Arizona republican., 1901-10-11
DUKES TOBACCO WAR
The Combine Will Capture the
 English Market
The Imminent Prospect of an Ar rangement Which Will Drive Virginia Shippers and Raisers Out of Business.

Richmond, Va., Oct. 1O-The an- nouncement that the Consolidated To- bacco company has taken steps to ac- quire the control of the British market has created the liveliest interest in to- bacco circles here and nearly all ex- porters take g discouraging view of the situation. If the plans are consum- mated it is believed the American will practically control the British market. The exporters in this city who will be affected by the policy of the American Tobacco company are Leon I. Strause, Wellford C. Read. Thomas Atkinson & Co, James N. Boyd & Co.,. Alfred T. Harris. John NJ. Taylor. William C,. Bentley. Francis M. Boykin. Hugh Campbell & Co.,. Darlington & Co.,, J. B. Lightfoot & Co.. R. c. Morton & Co.,. w. Greanor Neal. E. O. Nolting's Sons & Co.,. William A Smith & Co.,, Thorn ton & Co.,, I. N. Vaughan & Co, E. K. Victor Co., Williams & Rehling and the c. E. Wilson Co
 The exporters of Richmond are not the only ones alarmed. In all Virginia and the Carolinas the feeling seems to be practically the same. William T.. Dibrell. editor of the Southern Toba = conist. published here, says that 1t Danville and other places the export CTS. like many of those here. fear they will be run out of business if the con- bine accomplishes its end.
 In fact. local export men regard this latest move of the Consolidated To- bacco company upon the English mar kets. as the beginning of the end. Farmers look with dismay upon the passing of the middle man, who, up to this time. has been the only com petitor with which the combine has had to reckon. The tendency of the export man has been to keep prices up, and with his elimination prices must necessarily be lowered.
 John NJ Taylor. one of the most prominent exporters of this city, said the average yearly shipment of tobacco to England was I5.Oo0 900 pounds. Of this quantity 40.00O.O00 pounds of the dark tobacco is shipped from the west The remainder consists of light tobacco from Virginia. North Carolina anI South Carolina
 Tt costs now" said MT. Taylor about cents pound for ali tobacco sent to England. The American To- baeco company will be able to ship when freight charges are at lowest ebb, and will save all the charges which have to be met now except freight, in- surance and storage. This will give an advantage to their factories in England and over other manufacturers of sI.50 hundred. which is a good profit in itself
 "I think they are undertaking a very difficult proposition. but MT. Duke is extremely enterprising. and with the unlimited money of the American To- bacco company behind him he may ac- complish his purpose. The absorption of the Ogden factory really affects the market here only slightly, but it means a great deal. What we fear is that he will use this one factory as a whip to get other manufacturers to sell out.
 "1f he can get Gallagher's. and one or two more of the large English factor ies he will have a foothold that will be an immense factor tooard the com plete control of the American as well as the English market. It will prob ably take years to accomplish this, be- cause the English take a great deal of pride in their business. It descenls from father to son and this prejudice will be hard to uproot. It would be a bitter pill to England to lose the to- bacco business. The dealers on the other side say it would never be all lowed. and that the law would forbiI It.
 The loss of the export trade would be more serious to the Danville dealers. Mir. Taylor thinks. than to the local export men. It would drive competi- tion off the market. and enable the combine to dictate prices to the farmer.