altogether are detriment to our
business. Under the provisions of the
law as existing at present, the American
cigar manufacturer is highly protected
against foreign cigars (outside of the
case just cited), while the American
grower Of cigar leaf is not. Less than
one per cent of the cigars consumed in
this country, according to the official re-
turns to the revenue department, are i'm
ported, thus giving the manufacturer SO
per cent protection, practically the whole,
while the grower has to be satisfied with
almost so per cent Of the home market,
the large importations of Sumatra and
other countries reducing it to about
these figures. To be sure the new fad
of tent grown" tobacco may in the flu
ture supercede the Sumatra wrapper to
a great extent and thus furnish the solu-
ton Of that vexatious problem. How
ever, as Sumatra tobacco is in itself a
very undesirable article so far as quality
and flavor are concerned. and only rec
Ommends itself through it's capacity as
wrapper, we need not fear it's competi-
ton so much when under the new reg
ime we are able to produce wrapper
which is an exact imitation, in fact has
some points of advantage over the Su-
matra leaf. $50. ...
To the question of reciprocity with
Cuba, the New England growers are Civ
ing considerable attention, and though a
diversity of opinion exists among them
as to the policy of changing present rate
of duty on tobacco and cigars, those who
are best posted, who have given the
matter close study and are best inform
ed on statistics appertaining to the sub
ject, are willing to make concessions that
will enable the Cuban to make their in
dustry profitable and satisfactory, and
yet retain the major part of the protec-
ton which we now have. For instance,
If we acceed to the Cuban demand as
indicated in their memorial to the war
department before the opening of the
57th Congress, and reduce the specific
duty on Havana cigars from $3.50 to
$3.50 per pound (12 pounds government
standard for a thousand) it would be
only comparatively small loss in rev.
enue to the government, which it is pre-
pared to meet, while with the present
importation of Havana cigars the Amer
lean manufacturer would only have
competition of a fraction less than one
per cent. Surprising that the removal of
this restriction in part should increase
the amount imported, which it undoubt-
eddy would; and again, supposing we
take the entire output of cigars from
Cuba the competition would not, even in