The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-01-25
THE
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edgerton. Wisconsin.
NOTE BOOR SKETOHES.


the damaged leaf in the present crop
into merchantable leaf. Mr.. Comstock
formerly lived at GAINESVILLE where for
number of years was engaged in the to-
bacco business He relates his expert
ence ia handling the shed burned leaf of
the SO crop converting it into suitable
binder. He has carried his experiments
through with the '93, "a and '96 crop
and believes he can handle the damage
of the 1900 crop safely through the
sweat. Anyone interested is at liberty
to write him on the subject. We know
a whole lot of packers who would give
big money to have some one insure their
holdings against damage from black rot
the coming season.
The Cincinnati Tobacco Plant copies
the lerding paragraph of this column of
last week regarding the complaints of
growers of unfair treatment and COM
ments on it as follows:
while there naay be some foundation
for the complaints registered there is
certainly another side to the story. 1t is
alright to talk about the injustice of the
packer toward the farmer; but if the
growers in Wisconsin are any thing like
the growers IN Ohio, the injustice which
the packers practice against them can
never be compared with the simpositions
its farmers practice on the packers. 1t Is
a general rule to wet the tobacco just at
delivery time and to put foreign sub
stances in the cases, such as salt, nails
and bricks, just to add to the weight.
We don't say that the farmers IN Wis
consin do this, because we have no posi-
tive knowledge tof the fact; but it our
esteemed contemporary will investigate,
perhaps he will find such the case. At
least, before condemnation is made let
the packers give their side of the story.
Perhaps that may lend different color to
the situation.
No, we cannot believe that Wisconsin
growers, speaking class, are guilty of
the practices above described. An oc-
casional dnstance OF Intentional deception
comes to hand, for ,examdle, a packer re-
ing several pounds in the middle of a
bundle last week, but a general proper
tion of WISCONSIN farmers are disposed
to be 2aonest and only ask equally fair
treatment from the tobacco dealers.
A bill has been introduced in the Wis
consin legislature which is intended to
put an end to the sale of cigaretts in
this state, and the measure is to get a
favorable report from the assembly COM
mittee to which it was referred. The
intended law lis as follows:
1t shall be "a misdemeanor for any per-
son, firm or corporation to sell, offer to
sell Or to bring into this state for the
purpose of selling, giving away, or other
wise disposing of any cigarettes, cigar
ette paper or substitute for the same
and any violation of any of the provi-
sions of this act shall be punishable by
fine of not less than fifty dollars
A similar Law is i'm force in Tennessee
and has been upheld by the United
States Supreme court.
***
The comments OF the Tobacco press
upon the decision OF the American To,
baeeo Co. to invade the cigar field, af-
fords some interesting reading. Its in
fuenee upon the New York leaf market
is partially told in another column under
the market head of that city. A cor
respondent to Philadelphia paper as
signs the following as the reason why
the big trust is anxious to get into the
cigar field:
1t is asserted that the American To-
bacco Co. has, during the past two years,
suffered much from the competition of
cheap cigars, and that in consequence
the consumption of cigarettes, of the
manufacture of which it may be said to
have monopoly, has fallen off 30 to 40
per cent. 1t is further claimed that after
the American Company had outreached
its rivals in the plug tobacco field, about
year ago. President Duke turned his
attention to the cheap cigar product and
its increasing menace to the prestige of
the great tobacco combination. It is un-
derstood he has secured options on
enough large cigar factories in important
districts of the east, south and middle
west to give his new combination com
plete control of the cheap cigar market.
The Powell Smith & Co. factories are 1
among the largest. Final details of the
purchase, it is said, will be followed by
first information as to the scope and
strength of Mr.. Dukes new cigar trust.
The Louisville Weed, a violent anti
trust organ has this to say on the proba-
BILE success of the new venture of the
American Tobacco Co..
There is no more reason to believe
trust can be made success in the cigar
line than there is that Dom Paul Kruger |
will be our next president. Conditions
are against it, and the man that does not |
think SO, let him try it once.
As for Mr.. J. B. Duke, of American |
and Continental tobacco fame, we would |
be glad to see him try the experiment. |
and here's hoping he will think SO fav
orably of his new scheme as to put q
good, big pile of his own money into the |