New-York tribune., 1902-12-15
6ari1f OF, Cuban 6obacco.
Conditions Set Forth Which Argument for Reducson
Is Base
BY Marion Wilcox.

on WILCOX
sand cigars. Therefore the leaf required for ~.
manufacture of thousand cigars will cost sa "a
Wages to cigarmakers. including the picking and
stripping. average s15 thousand
The wages just given are the minimum, rata
During the years 1929 and 1900 s3f month 7vaz no..
for regular hands, and much as So 2 day o.
help
The cultivation Of tobacco requires expert Ishor
ers and they cannot be obtained for less than s1-
month. The extra Iaborers employed for plan-t,,
and harvesting receive not less than 81 or 81 50
day.
Experience has shown that If tobacco is Guilt
waited with non-expert labor the resulting crop will
yield filters only To acquire the necessary expert
ness laborer requires experience Of wors
during three crops at least as the cultivation ~
tobacco involves not only special methods in plant
ing, but also knowledge in the destruction or ths
tobacco caterpillar, picking the buds thinning our
the plants. cutting and curing in the tobacco
houses, etc.
REMATES DE GUANE.
This is the most westerly tobacco plantation dis
trct in Cuba, and produces 5000 to 3OGO0 bales
crop. The lands richer than those OF San
Juan and San Luis, and the yield OF tobacco a
cabaleria rises high three hundred bales
The rental OF land varies from s4Oo to $500
cabaeria.
produce about s4S 30 under normal conditions Cost
Of carriage to warehouse bale. 81 90.
A tobacco plantation in the vuelta Abajo whers
the tobacco houses. dwellings. tobacco rods agri-
cultural implements. ETC., were destroyed during
the war. has cost the following rebuild and re-
plant
Three tobacco houses. four
One selecting 500
Fourteen thousand tobacco rods sor curing la la
PIoughs, tools and furniture FOR dwellings
Total 100
The above buildings may be taken 70 last for
six seven years Cost bale in depreciation IN
value of above plant, $3.50 year on $50 bales. or
s. IS for bale.
1t is only necessary for the American agricut-
urist to reflect on the foregoing figures for a mo-
ment to discover that serious competition the
part of Cuba with the domestic leaf of the United
States is impossible. During the year 1900 only
2090600O0 cigars. all told. were exported from the
island of Cuba. OF this amount. only 4Go0oM0
sold to the United States. while in the mean
time the United States produced 5s0O.O0o000 cigars
within its own Lorders Cuba's contribution to the
general tobacco market Of the world is merely
drop in the
Even if it possible to Increase Cuba's ex-
portaton OF cigars to 5O1O0O0oO and sell the
tire output to the United States what possible
damage could result from competition with cur
country. which increased its production Of cigars
from 40SS0 100000 in 1880 to 5SO0O000O in 1900 or at
the rate of 15O001O010 in the last ten years?
During the period from 1871 TO 1886. with tariff
OF s. 80 a pound on cigars and % per cent ad va
loren,s the importation of cigars into the United
States did not amount to per cent OF the domes-
tic production With the enforcement OF the sched-
ule in the latter year. which raised the duties
81 30 a pound. still retaining the D per cent ad
vaorem, the importation decreased so rapidly that
in 1909 Cuban cigars in the American market only
amounted to 100000. or to less than per cent
To every man who has studied the subject it
seems clear that the more liberal use of Cuban in
conjunction with native tobacco would render the
American cigars far more acceptable to the con-
suner. thus naturally increasing the demand and
enhancing the price Of the domestic article Tbs
domestic cigar OF America. instead OF being in
danger. absolutely needs the Cuban leaf 10 make
it worthy OF place on the market, and thus 1t Is
difficult to understand why the importation Of
Cuban tobacco should be discouraged by excessive
When the American grower and manufactures
thoroughly understand the facts in the case. they
present day. duty Of one-hah Of that which is at
sd TaoTe tx would de not onIy Weld much
greater revenue to the Treasury at Washington,
baeco manufacturers in the United States should
twenty-five pounds of tobacco are required to
make one thousand cigars, weight net 12ls pounds
and o-falls The duty on this material at 17s cents
a pound. one-haf the present rate, amounts to
81 % a pound. one-half the present duty. would
yield revenue or ST. sS Il NJ, anT sum |9uG -,fs sun
ton of SO 20 on every one THOUSAND cigars, which
tion for an Industry which is at present turning
out, in the United States, cigars az the rate OF
8 800. 100000 q year.
One can readily understand that to the capitalist.
or to the individual who is deriving benefit from
baccos, which virtually excludes and does not yield
the best results for purposes OF revenue. Is simply
matter of business. into Thtch-Sent1ment cannot
enter But the people OF thu Idited States are not
to those outside OF that field to the great mass OF
the American people. another side and other in
terests must be apparent
1t is at least possible for the average American
to appreciate the words Of a manufacture who IL
generally regarded as one of the most intelligent
men in Havana: The tobacco industry cannot
thrive in this country unless the government al
Washington sees mt TO come to rescue by re-
ducins tariff which is not productive OF revenue
aud which is not essential to the best interests or
that country
The United States at the time OF the signing Of
the Treaty of Paris. assumed certain obligations
with reference to Cuba which were political IN
their nature. but it would seem to me that the
Importance at the present time II IS quite as
for people to live il Is for them 70
have satisfactory and stable form OF government
The limitations of the Platt amendment restrict the
tents and purposes a protectorate and such being
an accepted fact. the first and best protection
which can be given us is to remove the unneces-
Sary tartr barriers 10 our economic life. Wltnout
these the country has been rescued IN vain -.
In other words, economic error is reSponslsle
Tor the continuance of conditions that must
bring contest between employer
and enploye- The former is compelled 10 accom-
nodate himself to unfavordble circumstances; the
latter feels most acutey their pressure. Moreover.
can capitalists Is at first naturally marked u
>rease In the tendency toward MISUNDERSTANDING
between people of different races. which cGunot
be expected to aoate except under the notifying