The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-04-25
HOME INDUSTRY.
A Cigar Maker Has Some Facts and
Thoughts on the Subject.

Editors Herald From time to time
our newspapers have we'll written
articles on "Patronize Home In
dustry," and on behalf of the cigar
makers of Oskaloosa desire to give
some facts and thoughts ON this sub
ject, and it may answer one part of
the question "What ails Oskaloosa?"
81 wish to state that the grocers of
Oskaloosa do not help the cigar
makers by wanting our employers to
trade out cigars sold them, especial
ly so with union cigar makers, as the
union forbids the cigar maker from
taking orders in payment for SER
vices. Therefore, our employers do
not drum the grocery trade as hard
as they would.
My employers pay out in good hard
cash all the way from S125 to s175
every Saturday night for making
cigars alone and this amount works
its way through the different channels
of trade before the next Saturday
following, and il you don't get it di-
rectly Mr.. Merchant, you do indi-
rectly. You tell our employers you
do not get his trade, etc. Do you tell
the other statesmen of the different
lines this or is it because the cigar
manufacturer is trying to build up
our town? Also the druggist, some
of them, resort to these tactics. They
watch very closely where our en-
ployer trades, but pay no attention
to the families he furnishes employ
ment to, and forget that they are
trading around at the different
places.
There is but one grocery firm in
the city of Oskaloosa that has never
said to my employer when asked to
buy our product "Will you take it
out in trader" They pay cash for
their cigars and take their chances
with the merchant that does not
handle cigars.
This is the kind of trade that will
increase our membership. This is
the kind of trade that pays the cigar
maker and pays our employers bills.
l would like to hear of our Board of
Trade paying some attention to our
cigar factories. They solicit our cigar
factories to gather bonus money for
other factories and forget that we are
to-day the largest industry in our
city. That is in dollars and cents
paid as salaries.
Look at our druggists cigar cases
and see what they do. Go in and ask
for good cents cigar and note the
box they take it from. Nine times
out of a possible ten its foreign
brand, and there is not standard
brand cigar made in our city that
isn't as good, and we know better
than half the 10 cents cigars they
carry. Why do they do this? Don't
talk to a cigar maker about Home
Industry" show him once what you
call such. Now take our merchants
that do not sell cigars, such as cloth
ing, dry goods, hardware, harness,
lumber, etc. What do they call for?
AS said of our druggist, nine times
out of possible ten they call for a
foreign cigar, and good many
know of send away for their cigars
buying them by the box. want to
sayMr. Groceryman paycash for your
cigars and you will not lose cent of
trade by it. Just the same as you do
your groceries. Also to all mer-
chants who push our home cigars and
those who do not sell cigars but call
for our product will find it to their
interest at all times. When we pur-
chase suit of clothes, a bill of
groceries or anything else we do not
say, "Will you take it out in cigars?"
Hoping that you merchants who
wish to build up our beautiful little
city will get new move on you and
change your ways in our line, and
assuring you that this is written with
all due respect to everybody and un-
solicited, and contains actual facts.
1 am, sincerely,
A CIGAR MAKER.